District of Connecticut

A federal jury in Bridgeport, Connecticut, convicted a former oil and gas trader today for his role in a nearly eight-year long scheme to bribe Brazilian government officials and to launder money to secure business for two Connecticut-based commodities trading companies.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Glenn Oztemel, 65, of Westport, Connecticut, paid bribes to officials of Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), the Brazilian state-owned oil and gas company, to obtain lucrative contracts for Arcadia Fuels Ltd. (Arcadia) and Freepoint Commodities LLC (Freepoint).

“Glenn Oztemel paid and laundered more than $1 million in bribes to employees of Brazil’s state-owned oil and gas company to obtain lucrative contracts for his commodities-trading companies in Connecticut,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Bribing public officials to win business undermines the rule of law and creates unfair competition. Today’s verdict reaffirms the Criminal Division’s commitment to combatting foreign corruption that violates U.S. law.”

“Bribery and money laundering are well-established federal crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “This conviction serves as another warning to anyone involved in the financial industry who seeks to gain an unfair advantage and illegally profit, both here in the U.S. and abroad. This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to keep a watchful eye to ensure that representatives from U.S. businesses operating overseas comply with our nation’s laws.”

“Individuals and companies who collude to thwart free market competition through bribery ultimately erode public trust in the marketplace,” said Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s conviction demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our partners to investigate anti-competitive behavior and hold accountable those who try to cheat the system for their own benefit and profit.”

The trial evidence showed that, between 2010 and 2018, Oztemel worked as a senior oil and gas trader — first at Arcadia and then at Freepoint. With the assistance of others, Oztemel paid and caused the payment of bribes to Petrobras officials for their assistance in helping Arcadia and Freepoint to obtain and retain fuel oil contracts with Petrobras and by providing Oztemel and others with confidential information regarding Petrobras’ fuel oil business. Oztemel and his co-conspirators caused Arcadia and Freepoint to make corrupt payments — disguised as purported consulting fees and commissions — to a third party intermediary and agent, Eduardo Innecco, 74, knowing that Innecco would pay a portion of those funds to Brazilian officials, including to Houston-based Petrobras trader Rodrigo Berkowitz.

To conceal the scheme, Oztemel, Innecco, and their co-conspirators used coded language like “breakfast” and “freight deviation” to refer to the bribes and communicated using personal email accounts, encrypted messaging applications, disposable phones, and fictitious names like “Spencer Kazisnaf” and “Nikita Maksimov.” In total, Oztemel paid more than $1,000,000 in bribes, which were split between Berkowitz and other Petrobras officials in Brazil. The bribe money moved from the trading companies to shell companies around the world controlled by Innecco, who then made payments to a bank account in Uruguay controlled by Berkowitz’s father.

The jury convicted Oztemel of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of violating the FCPA, and two counts of money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of the FCPA and conspiracy to violate the FCPA counts, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the money laundering and money laundering conspiracy counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Charges against Oztemel and Innecco were unsealed on Feb. 17, 2023. In a superseding indictment returned on Aug. 29, 2023, both were charged alongside Oztemel’s brother, Gary Oztemel. Gary Oztemel pleaded guilty to money laundering on June 24. In May 2023, Innecco was arrested in France and his extradition to the United States is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Innecco is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In a related matter, in December 2023, Freepoint admitted to bribing officials in Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Freepoint entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. As a part of the resolution, Freepoint agreed to pay more than $98 million in criminal penalties and forfeiture.

The FBI Los Angeles Field Office’s International Corruption Squad investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Brazil, Latvia, Switzerland, and Uruguay provided assistance with the investigation.

Trial Attorneys Allison McGuire and Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chief Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.

The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS A. ROSADO, 31, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in May and June 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) received two CyberTipline reports from Kik Messenger that two separate Kik Messenger accounts had been used to upload video files depicting the sexual abuse of children.  The investigation connected both Kik Messenger usernames to Rosado and determined that, between April and June 2022, he used them to upload and distribute 104 video files depicting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent children.

Rosado, who resided in Manchester at the time of the offense, was arrested on October 6, 2022.  On February 5, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

Rosado, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 4.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Connecticut State Police, the Manchester Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations.  The case was 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, announced that FREDY ADALBERTO GUARDADO SALGADO, also known as “Fredy Guardado” and “Fredy Salgado,” 43, a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 15 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Guardado was deported from the U.S. to El Salvador following a felony conviction in December 2010 in Connecticut Superior Court for assault in the second degree involving a stabbing.  He illegally reentered the U.S. and, on August 6, 2023, was arrested by Hamden Police on state assault and breach of peace charges for allegedly using a wooden bat to hit multiple victims in the head.

On June 28, 2024, Guardado pleaded guilty to illegal reentry.  The state charges against him are pending in Meriden Superior Court.  Guardado is detained in federal custody.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERRARD SANTIAGO, 44, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution offenses stemming from an overdose death investigation in 2021.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 18, 2021, Santiago sold cocaine laced with fentanyl to a 22-year-old male in a restroom of the Mohegan Sun Casino.  The purchaser overdosed on the casino floor and died approximately 11 days later.  On February 3, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and heroin from Santiago.  On February 14, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and cocaine from Santiago.

Santiago has been detained since his arrest on March 30, 2023.  On January 29, 2024, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance.  After an evidentiary hearing in April 2024, Judge Meyer concluded that Santiago knowingly distributed the narcotics that caused the victim’s overdose and death.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mohegan Tribal Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Christopher W. Schmeisser.

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 Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging the following seven individuals with offenses related to the large-scale manufacture and trafficking of counterfeit pills containing synthetic opioids and other substances:

KELLDON HINTON, 45, of New Haven
HESHIMA HARRIS, 53 of New Haven
EMANUEL PAYTON, 33, of New Haven
MARVIN OGMAN, 47, of West Haven
SHAWN STEPHENS, 34, of West Haven
ARNALDO ECHEVARRIA, 42, of Waterbury
CHERYLE TYSON, 64, of West Haven

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation led by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, protonitazene, dimethylpentylone, xylazine, and other substances.  Protonitazene is a Schedule I synthetic opioid that is three times more potent than fentanyl.  In June 2023, law enforcement received information that Kelldon Hinton was using a pill press to manufacture large quantities of counterfeit pills containing controlled substances.  Through the use of physical and electronic surveillance, the seizure and searches of parcels sent through the U.S. Mail and commercial delivery services, undercover purchases of counterfeit pills, trash pulls, and other investigative methods, investigators determined that Hinton, with the assistance of his co-conspirators, was purchasing protonitazene, dimethypentalone, xylazine, other substances, and pill press parts from China and elsewhere, using tableting machines (“pill presses”) to manufacture counterfeit pills in a garage he rented in East Haven, marketing and selling the pills on the dark web, and mailing pills to customers around the U.S.  In text messages, Hinton referred to the rented garage as his “lab.”  Between February 2023 and February 2024, Hinton shipped more than 1,300 packages through the U.S. Mail.  Hinton also distributed the counterfeit pills to associates in Connecticut, who sold them to their own customers.

On September 5, 2024, Hinton, Harris, Payton, Stephens, and Echevarria were arrested on federal criminal complaints.  On that date, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of several locations, including the garage located on Tyler Street Extension in East Haven, which yielded several hundred thousand pills, two large pill presses, and pill manufacturing equipment.  One of the pill presses seized was capable of producing 100,000 pills per hour.

It is further alleged that, as the investigation continued, Ogman communicated with Tyson and shared with her news reports of the search and court information of the arrests.  He also continued to distribute pills produced by Hinton, and law enforcement is currently investigating a drug overdose death that occurred recently in Connecticut.  Pills recovered from the scene appear to match those produced by the Hinton organization, and a preliminary search of the victim’s cellphone text messages revealed that Ogman supplied pills to the victim.

The indictment added Ogman and Tyson as defendants, and was returned on September 18.  Ogman and Tyson were arrested on September 19.

