District of Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Rodney Phipps, 30, of Georgetown, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison by the Honorable Richard G. Andrews, United States District Judge for the District of Delaware.

Phipps pled guilty in January 2020 to five counts of making interstate threats and one count of making a false threat involving explosives in relation to a string of “swatting” phone calls he made to police departments and emergency dispatch centers across the country.  “Swatting” involves making hoax emergency calls in order to elicit an armed police response (e.g., from a SWAT team) for the purpose of harassing someone believed to be at the location of the purported emergency.

According to court documents, from August 2015 through August 2017, Phipps placed swatting calls from Delaware to police departments and emergency dispatch centers across the country, including calls to Harrison, New Jersey; Opelousas, Louisiana; Russel County, Kentucky; Pasco County, Florida; and Forsyth County, Georgia.  Those swatting calls included false reports that murder, shooting incidents, arson, and a hostage situation had taken place or would take place.

Many of the calls also contained explicit threats that the caller would shoot with a firearm any law enforcement personnel who responded to the emergency call.  In several instances, those hoax calls provoked significant law enforcement responses to the purported victim’s residences. 

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Swatting phone calls are not harmless pranks.  Those who engage in swatting activity intentionally create a serious risk of physical harm to law enforcement officers, the intended victims, and innocent bystanders.  Swatting calls also disrupt the operations of local emergency response agencies by misdirecting resources that could be needed for legitimate emergencies.  My office will continue to prosecute those who engage in swatting activity to the fullest extent allowed by law and will seek sentences that reflect the serious danger created by such conduct.”

"These calls are dangerous not only to the victims but also to first responders who are placed in danger as unsuspecting residents try to defend themselves.  The communities are also placed in danger as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies.  The FBI works closely with law enforcement partners and continues to collect investigative information to help identify key individuals and groups conducting swatting incidents such as today's sentence reflects.  We will continue such efforts to stop these crimes and perpetrators from continuing these dangerous hoaxes," said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore field office.   

This case is being investigated by FBI-Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Resident Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse S. Wenger.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-69.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Ibrahim Sesay, 45, of Wilmington, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark to 9 years in federal prison for possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it.

According to court documents, Sesay sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant on a number of separate occasions.  Based on that conduct, law enforcement obtained a warrant to search Sesay’s apartment.  When executing that search warrant, law enforcement ultimately recovered over 159 grams of crack cocaine and over $12,000 in drug proceeds.  This was Sesay’s tenth drug-related conviction, including his second federal felony conviction in this District.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “This case demonstrates our continued commitment to stop the flow of dangerous substances into our communities.  Sesay made a career out of dealing drugs.  The sentence imposed highlights the severe consequences individuals can expect to face when making the repeated choice to resort to a life of drug dealing.”

“Whether it’s a large-scale drug organization or an individual selling cocaine from an apartment, rest assured disrupting and dismantling criminal drug trafficking operations is a critical part of the FBI’s mission,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore field office. “Today’s sentence is a reminder to those who prey on our communities - your criminal activity will not be tolerated and you will be brought to justice.”

This case was investigated by FBI-Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Resident Office’s Safe Streets Taskforce and the Delaware State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse S. Wenger prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 19-CR-73.

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (“AUSA”) Shamoor Anis will lead his Office’s efforts in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020 general election.  AUSA Anis has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (“DEO”) for the District of Delaware, responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of any voting rights concerns and election fraud complaints in consultation with Department of Justice headquarters in Washington.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate.  It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”

The U.S. Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur.  The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through Election Day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.  For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law.  Federal law also protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

U.S. Attorney Weiss further noted that:  “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote exercise that franchise if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Anis will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  AUSA Anis can be reached by the public at (302) 573-6277.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day.  The Wilmington FBI can be reached by the public at (302) 658-4391.

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

Please note: In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted.  The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process,” noted U.S. Attorney Weiss.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews sentenced Charles Esham, a 61-year old former physician, to 70 months in prison for issuing illegal oxycodone prescriptions over a two-year period.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2015 and 2016, Esham issued oxycodone prescriptions that were outside the course of usual professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Many of the more than 4,000 pills covered by those prescriptions were diverted and sold. Following a week-long trial, a jury convicted Esham of 39 counts of unlawful distribution of oxycodone. He has been incarcerated since the completion of the trial in December 2019.

On learning of the sentence, U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss stated, “Esham wrote oxycodone prescriptions as if he were taking orders at an ice-cream shop. He exercised almost no medical judgment or oversight when prescribing powerful opioids.  In doing so, he effectively handed over his prescription pad to a drug trafficking ring and, worse, he papered his files to try to cover his tracks. Today, the Court sent a powerful message: doctors who violate their oaths and betray the trust that society places in them will answer for their crimes.”

"Medical professionals such as Dr. Esham have an ethical and legal obligation to prescribe powerful prescription painkillers such as oxycodone only for legitimate medical purposes," said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  "His conviction on 39 counts of drug distribution totaling over 4,000 pills of oxycodone shows his total disregard for these same obligations; Dr. Esham's conduct was criminal." 

This case was investigated by the DEA Philadelphia Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and Dylan J. Steinberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 17-CR-71-RGA.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Alfred Evans, 40, of Wilmington, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly to 9 ½ years in prison after a wiretap investigation revealed his extensive drug dealing activities in Wilmington’s Hilltop neighborhood.