The indictment charges each of the seven defendants with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and protonitazene.  On this charge, based on the quantities of controlled substances attributed to each defendant, Hinton faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and the other six defendants each face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The indictment also charges Hinton with one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of protonitazene, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Echevarria with one count of possession with intent to distribute protonitazene, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Hinton, Payton, and Ogman are currently detained, and Harris, Stephens, Echevarria, and Tyson are released pending trial.

“This multifaceted investigation is a testament to great law enforcement work by agencies here in Connecticut and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.  “I commend the DEA New Haven, members of its Tactical Diversion Squad, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, for leading this effort.  “This investigation reveals the constant challenges that we in law enforcement face in battling the proliferation of synthetic opioids in America.  In recent years, the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners have focused on disrupting the global supply chain of fentanyl, other synthetic drugs, precursor chemicals, and pill manufacturing equipment, from China and Mexico to the United States.  These enhanced efforts are clearly represented by this investigation and these charges.  But, clearly, our work is not yet done.  We know that prosecution alone is not enough to combat the deadly scourge caused in our communities by fentanyl, other synthetic drugs, and counterfeit pills.  We all need to keep working together, through criminal investigations and prosecutions, treatment programs, and public awareness campaigns, such as the school presentations undertaken by my office, to educate and warn children and adults about the dangers and harm that even one counterfeit pill can cause.”

“This country is in the midst of a catastrophic overdose epidemic where the threat from synthetic opioids and methamphetamine disguised in fake prescription medication remains high,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division.  “This case showcases one of the largest seizures of fake pills the DEA has ever seen in New England.  Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs to the citizens of Connecticut need to be held accountable for their actions.  DEA will aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals who distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

“These enforcement actions, which included the arrests of seven individuals and the execution of search warrants at six locations, resulted in the disruption of a significant trans-national operation and the dismantling of one of the largest illicit manufacturing sites ever located in Connecticut,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “This investigation highlights the effectiveness of the collaborative efforts among the involved agencies but also the real danger posed by individuals who engage in these crimes.  The Postal Inspection Service is proud to stand with our partners in identifying, disrupting, and dismantling these drug tracking organizations which endanger our communities.”

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

This investigation is being conducted by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the DEA Chicago Cyber Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the East Haven Police Department.  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 Lauren C. Clark and Konstantin Lantsman.

More information on the Justice Department’s efforts to disrupt to global supply chain of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs is available here.

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.

To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s fentanyl awareness and drug prevention program for students, click here.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a 14-count indictment charging ROBERTO PABON, also known as “Goya,” 44, of Manchester, with fentanyl and cocaine distribution offenses.

The indictment was returned on September 11, 2024, and Pabon appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  He has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on August 29, 2024.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force has been investigating members of Los Solidos, a Hartford-based street gang, who are involved drug trafficking and other criminal activity.  Between December 2023 and July 2024, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Pabon, a member of Los Solidos.  Pabon used an apartment on Brown Street in Hartford to store narcotics, and he typically sold drugs to customers in the area of Hartford’s South Green Park.

It is alleged that on August 2, 2024, Pabon was arrested at his residence by Manchester Police on state charges.  A drug scale fell from Pabon’s pocket as he was being apprehended, and a search of his car, which he had just exited, revealed more than 1,300 wax folds of fentanyl, and quantities of crack and powder cocaine.  A related search of another car parked at Pabon’s residence revealed more than 200 grams of raw and packaged fentanyl, approximately 38 grams of crack cocaine, and approximately five grams of powder cocaine.   A search of Pabon’s residence revealed items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $8,800 in cash.

It is further alleged that, in August 2024, while Pabon was released on a $750,000 bond in his state case, FBI Task Force investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl from him at a gas station on Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford.

The indictment charges Pabon with nine counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl; four counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl and cocaine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.  Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 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 FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Manchester Police Department.  The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JALEN LASALLE, 20, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to a series of gunpoint robberies targeting individual sellers of luxury goods over online marketplaces.

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 Lasalle and John Villegas, also known as “Kirby,” committed five armed robberies in Hartford in late August and early September 2022.  Villegas, with Valerie Meneses, also committed an armed robbery in August 2022 in Middletown.

Lasalle was arrested on February 3, 2023.

Lasalle pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years on each count.

Lasalle is released on a $50,000 pending sentencing, which is scheduled for January 7.

Villegas and Meneses, both of Hartford, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.  Villegas has been detained since his arrest on December 14, 2022, and Meneses is released on bond.

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, announced that SEAN PEPE, 39, of East Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.

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 Pepe and others for further distribution.  In addition, the investigation revealed the distribution of other controlled substances, and Pepe also sold cocaine to customers.

On November 18, 2022, a court-authorized search of Pepe’s East Haven residence revealed more than 300 counterfeit fentanyl pills, nearly 75 grams of fentanyl powder, distribution quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, a machine used to make counterfeit pills (“pill press”), a hydraulic press used to mold drugs into kilogram bricks, three firearms, body armor, numerous rounds of ammunition, more than $86,000 in cash, and a Rolex watch.  At the time of the search, Pepe was on state probation after being convicted in September 2021 of illegally possession of weapon in a motor vehicle.

Pepe has been detained since December 2022.  On June 12, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. 

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

Prior to the federal investigation, on October 23, 2021, a 36-year-old woman died of a fentanyl overdose at Pepe’s residence.

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 and the Manchester, Glastonbury, West Haven, Hamden, Newington, and Bristol Police Departments.  The FBI Task Force includes participants from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Katherine Boyles, 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 ANGEL EUGENIO BANCES CHAPONAN, 60, a citizen of Peru last residing in Queens, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment for his participation in a distraction theft and identity theft scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies in Connecticut and elsewhere have been investigating a series of distraction thefts of wallets from victims, typically elderly women, at Trader Joe’s grocery stores, TJ Maxx stores, and other retail stores in Connecticut and elsewhere since March 2022.  The investigation revealed that Bances Chaponan and others rented vehicles to travel throughout the U.S. in order to steal wallets from unwary victims, and then use the victims’ credit and debit cards to purchase electronic devices and other items.  Bances Chaponan and his co-conspirators would stop at shipping providers along their route to ship the goods they purchased to a co-conspirator’s address in New Jersey.

Court documents detail Bances Chaponan’s role in the theft from 10 victims in Connecticut, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and Tennessee, and the purchase of more than $46,000 in goods using the victims’ credit or debit cards.

Bances Chaponan was arrested on March 13, 2024, shortly after he used a stolen credit card to purchase a MacBook for approximately $2,850 and an iPad Pro for approximately $1,050.  On June 20, 2024, he pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.

Bances Chaponan, who has been detained since his arrest, faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manchester (Conn.) Police Department, with the assistance of the Fairfax County (Va.) Police Department, the Spartanburg County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Office, the Spartanburg Police Department, the Warwick (R.I.) Police Department, and the Metropolitan Nashville (Tenn.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN McMANUS, 55, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for a firearm offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, as part of an investigation into the proliferation of privately made firearms (“PMFs” or “ghost guns”) in Connecticut, ATF investigators determined that Andrew Francoeur, a resident of Manchester, was buying firearm parts from a Missouri company, having the parts shipped to him, and manufacturing guns inside a shipping container on a property in Suffield.  Francoeur sold some of the firearms he manufactured.

While he was incarcerated in state custody for firearm and drug offenses, Francoeur arranged for McManus to take possession of his guns and ammunition.  McManus sold some of the firearms, broke some into pieces when he learned of the ATF investigation, and ultimately stored Francoeur’s property in two storage bins.  In November 2022, investigators retrieved the storage bins and found firearm parts, a .22 caliber rifle, more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition, 25 high-capacity magazines, M-80 explosives, firearm gear, and other items.

McManus’ criminal history includes felony convictions for drug, firearm, larceny, and failure to appear 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 April 11, 2024, McManus pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

McManus, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 17.

On April 27, 2023, Francoeur pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license.  On September 6, 2023, he was sentenced to 33 months of imprisonment.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.

This case was prosecuted 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 JONATHAN VINCENT GLENN, 55, of Greenwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding investment clients through a “cherry-picking” securities scheme.  Glenn also must serve the first six months of his supervised release in home confinement.

“Cherry-picking” is a fraudulent securities trading practice in which the responsible individual executes trades without assigning those trades to a particular trading account until the individual determines whether or not the trade has become profitable or suffered losses.  The responsible individual then allocates the profitable trades to favored accounts – often the individual’s own accounts – and assigns unprofitable trades to disfavored client accounts.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Glenn owned Glenn Capital LLC, also known as GlennCap LLC, an investment advisory firm headquartered in Greenwich.   Through Glenn Capital, Glenn provided clients with portfolio management services including asset selection and asset allocation.  Glenn managed all of Glenn Capital’s advisory clients’ accounts and was authorized to make trading decisions on each client’s behalf without seeking approval for each trade.  Glenn placed trades on behalf of advisory clients, himself, or family members by trading directly in the relevant individual account, or by placing block trades in Glenn Capital’s omnibus account and allocating the block trades among the relevant individual accounts.  Glenn Capital’s Code of Ethics required Glenn to determine and document the specific allocation of each block trade prior to the execution, and to allocate block trades to individual accounts at an average price.

Glenn defrauded clients by retroactively allocating profitable omnibus-account trades to favored clients, family, and personal accounts, and unprofitable omnibus-account trades to non-favored-client accounts.  Notwithstanding the requirements set forth in the Code of Ethics, Glenn did not determine the allocation of block trades until after they were executed, when he knew if the trades were profitable in the hours following the execution. When a block purchase of an equity security increased in value in the hours after the purchase, Glenn generally realized the profits by selling the security.  He then allocated those profits to favored-client, family, firm, and personal accounts. When a block purchase of an equity security decreased in value, Glenn generally allocated those block purchases to the non-favored-client accounts.  Glenn did not inform his clients that he was “cherry picking.”  Instead, he gave the false impression that he allocated trades fairly and according to a pre-determined allocation methodology.

Through this scheme, Glenn defrauded more than 45 clients of a total of more than $2.7 million.  He is required to make full restitution.

On October 5, 2023, Glenn pleaded guilty to securities fraud.

Glenn, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on December 2.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has settled fraud charges with Glenn and GlennCap LLC.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.

JUSTIN CABRERA, also known as “J.U.,” 25, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses stemming from his participation in the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang.

Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang.  On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Cabrera and 15 other alleged 960 gang members with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.

Cabrera pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

On October 31, 2017, 960 members shot and wounded an individual in an attempt to murder members of a rival gang.  In pleading guilty, Cabrera admitted that he operated one of the vehicles used in the shooting.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for December 9, at which time Cabrera faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Cabrera has been detained since September 16, 2021.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, who have been cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is 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.

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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS PADILLA, 39, formerly of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for escaping from a halfway house in Bloomfield.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2018, Padilla was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 78 months of imprisonment for conspiring with others to traffic narcotics from Connecticut to Maine.  On March 17, 2021, Padilla was transferred from a federal prison in West Virginia to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, to complete his custodial sentence.  On June 1, 2022, Padilla walked out of the Drapelick Center and never returned.  He was located and arrested in Bangor, Maine, on April 5, 2024.

On June 10, 2024, Padilla pleaded guilty to escape from the custody of the Attorney General.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL ACEVEDO, 41 of Meriden, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to cocaine trafficking offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 7, 2021, Meriden Police arrested Acevedo on state crack cocaine distribution and firearm possession charges.  On that date investigators seized from Acevedo approximately 390 grams of cocaine and $281,000 in cash.

In December 2022, while he was released on bond in his state case, investigators made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Acevedo.

Acevedo was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 14, 2023.  On that date, a search of his residence on South Avenue in Meriden and his business on West Main Street in Meriden revealed approximately 40 grams of cocaine and more than $3,000 in cash.  At the time of his arrest, investigators also seized two vehicles owned by Acevedo, an SUV and a minivan.  A search of the minivan revealed a hidden trap that contained six kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded firearm.

After his arrest, Acevedo was released on a $60,000 appearance bond, cosigned by three sureties.  Within 24 hours of his release, Acevedo was observed meeting with several visitors at his home and receiving a paper bag from one visitor who was a known drug associate.  Acevedo has been detained since March 1, 2023, when his bond was revoked.  On July 25, 2023, U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley granted the government’s motion to forfeit Acevedo’s appearance bond.

Acevedo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.  At sentencing, which is not scheduled, he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

The state charges against Acevedo stemming from his June 2021 arrest are pending.  The cash that was seized in June 2021 was previously forfeited.

Acevedo’s criminal history includes a 2008 federal narcotics trafficking conviction for which he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.

This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Meriden Police Department.  The DEA New Haven 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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark 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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a three-count indictment charging JAMAINE JONES, 34, of Stamford, with PCP distribution and firearm possession offenses.

The indictment was returned on August 21, 2024.  Jones, who had been detained since state custody since his arrest by Stamford Police on February 9, 2024, appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The indictment alleges that on February 9, 2024, Jones possessed with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), and possessed a loaded Beretta 9mm semi-automatic handgun.  The indictment further alleges that Jones’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug, robbery, and assault 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.

The indictment charges Jones with possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least five years; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of 15 years.

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

This investigation is being conducted the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Stamford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is 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.

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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that QUINTEN McKOY, also known as “Quack,” 33, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, McKoy was arrested on October 7, 2022, after a court-authorized search of his residence on Logan Street in Bridgeport revealed a stolen Glock .45 semi-automatic handgun equipped with a high-capacity magazine loaded with 25 rounds of ammunition.

McKoy’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions in state court for firearm 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 Meyer scheduled sentencing for December 5, at which time McKoy faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

McKoy has been detained since his arrest.

This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Ross Weingarten 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, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a six-count indictment charging TIMOTHY GREGORY, 42, formerly of Questa, New Mexico, with firearms trafficking offenses.

Gregory was arrested on July 18, 2024, in Eugene, Oregon, pursuant to a criminal complaint, and the indictment was returned on July 31, 2024.  Gregory appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  He has been detained since his arrest.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigation revealed that Gregory had offered to sell and ship firearms to an individual in Connecticut who is prohibited from possessing firearms.  In May 2024, Gregory mailed a parcel containing a Glock 42 .380 caliber pistol and three magazines to Connecticut.  In June 2024, he mailed a .223 caliber AR15-style rifle and two empty 30-round magazines to Connecticut.  Gregory also indicated he had approximately 300 additional firearms, some which were fully automatic, to sell, as well as six hand grenades.

The indictment charges Gregory with two counts of firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years on each count; two counts of unlawful transfer of firearms to an out-of-state residence, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count; and two counts of mailing nonmailable firearms, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years on each count.

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

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 the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The Task Force includes members from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JASON CASTON WILLIAMS, also known as Jason Fitzgerald and Terry Barrington Stewart, 50, a citizen of Jamaica, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to illegally reentering the United States after being deported.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams was admitted to the U.S. as a Lawful Permanent Resident in October 1982.  In June 1991, Williams was convicted in Connecticut state court of robbery in the second degree.  He received a sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended, and five years of probation for that offense.  He subsequently violated his probation and, in March 1997, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.

In September 1997, Williams was convicted in New York of burglary second degree and criminal possession of a weapon, and received a sentence or 30 months to five years of imprisonment.

In May 2001, after an immigration judge ordered Williams removed, he was deported to Jamaica.

Williams unlawfully returned to the U.S. and, on October 20, 2022, was arrested by Norwalk Police and charged with second-degree assault related to his use of a knife to assault another individual.  On October 11, 2023, he was convicted of that charge and sentenced to five years of imprisonment, suspended after two years, and three years of probation.

At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Williams faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for illegal reentry.  He is currently detained.

This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney 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 a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging seven individuals for their alleged involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country.

The indictment was returned on July 16, 2024, and partially unsealed yesterday.

EDIXON RINCON PUENTES, 44, formerly of Los Angeles, California, was arrested on July 17 in Queens, New York, and HAROLD RAMIREZ CAGUA, also known as “Gordo,” 40, of Miami, Florida, and YESENIA MELENDEZ RINCON, 40, of Kissimmee, Florida, were arrested on July 18.  Rincon Puentes and Ramirez Cagua are detained, and Melendez Rincon was released to home confinement with location monitoring.  A fourth defendant, JORGE GIOVANNI ESCOBAR GONZALEZ, 40, of Kissimmee, Florida, was previously detained in Florida on preexisting state charges but is now in federal custody.  The three remaining defendants are currently being sought by law enforcement and their identities remain under seal.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Ramirez Cagua, Rincon Puentes, Melendez Rincon, Escobar Gonzalez, and others burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines.  The co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023; and in Horseheads, New York, on April 18, 2024.  The total losses from these burglaries exceed $1.28 million.  Members of the conspiracy cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware. 

The indictment charges Ramirez Cagua, Rincon Puentes, Melendez Rincon, and Escobar Gonzalez each with one count of conspiracy, 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.

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

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, and the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon.

U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.

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, and Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour today announced that the following six Florida residents have been charged by federal criminal complaint with offenses stemming from a violent carjacking and kidnapping in Danbury:

• ANGEL BORRERO, aka “Chi Chi,” 23, of Miami, Florida
• JOSUE ALBERTO ROMERO, aka “Sway,” 26, of Miami, Florida
• REYNALDO DIAZ, aka “Rey,” 20, of Belle Clade, Florida
• ANTHONY PENA, aka “Tony,” 23, of Miami Gardens, Florida
• MICHAEL RIVAS, 18, of Miami, Florida
• RICARDO ESTRADA, aka “Ricky,” 21, of Miami, Florida

The six defendants have detained since they were arrested on related state charges on August 25, 2024.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in the late afternoon of August 25, 2024, Danbury Police received multiple 911 calls from witnesses who observed several males assaulting another male and forcing him into a white work van.  Responding officers encountered the van on Clapboard Ridge Road, near the intersection of East Gate Road, and attempted to stop it.  The van accelerated at a high-rate of speed and crashed approximately one mile away on Cowperthwaite Street.  Four men dressed in black, later identified as Borrero, Romero, Pena, and Diaz, exited the van and fled on foot.  Officers arrived at the location of the disabled van and located a male and female victim, both bound with duct tape, in the back of the van.  The male victim had significant injuries to his face and arm.  Both victims were transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The victims reported that the Lamborghini Urus they were operating was rear-ended by a Honda Civic on Damia Drive in Danbury, and a white work van cut in front of their vehicle.  The victims were then forcibly removed from their vehicle, dragged into the van, and bound with duct tape.  When the male victim began to resist, he was punched in the face and hit with a baseball bat.  The victims were repeatedly told that they would be killed.

Borrero, Romero, Pena, and Diaz were apprehended in various locations within a quarter-mile radius from where the van crashed.  Rivas and Estrada, and the Honda Civic, were located at a short-term rental home in Roxbury.  The victims’ Lamborghini was found abandoned in the woods off the roadway on East King Street.  It is alleged that Borrero organized, paid for, and booked flights for the six defendants to travel from Florida to commit this criminal activity.

The complaint charges the six defendants with conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with carjacking, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

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

This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force and the Danbury Police Department.  The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police and several local police departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Weingarten.

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

A federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a nine-count indictment charging NEILCON ST. LOUIS, 39, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and DAVIDSON ALEXANDER, also known as “Harley, ” 29, a citizen of Dominica residing in Suffolk, Virginia, with offenses stemming from the illegal trafficking and export of firearms and firearm components from the U.S. to Dominica.  The indictment was returned on September 5 and unsealed yesterday after St. Louis and Alexander were arrested.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Boston; Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England; Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson, ATF Boston Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, made the announcement.

The indictment alleges that from at least January 2021 through September 2024, St. Louis, Alexander, and others, including a resident of Dominica, conspired to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license, and to export firearms, firearm components, and ammunition from the U.S. to Dominica without authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce, in violation of the Export Control Reform Act.  St. Louis, Alexander, and the Dominica resident purchased numerous firearm components from sellers on eBay, which were then mailed to their relatives and acquaintances in the U.S.  St. Louis and Alexander obtained the purchased firearm components and then smuggled them, by mailing, or by directing the mailing of, parcels containing them, as well as firearms and ammunition, directly to co-conspirators in Dominica, or to a Miami-based freight forwarding company that then shipped the parcels to co-conspirators in Dominica.

The indictment charges St. Louis and Alexander with one count of conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The indictment also charges St. Louis with five counts and Alexander with four counts of violating the Export Control Reform Act, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and St. Louis with two counts and Alexander with one count of smuggling goods from the U.S., and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.

Following their arrests, St. Louis and Alexander appeared in New Haven and Norfolk, Virginia, respectively, and were released pending trial.

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

This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  HSI Caribbean, the Dominica Customs Excise Division, and the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force have assisted the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Sean P. Mahard, and Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing assistance.

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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with the Town of New Canaan to resolve allegations that some of the town’s facilities did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

The settlement agreement resolves a complaint filed by an individual alleging that some of New Canaan’s parks and sports facilities as well as parts of the Town Hall campus were inaccessible to individuals with mobility disabilities.

Under federal law, municipalities must ensure that their programs, services, and activities are accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities.  When municipalities alter or build new facilities, they must also make them accessible to persons with disabilities in accordance with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

New Canaan is in the process of making the significant improvements required by the settlement agreement at Waveny Park, New Canaan High School, Mead Park, and the Town Hall.  Some changes required by the settlement include adding accessible seating, parking, and routes to several sports fields and athletic facilities at New Canaan High School and Mead Park, and making numerous changes to the interior and exterior of Waveny House to make it more accessible, including adding an elevator.  The town will also create an accessible route from Vine Cottage to the Town Hall.

U.S. Attorney Avery commended the leadership of the Town of New Canaan for cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to resolve the investigation.  “Individuals with disabilities should have equal access to their local park and be able to cheer on their children at a local high school game without worrying about inaccessible facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Avery.  “I am pleased that New Canaan has made this commitment to making its facilities more accessible to individuals with disabilities.”

Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a public entity or place of public accommodation in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the Civil Rights Intake Specialist at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-696-3000.

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 (833) 610-1264 (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 in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LYELL CHAMPAGNE, JR., 24, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from two separate fraud schemes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately March 2021 and April 2022, Champagne conspired with Kristian Gupta to obtain online bank account credentials from potential victims, and then transfer money from victims’ bank accounts to cryptocurrency accounts controlled by Champagne and Gupta.  As part of the scheme, Gupta provided Champagne with personal identifying information of victims, and Champagne used that information to open email accounts and accounts at a cryptocurrency exchange.  Champagne and Gupta attempted to recruit bank “insiders” to participate in their scheme, but were disrupted by an undercover law enforcement investigation and failed to transfer any funds from compromised accounts.

In a second scheme, Champagne filed wholly fictitious tax returns for “Shireberk International,” which had no actual business operations, for the 2018 through 2021 tax years.  The returns resulted in a refund of $3,449,935.

Judge Nagala ordered Champagne to pay restitution of $111,738.52.  The remaining funds were recovered by law enforcement.

On June 11, 2024, Champagne pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of filing false claims with the IRS.  He has been detained since October 2022 when his bond was revoked.

On April 19, 2024, Gupta, of Port Charlotte, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2024.

This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang.

New Haven – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut has released a public service announcement alerting parents and caregivers about “sextortion,” a type of blackmail used by offenders to acquire sexual content online, and providing guidance to help protect children from being victimized by this crime.

The public service announcement is available at these links:

• YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z75fNrjibo
• X:               https://x.com/USAO_CT/status/1833179358477127968
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/sTNAqFn5uZ73aqad/

To report cases of child exploitation, contact local police, the FBI, or Homeland Security Investigations, or submit a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) at www.cybertipline.com.

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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YOAN MANUAL DELACRUZ, also known as “Oreja,” 33, citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 108 months of imprisonment for trafficking fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force identified Delacruz as a large-scale narcotics trafficker who was distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl in the Hartford area.  On May 24, 2022, investigators made a controlled purchase of 1.6 kilograms of fentanyl from Delacruz.

Delacruz was arrested on June 13, 2022.  On that date, a search of his Wadsworth Street apartment revealed two assault-style firearms, a loaded assault-style magazine, two drum firearm magazines, 12 pistol magazines, seven boxes of ammunition, a suspected drug ledger, and cash.  A search of an apartment in the same building that Delacruz used as a stash location revealed two brick-shaped kilograms of fentanyl, a significant quantity of loose fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, three handguns, loaded gun magazines, a bag of ammunition, and cash.

Delacruz has been detained since his arrest.  On March 20, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Delacruz faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.

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 Geoffrey M. Stone 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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE DUPREY, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” 53, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 141 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for trafficking kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Duprey trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items.

Duprey and 13 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022.  On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash.

Duprey has been detained since his arrest.  On February 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

Duprey’s criminal history, which spans more than 30 years, includes a federal conviction in 2008 for trafficking heroin.  He was sentenced, as a career offender, to 161 months of imprisonment for that offense, and he was on federal supervised release at the time of his criminal conduct in 2022.

This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile 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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY WHYTE, also known as “Jak Mac,” 50, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 195 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and firearm possession offenses.

This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton and Stonington Police Departments, into the distribution of narcotics and illegal possession of firearms in southeastern Connecticut.  The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of heroin, cocaine, and firearms. 

According to the evidence introduced during the trial of Whyte and his co-defendant, Amy Sarcia, Whyte obtained heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine from various sources in Connecticut, New York, and elsewhere.  He then distributed the narcotics to co-conspirators in southeastern Connecticut who sold the drugs to customers and other street-level drug dealers.  Sarcia, who both distributed and used cocaine, accepted narcotics proceeds from Whyte and provided Whyte with weekly paychecks from her business, Two Wives Pizza, and a federal W-2 tax form, in an attempt to disguise the narcotics proceeds as employment wages.  Sarcia also accepted cash from Whyte for allowing him to use three apartments in a building she managed to store and dispense narcotics.

On February 21, 2019, Whyte, Sarcia, and several other co-conspirators were arrested.  On that date, a search of Whyte’s New London apartment and other apartments he used revealed more than a kilogram of cocaine; approximately 180 grams of heroin; approximately 100 grams of fentanyl and fentanyl pills; 10 firearms, several of which were stolen; and thousands of dollars in cash.  Investigators seized additional narcotics, another firearm, and nearly $200,000 in cash from other members of the conspiracy.

Whyte has been detained since his arrest on February 21, 2019.  On September 28, 2021, Whyte and Sarcia were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, various narcotics, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments (“money laundering”).  Whyte was also found guilty of three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, various narcotics, and one count possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On October 24, 2023, Judge Bolden sentenced Sarcia to three years of probation and ordered her to pay a $7,500 fine.

Twenty-four others were charged and convicted as a result of this investigation.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton, Stonington, Norwich, Old Saybrook, and UConn Police Departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Angel M. Krull through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICHOLAS SKIRKANICH, 45, of Ridgefield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for a child exploitation offense.  Judge Oliver also ordered Skirkanich to pay a fine and assessments totaling $25,000, and restitution of $4,000.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, an online service provider submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) indicating that a TikTok video containing child sex abuse imagery was sent from Skirkanich’s email account to another email account.  Subsequent investigation revealed that Skirkanich had emailed the TikTok video to another email account he controlled, that he had also uploaded to TikTok another video of child sex imagery, and that he possessed numerous other child sex abuse images on his phone.

Skirkanich was arrested on December 15, 2022.  On February 21, 2023, he pleaded guilty to accessing with intent to view and possessing child pornography.

Skirkanich, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 19.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Ridgefield Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel, with the assistance of the Danbury State’s Attorney’s Office.

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, and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, today announced that LAKSHMI BETHI, 48, of South Windsor, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Bethi has been a licensed dentist in Connecticut since 2013 and has owned dental practices in New Haven and North Haven.  In pleading guilty, Bethi admitted that she conspired with multiple individuals, including Jeffrey Malave, who agreed to recruit Medicaid beneficiaries to attend dental appointments with Bethi for dental services that she then billed to Connecticut Medicaid.  In exchange, Bethi agreed to pay kickbacks to the recruiters, who then passed on a portion of the kickbacks to the patients as an incentive to attend the dental appointments.  Between 2016 and 2023, Bethi paid the patient recruiters more than $360,000 in kickbacks, and Connecticut Medicaid reimbursed Bethi approximately $2.2 million for services rendered to patients recruited via kickbacks.

Conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickbacks statute carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.  As part of her plea, Bethi has agreed to forfeit $500,000.

Bethi is released on bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

Malave, 48, of Shelton, pleaded guilty to related charges on February 28, 2024, and awaits sentencing.

The investigation revealed that Malave also recruited Medicaid patients for other dentists and dental practices.  On March 7, 2024, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging Hamed Ghorbani-Moghaddam, a dentist who practiced in Bridgeport, with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute, and five counts of offering and paying health care kickbacks.  Ghorbani-Moghaddam, 46, who resided in Southington, is currently being sought by law enforcement.

As to Ghorbani-Moghaddam, U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment 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 and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office, and the Connecticut Department of Social Services.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.

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, announced that WILSON GUZMAN, JR., 40, of Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford 36 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for distributing various drugs on Telegram, an encrypted phone messaging application.

According to court documents and statements made in court, a DEA New Haven Task Force investigation revealed that Guzman advertised various controlled substances, including fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and fake Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, and other drugs, on Telegram.  He then distributed the drugs to customers in person and through the U.S. mail.  Guzman used locations in West Haven, North Haven, and East Haven to store and prepare narcotics for distribution.  Between May and August 2023, investigators made controlled purchases of drugs from Guzman, including more than 1,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine, and psilocybin mushrooms.

Guzman was arrested on September 6, 2023.  On that date investigators searched his Milford residence and the West Haven and North Haven locations and seized various controlled substances, including counterfeit Adderall pills, psilocybin mushrooms, and approximately 20 kilograms of marijuana, as well as an AR-15 style rifle and a Glock style Polymer 80 handgun that had no serial numbers (“ghost guns”).

Guzman has been detained since September 21, 2023, after he continued to use Telegram for drug trafficking activity and his bond was revoked.  He pleaded guilty on May 20, 2024.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, and the East Haven Police Department, West Haven Police Department, New Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with the Connecticut Department of Correction addressing conditions for children at Manson Youth Institution, an adult correctional facility housing children charged in the criminal justice system.

Under the agreement, Manson will eliminate the use of disciplinary isolation to manage the behavior of children in its custody. Manson will also implement a comprehensive behavior management program that incentivizes positive behavior and provides a skills-based curriculum to help children regulate their own behaviors. The program will include a daily schedule of age-appropriate, structured activities.

“We know that isolation can cause real harm to children — increasing risk of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide — because their brains are still developing and they lack adequate coping mechanisms,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Placing a child in an ‘adult facility’ does not make children any less vulnerable to these risks. Nationally, more than 2,000 children each year are held in jails and prisons designed for adults. Too often, adult facilities fail to provide children with the age-appropriate services and care essential to development of the requisite skills to become healthy and productive adults, including educational and mental health services required by law. We are committed to protecting the constitutional and federal rights of children throughout the criminal and juvenile justice systems.”  

In addition to phasing out disciplinary isolation for children, the agreement requires Manson to conduct thorough mental health assessments and provide appropriate treatment for children. The agreement also requires Manson to provide adequate special education services for children with disabilities, in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“We commend the Connecticut Department of Correction for its commitment to eliminate harmful disciplinary isolation practices and adopt age-appropriate treatment and services for children at Manson,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “We look forward to our ongoing collaboration as the Connecticut Department of Correction implements these reforms.”

The agreement resolves the department’s investigation of Manson under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. In December 2021, the department notified Manson that there is reasonable cause to believe that conditions for children at Manson violate the Eighth and 14th Amendments and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and that these violations are pursuant to a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of rights protected by the Constitution and federal law. Since then, Connecticut has begun to implement reforms to remedy problems at Manson.

The department recently secured a settlement agreement involving the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice’s Broad River Road Complex, the state’s only long-term post-adjudication facility for children, issued a findings report regarding  conditions at five post-adjudication facilities for children in Texas, and opened an investigation of conditions at nine juvenile justice facilities in Kentucky. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work protecting children’s rights in the juvenile justice system is available at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-juveniles.

For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the section by completing the complaint form available at civilrights.justice.gov/.

Individuals with information related to compliance with the settlement agreement are encouraged to report such information by email at Community.MYInstitution@usdoj.gov or by phone at 833-223-1565.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALEXIS A. VALLEJO, also known as “Boobie” and “Boobie Porter,” 33, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation of a fatal shooting outside of a Stratford nightclub in the early morning hours of December 17, 2021, identified Vallejo’s car and two other vehicles at the scene of the shooting.  On December 29, 2021, Bridgeport Police located Vallejo’s car on Goddard Avenue in Bridgeport.  Vallejo, who was standing by the car, ran as officers approached and threw a 9mm semiautomatic handgun into a nearby yard.  Vallejo was apprehended and the firearm, which was fully loaded with a round in the chamber, was recovered.  A search of Vallejo’s car revealed five firearm magazines, including high-capacity magazines, and three different types of ammunition.

Vallejo’s criminal history includes felony convictions in state court for firearm possession, robbery, larceny, and failure to appear 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.

Vallejo has been detained since his federal arrest on June 30, 2022.  On February 23, 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 and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Ross Weingarten 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.

LADERRICK JONES, also known as “Lexus,” 32, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 192 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent Waterbury street gang.

Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang.  On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Jones and 15 other 960 gang members with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.

On March 7, 2024, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, and admitted that he trafficked narcotics in furtherance of the 960 enterprise, and that he was aware that 960 members were engaged in violent activity and committed murders and attempted murders.

On October 11, 2018, 960 members Gabriel Pulliam and Julian Scott shot into a crowd of people, killing an innocent bystander, 30-year-old Fransua Guzman, and paralyzing a second victim.  Jones was in one of two cars 960 members drove to the scene of the shooting.  Guzman was the mother of four children.

Jones has been detained since his arrest on June 27, 2019.

Pulliam and Scott were found guilty of related offenses and await sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, who have been cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is 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.

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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that EVAN BOBZIN, 39, of Chester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses stemming from a $2 million embezzlement scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from July 2013 until December 2023, Bobzin was an employee of Hoffman’s Gun Center (“Hoffman’s”) in Newington and, in 2016, he became the head of information technology at Hoffman’s.  In January 2016, Bobzin began to steal cash receipts from a safe in Hoffman’s front office.  Bobzin would arrive at work before other employees, disconnect ethernet cables from the company’s computers servers to cameras that captured views of the safe, enter the front office, open the safe, steal thousands of dollars in cash from receipt pouches, return the pouches to the safe, and then reconnect the ethernet cables.  He would then deposit some of all of the cash proceeds into his personal bank accounts.

Between 2016 and 2023, Bobzin and his former spouse made 287 cash deposits of stolen money from Hoffman’s totaling $1,901,250 into his bank accounts, and seven cash purchases of cashier’s checks totaling $161,330.  Bobzin used the funds to pay for personal expenses, including to pay monthly American Express bill and to make mortgage payments.

In October 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office notified Bobzin that he was conducting cash transactions in amounts below $10,000 in a manner indicative of structuring to avoid having his bank file Currency Transaction Reports.  Bobzin ceased making cash deposits at his bank, opened new accounts at a different bank, and resumed making structured cash deposits into those accounts.

Bobzin failed to report the stolen income on his federal personal income tax returns for the 2016 through 2022 tax years, resulting in a loss to the IRS of $436,178.  As an example, on his income tax return for the 2020 tax year, Bobzin reported taxable income of $9,914 and tax owed of $0.  The return omitted income of approximately $432,615 and understated tax due and owing by approximately $110,530.

Bobzin pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transmission of stolen money, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of tax evasion, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for November 26.

Bobzin has agreed to pay restitution of $2,062,580, and to cooperate with the IRS to pay $436,178 in taxes, as well as penalties and interest.

Bobzin is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

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

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging BRANDEN HARPER, also known as “Olie” and “Ollie,” 30, of New Haven, with the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

The indictment was returned on August 20, 2024.  Harper appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.  Harper has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on March 27, 2024.

The indictment alleges that between approximately November 2 and November 16, 2023, Harper unlawfully possessed a loaded Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm with an extended magazine.  As alleged in court documents, the firearm, which was affixed with a “Glock switch” that converted it to a fully automatic weapon, was used in a shooting in New Haven on November 12, 2023.

The indictment further alleges that, in 2015, Harper was convicted in state court of manslaughter in the first degree.  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.

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

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

The case is also being pursued through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that MARK LEGOWSKI, 60, of Farmington, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2015 through December 2017, Legowski was a self-employed accountant and tax return preparer doing business as Legowski & Company, Inc. (“LCI”) in Farmington.  Legowski prepared income tax returns for approximately 400 to 500 individual clients and approximately 50 to 60 businesses.  For the 2015 through 2017 tax years, in order to reduce his personal income tax liability, Legowski willfully underreported LCI’s gross receipts in LCI’s computer bookkeeping system by excluding some customer payment checks.  He then filed false personal income tax returns that failed to report a total of more than $1.4 million in business income, which resulted in a loss to the IRS of $499,289.

For example, on his 2017 income tax return, Legowski reported taxable income of $56,060 and a tax liability of $6,070, and failed to report an additional $496,808 in business income, which resulted in an income tax deficiency of $178,581.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for November 25, at which time Legowski faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years.  Legowski also has agreed to cooperate with the IRS to pay $499,289 in back taxes, as well as penalties and interest.

Legowski is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William Tong, Connecticut Attorney General, today announced that STANISLAV GINTAUTAS, DDS and TATIANA AGABABAEVA, DDS, and their businesses, FAMILY DENTISTRY OF BRIDGEPORT PC, FAMILY DENTISTRY OF HARTFORD PLLC, and FAMILY DENTISTRY OF STAMFORD, PC, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and have paid $1.7 million to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts.

Gintautas and Agababaeva are both licensed to practice dentistry in Connecticut. Gintautas, Agababaeva, Family Dentistry of Bridgeport PC (“FD Bridgeport”), Family Dentistry of Hartford PLLC (“FD Hartford”), and Family Dentistry of Stamford PC (“FD Stamford”) are enrolled as dental providers in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (“CTMAP”), which includes the state’s Medicaid program.

It is alleged that, in violation of their CTMAP provider agreements and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, FD Bridgeport, FD Hartford, FD Stamford, and Gintautas submitted claims to the CTMAP related to dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to the businesses by a third-party “patient recruiting” company.  FD Bridgeport, FD Hartford, FD Stamford, and Gintautas paid a patient recruiter $115 for each Connecticut Medicaid patient the recruiter referred to them whenever the patient received services over and above routine preventative care, such as dental cleanings and exams, and submitted claims for dental services rendered to those patients.  With each submitted claim, they impliedly certified that the conditions of receiving payment were met, including, but not limited to, that they did not pay kickbacks or violate any terms or provisions of the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (“CTDHP”) provider manual concerning the submitted claim.

The CTDHP provider manual, which is an addendum to both the CTMAP provider agreement and the CTMAP provider manual, expressly prohibits per-patient compensation for individuals referred to CMAP providers.

To resolve the allegations under the federal and state False Claims Acts, FD Bridgeport, FD Hartford, FD Stamford, Gintautas, and Agababaeva agreed to pay $1.7 million to reimburse the Medicaid program for conduct occurring from February 2016 through August 2018.

Under the False Claims Act, the government can recover up to three times its actual damages, plus penalties of $13,946 to $27,894 for each false claim.

This case stems from a larger investigation into fraudulent activity by health care providers who submit kickback-tainted claims to the CTMAP for services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred by third-party patient recruiting companies.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office; and the Connecticut Department of Social Services.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Thidemann, and Assistant Attorney General Joshua L. Jackson of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.

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, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that SASHA MAY, formerly known as Owen May, 23, of Pelham, New York, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography.

May appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond into home confinement with electronic monitoring.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, between December 2023 and May 2024, May engaged in online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer on the messaging platforms Kik and Whisper.  In those conversations, May detailed her sexual interest in children and distributed child pornography.

The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and 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 the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the Greenwich Police Department and the Pelham (N.Y.) Police Department. The Task Force includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Neeraj Patel.

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, and Patrick J. Freaney, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, New York Field Office, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a four-count indictment charging TERRELL KIMBLE, 44, of Hartford, with offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud Amazon.

The indictment was returned on August 7, 2024.  Kimble was arrested on August 15, 2024, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $250,000 bond.

The indictment alleges that Kimble was employed by Amazon as a Regional Fleet Specialist and an Area Manager, based in Connecticut.  Amazon operated an employee reward program called Peak, administered through a procurement portal called Coupa.  Coupa allowed certain employees, including Area Managers, to reward other employees on their work team for superior performance by ordering an item from Amazon for the employee at no cost.  Between approximately July 2021 and December 2022, Kimble placed at least 196 Coupa orders fraudulently representing that they were to reward employee performance, but instead having the products, mainly high-end electronic goods, delivered to his mother’s residence for his own use.  The electronic items included Apple iPad Pro, Apple AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch devices, and Nintendo Switches.

The indictment charges Kimble with four counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 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 matter is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, with the assistance of the Windsor, West Hartford, and Hartford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

EZRA ALVES, also known as “EJ” and “Ezzy,” 24, and his brother, AHMED ALVES, also known as “Stones,” 26, both of Waterbury, were sentenced today in Bridgeport federal court for offenses related to their participation in a violent Waterbury street gang.  U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley sentenced Ezra Alves to 252 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release, and Ahmed Alves to 54 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.

Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang.  On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Ezra Alves, Ahmed Alves, and 14 other 960 gang members with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.

On March 20, 2024, Ezra Alves pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, three counts of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, two counts of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances.

Alves specifically admitted that he and other 960 members were engaged in drug trafficking and violent activity, and conspired to shoot and murder members of rival gangs.

• On September 21, 2018, in retaliation for the murder of an associate, Ezra Alves and other 960 members participated in a drive-by shooting of an occupied residence on Scott Road in Waterbury.
• On October 6, 2018, in a drive-by shooting, Ezra Alves and other gang members attempted to murder individuals believed to be members of a rival gang, which resulted in gunshot wounds to an individual.
• On November 18, 2018, Ezra Alves and other gang members participated in a drive-by shooting of rival gang members, which resulted in gunshot wounds to two individuals.

Ezra Alves has been detained since November 15, 2019.

On March 12, 2024, Ahmed Alves pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of being an accessory after the fact.  Alves admitted that he trafficked drugs in furtherance of the 960 enterprise.  He also admitted that, after the gang-related shooting that occurred on November 18, 2018, he picked up 960 members who participated in the shooting using a stolen car, and drove them to a 960 member’s residence where they stashed firearms.  Later, 960 members drove the stolen car and left it in Meriden, and Ahmed Alves again picked them up.

Ahmed Alves, who was arrested on September 16, 2021, has been released on a $100,000 bond.  He is required to report to prison on October 7.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr., and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr., and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, who have been cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is 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.

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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHASE DRALLE, also known as “Chevy,” 21, of Trumbull, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm 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 Dralle.  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 between him and Dralle in which the two discussed Bagley purchasing a firearm and ammunition for Dralle.  Dralle then paid Bagley more than $700 for a 9mm firearm.

Dralle was arrested on December 18, 2023.  On May 2, 2024, he pleaded guilty to receipt of a trafficked firearm.

Dralle, who had been released on bond, has been detained since August 21, 2024, when his bond was revoked.

Bagley pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing.

Most of the firearms purchased 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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ANTHONY ENGLEHARDT, 44, of Southbury, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing sawed-off shotguns and silencers.  Judge Williams ordered that Englehardt must serve his first six months of supervised release in home confinement.

According to court documents and statements made in court, shortly before midnight on March 13, 2023, Torrington Police received a report that Englehardt used a rifle and shot a hole in the ceiling of a Torrington residence, and then left the residence.  At the time, Englehardt was subject to a protective order issued by the Waterbury Superior Court that required him to surrender all of his firearms and ammunition.  At approximately 12:30 a.m. on March 14, 2023, Connecticut State Police stopped Englehardt’s vehicle, took him into custody, and charged him with multiple offenses.  Later that day, a search of Englehardt’s Southbury residence revealed 10 firearms, six silencers, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and various firearms parts and accessories.  Three of the firearms were sawed-off shotguns and were not registered pursuant to the National Firearms Act.  The six silencers also were not registered.

Englehardt has been detained since his federal arrest on May 25, 2023.  On April 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered National Firearms Act firearms and silencers.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, Torrington Police Department, and Southbury Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAYQUAN GRAY, also known as “Scooby,” 23, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven to unlawfully possessing a firearm, ammunition, and narcotics in New Haven.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 14, 2024, Gray, who had an active state arrest warrant, was observed participating in a drug transaction and was arrested on the state warrant. At the time of the arrest, he was found to be in possession of a Ziploc bag containing 80 small individual bags of cocaine, a Polymer 80 “ghost gun” loaded with six rounds of ammunition in the magazine, and over $1,200 in cash.

Gray pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Possession with intent to distribute cocaine carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a consecutive mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and up to life imprisonment.

Gray has been detained since his arrest on March 14, 2024.  Sentencing is scheduled for November 12, 2024 in Hartford.

This matter is being investigated by the New Haven Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo.

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 JOHNNY MILNER, also known as “Blaze” and “O.G.,” 46, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 10 years of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department received information from various sources that Milner was distributing fentanyl to street-level narcotics dealers in the SANA apartment complex located on Main Street in Hartford, which is commonly referred to as the “Sands,” and that he was using locations on Prospect Avenue and Bellevue Street in Hartford to store and distribute narcotics.  On February 21 and March 15, 2023, investigators made controlled purchases of approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from Milner at a liquor store he operated on Hillside Avenue in Hartford.

On March 29, 2023, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of locations in Hartford and New Britain connected to Milner.  A search of the Bellevue Street apartment revealed packaged fentanyl, numerous items used to process and package narcotics, and a loaded .22 caliber Ruger rifle.  A search of an apartment on Chestnut Street in New Britain that Milner used revealed approximately 64 grams of xylazine-laced fentanyl, several digital scales, a money-counting machine, and $221,301 in cash.  Milner was arrested at the New Britain apartment.

Milner has been detained since his arrest.  On March 12, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

On January 22, 2024, Milner’s associate, James Jones, 42, who lived at the Bellevue Street apartment, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.  He awaits sentencing.

In July 2021, during a separate drug trafficking investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigators observed Milner carrying a shopping bag and entering the passenger side of a car that had just arrived at the Bellevue Street apartment.  He then exited the car without the bag, but carrying a backpack.  Investigators followed the car as it drove away, stopped it, and found the shopping bag.  It contained $141,030 in cash, and was seized as suspected narcotics proceeds.

This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force.  The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH WILK, JR., 53 of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to three years probation including six months of home confinement, a $5,000 fine and a $100 special assessment; for trafficking methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified a series of parcels suspected to contain controlled substances that were being mailed to Wilk’s Norwich residence and a P.O. Box in Norwich that he opened.  On November 21, 2022, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of a suspicious USPS Priority Express parcel mailed from California to his P.O. Box and found that it contained more than one pound of pure methamphetamine.  Investigators determined that Wilk’s co-conspirator, Michael Mihalko, had been tracking the package.

On December 8, 2022, Wilk picked up the package in Norwich and drove to his residence.  Shortly thereafter, Norwich police officers arrived at his residence.  After Wilk gave his consent, investigators searched his home and seized approximately 2.575 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 16 grams of ecstasy, items used to process and package narcotics, two handguns, and $1,740 in cash.  Wilk was arrested on state charges at that time.

The investigation revealed that approximately 17 parcels suspected to contain narcotics were mailed to Wilk between May and December 2022.  After Wilk received methamphetamine that had been mailed to him, he would deliver some of it to Mihalko, who at the time was living in the Boston area, and distribute some of his to his own customers in Southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island.  Wilk also trafficked liquid Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB).

On May 31, 2023, Wilk pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Mihalko, 41, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty to the same charge on October 12, 2023, and awaits sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Norwich Police Department.  The Task Force 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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KADER GAHMAAL BIWAKI EDMOND, 24, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release and 125 hours of community service, for his role in a scheme that defrauded individuals who use the electronic payments system Zelle.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating crimes against users of digital payment applications, including Zelle.  Typically, a scheme victim receives a fraudulent text message, purporting to be from the victim’s bank, asking the victim to confirm whether a Zelle transaction was authorized.  When the victim denies the transaction, the victim receives a response that a bank representative will be in contact.  The victim then receives a phone call from an individual impersonating a bank representative, who informs the victim that an unauthorized transaction has occurred and that they need to work together to reverse the transaction.  Without the victim’s knowledge, the fraudsters will link the victim’s actual phone number or email address via Zelle to a bank account that does not belong to the victim.  The victim is then instructed to “reverse” the fictional fraudulent transaction by making a Zelle payment to what they believe is their own account, but is, in fact, an account controlled by the fraudsters.

From approximately February 2021 through August 2023, Edmond and others defrauded numerous victims, including victims in Connecticut, of a total of more than $250,000 through this Zelle scheme and other fraud schemes.

Judge Shea ordered Edmond to pay $290,157 in restitution.

Edmond was arrested on August 31, 2023.  On May 21, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Edmond, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 21, 2024.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang.

Victims can report Zelle fraud to their bank or credit union, or to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime, at www.ic3.gov.

Additional information about digital payment application schemes is available at https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2022/PSA220414.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAVANI COLEMAN, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to three months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the theft of funds from a retiree’s bank account.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, Gregory Ivy, of New Haven, began working for a retired woman (“the victim”), doing odd jobs for her.  In October 2018, Ivy began to steal checks from the victim’s checkbook while in her home.  He then wrote checks payable to himself, forged the victim’s signature on the checks, and deposited the checks into his personal credit union account.  Ivy subsequently gave stolen blank checks on which he had forged the victim’s signature to Coleman, and Coleman filled in the name of the payee and the amount to be paid.  Ivy and Coleman initially agreed that they would arrange to deposit the checks into other persons’ bank accounts, and Ivy would receive half of the proceeds.  Coleman, who worked with others to cash or deposit the stolen checks, would kick back to Ivy amounts typically ranging from $500 to $800.  At times, Ivy did not receive his agreed-upon share of the proceeds.

Coleman also used the routing number and account number of the victim’s bank account to arrange electronic funds transfers (EFTs) from the victim’s account to make payments for himself, his business, his family members, and other friends and acquaintances.

Coleman worked with other individuals, including Lamont Bethea, to cash or deposit stolen checks on which Ivy had forged the victim’s signature, and Bethea also used the routing and account number to arrange EFTs from the victim’s account to make payments for himself and others.  Bethea also provided the routing and bank account numbers to other individuals so they could arrange similar EFTs for themselves and others from the victim’s account.

Coleman, Ivy, Bethea and other participants attempted to obtain a total of $624,818.28 from the victim’s bank account.  Because the victim’s bank account became overdrawn, some attempted check deposits or EFTs were reversed, resulting in a loss to the victim of $479,569.08.  Coleman personally stole $33,869 from the victim during his involvement in the scheme.

Judge Dooley ordered Coleman to pay restitution of $248,423.09, which includes money stolen from the account by Coleman and other individuals working with Coleman.

Coleman was arrested on April 6, 2023.  On February 14, 2024, he pleaded guilty to bank fraud.

Coleman, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 16, 2024.

Ivy and Bethea previously pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.

The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud.  The Hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers.  Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed.  When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller.  The Hotline’s toll free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).  For more information, please visit. https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TAD CARR, 22, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to charges stemming from a series of vehicle thefts from dealerships using personal information from identity theft victims.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately September 2020, Carr’s alleged co-conspirator utilized personal information stolen from residents of Connecticut and other states to apply for vehicle loans at dealerships in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island for motorcycles, an all-terrain vehicle, and other performance vehicles.  Once the loan was approved by the dealership using the identity theft victim’s information, Carr’s co-conspirator would send a series of runners, including Carr, to pick up the vehicle utilizing a fictitious driver’s license that included the identity theft victim’s information and a photograph of the runner.  The vehicle was then transported back to Connecticut for resale on Facebook Marketplace.

Carr pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of two years.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on November 8, 2024.

Carr was arrested on December 7, 2023.  He is released on a $75,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, the Hopkinton (R.I.) Police Department, the Westtown – East Goshen Regional (Pa.) Police Department, and the Washington Township (N.J.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Heather M. Cherry.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ONIEL WILKS, 45, a citizen of Jamaica, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 384 months of imprisonment for narcotics trafficking, passport fraud, identity fraud, and money laundering offenses.

According to the evidence presented during his trial, in November 2018, members of the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force arrested several individuals, including Louie McDowell, who were distributing large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine in and around Bridgeport.  The investigation subsequently revealed that McDowell was being supplied with heroin, fentanyl and cocaine by Wilks, who was using a false identity and living in California.  Wilks, who had been removed from the U.S. to Jamaica in February 2014 and then illegally reentered the U.S., used stolen identifying information of an individual to apply for and receive a Florida driver’s license in 2015, and a U.S. passport in 2016.  Investigators determined that Wilks had used his fraudulent passport to travel overseas, including to Japan and Thailand.

In April 2019, Wilks, using his stolen identity, was stopped by law enforcement officers in southern California with five kilograms of suspected cocaine in the car he was driving.  As the investigation into Wilks’ drug trafficking activities continued, in July 2019, investigators seized a package containing six kilograms of cocaine that was being mailed from California to Connecticut.  On August 5, 2019, Wilks was arrested and court-authorized searches of two residences and a vehicle connected to him revealed approximately four kilograms of fentanyl/xylazine, items used to process and package narcotics, false identifications and more than $160,000 in cash.

On December 22, 2021, a jury found Wilks guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of making a false statement in a passport application; one count of aggravated identity theft; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Wilks has been detained since his arrest.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Stratford, Norwalk, Seymour and Trumbull Police Departments.  The investigation was assisted by law enforcement in California, including the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”) Task Force Group 44, the Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Narcotics Suppression Program, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Culver City Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and A. Reed Durham 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.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN WILLIAMS, 33, of Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a child exploitation offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has been investigating a network of individuals who have been using private groups on an internet chat application to share images and videos of child sexual abuse.  The investigation revealed that an account associated with Williams was an active member of one of these groups, and that Williams was convicted in 2015 in North Carolina of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree.

On June 1, 2023, investigators conducted a court authorized search of Williams’ residence.  Williams was arrested at that time after a preliminary review of his laptop revealed videos of child sex abuse.  Subsequent analysis of his laptop and iPhone revealed more than 1,500 videos and 7,000 images depicting child pornography, including videos and images of sadistic and masochistic conduct and other depictions of violence and sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.

Williams pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The penalties in this matter are enhanced based on Williams’ prior conviction in North Carolina.

Williams has been detained since his arrest.

This matter has been investigated by HSI with the assistance of the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, the Connecticut State Police, and the Hartford and Westport Police Departments.  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.