According to court documents, the Defendant was arrested in March of 2018 with over 500 grams of powder cocaine and over 190 grams of crack cocaine. He pled guilty to conspiring to distribute those drugs.   As mentioned in open court during the sentencing hearing, Evans has been convicted of ten prior felony offenses, and was previously declared a habitual offender by the State of Delaware.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “This case demonstrates our continued commitment to work with our HIDTA partners to protect Wilmington neighborhoods from those who make the drug trade their profession.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Group 41, which is part of the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”).  The DEA received significant assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and the Wilmington Police Department. Other agencies aiding the investigation included the New Castle County Police Department, and Delaware State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe and Laura D. Hatcher prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 19-CR-00061 (CFC).

WILMINGTON, Del. – Cornelius Riley, 44, of Dover, was sentenced on August 26 to 100 months in federal prison for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute heroin, after being convicted by a jury in May of 2019.

In January of 2018, Defendant sold an ounce of heroin to an undercover officer.  The Defendant then made arrangements to sell an additional 4.5 ounces of heroin to the same undercover officer later that week.  On the day of the sale, Defendant was arrested at the agreed-upon place, at the agreed-upon time, and with the agreed-upon amount of heroin in the back of his car.  Forensic chemical analysis of the substance showed that the heroin was mixed with a deadly fentanyl analogue, furanyl fentanyl. 

“The Court’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Mr. Riley’s actions and the harm he posed to society,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss.  “Riley was responsible for injecting a large amount of heroin into the Delaware community.  His crime was made more dangerous by the fact that the heroin Riley sold was laced with a deadly fentanyl analogue.  We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute drug dealers, and those who are responsible for selling this poison to the community should expect to face serious punishment.” 

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura D. Hatcher and Daniel Logan prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Keenan Gibson, 41, of Wilmington, was sentenced last week to more than 9 years in prison after a jury convicted Gibson of gun and drug charges in June 2019.

According to court documents, Gibson was charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Gibson’s charges arose from a search of a Wilmington apartment during which officers discovered more than 1,100 bags of heroin, along with marijuana and methamphetamine. Gibson was found hiding in the bathroom, with his phone in the bathtub and a gun under the sink. Evidence at trial included multiple text messages on Gibson’s phone that referenced selling heroin and other drugs. The jury convicted Gibson in under three hours.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “This defendant decided to sell heroin in the middle of an opioid crisis and to use a firearm  in furtherance of his drug-trafficking activity  in a community plagued by gun violence.  Like others who engage in such conduct, he got caught and now will spend nearly a decade behind bars.”

“Any instance of criminals trafficking drugs creates opportunities for violence and puts communities at risk. This defendant increased that likelihood of violence by using a firearm to further his criminal activities,” said ATF Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones. “ATF and our law enforcement partners in the Wilmington Police Department, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are focused on getting anyone who uses guns to commit crime off the street so Delaware neighborhoods can thrive.”

"This sentencing marks the culmination of an investigation into drug and weapon offenses - crimes that plague communities across the country and disturb the quality of life of our residents," said Wilmington Police Chief Robert J. Tracy. "The outcome also accentuates the strong partnership our agency has with our colleagues in the U.S. Attorney's Office and the ATF, and the shared commitment we have to making our community safer."

The case was investigated by the Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe and Christopher Howland prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 16-CR-46.

WILMINGTON, Del. – A Delaware man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with false representations that he made in a final report to the United States Air Force. 

Pengcheng Lv is a co-owner of AlphaSense, Inc. (“AlphaSense”), a small technology company located in Wilmington, Delaware.  Starting as early as 2008 and continuing through at least 2016, AlphaSense, through Lv, voluntarily and intentionally made false representations in grant proposals and payment requests to United States government agencies, including the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Air Force, Navy, and Army, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), seeking funds for scientific research.  The total loss attributable to Lv’s conduct is between $250,000 and $500,000. As part of Lv’s plea, he also agreed to enter into a civil settlement to pay $700,000 in damages to the government for violations under the False Claims Act. 

Lv’s grant applications were submitted to the government agencies in connection with grants or contracts that were administered through the Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) and Small Business Technology Transfer (“STTR”) programs.  The SBIR and STTR programs encourage domestic small businesses to engage in federal research and development that has the potential for commercialization.  These funding programs are highly competitive and require a showing of adequate and qualified staffing and, in some cases, industry support.     

Lv’s scheme included forging letters from university professors and industry professionals and including such letters in his proposals to the government as evidence of capability, support, or interest; representing that AlphaSense had employees with impressive experience and education, when many of those individuals had never worked for AlphaSense; and, pocketing money that had been earmarked through the government awards to others, including “ghost” employees.

“Lv deceived numerous government agencies into awarding federal grants or contracts that should have gone to honest, qualified, and deserving small businesses,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss.  “Fraud in the award process serves to undermine public trust and confidence in such programs, and harms deserving small businesses looking to commercialize their ideas.  With our agency partners, we will continue to identify and punish those who use the federal funding process to line their own pockets and we will disgorge bad actors of any ill-gotten gains.”  

"The SBIR/STTR program is a valuable tool in advancing NSF's mission to promote the progress of science by increasing opportunities for small businesses to undertake cutting-edge scientific research, and it is essential to protect the integrity of this program," commented Allison Lerner, the Inspector General for NSF.  "The NSF Office of Inspector General is committed to vigorously pursuing oversight of these taxpayer funds and I commend the U.S. Attorney's Office and our investigative partners for their strong support in this effort."

“I commend the outstanding investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners and the work of the USAO for the District of Delaware in reaching this plea,” said NASA Inspector General Paul K. Martin. “Their teamwork resulted in ensuring aggressive oversight of taxpayer funds used for scientific research by NASA contractors and grantees.”

“Protecting research and development programs funded by the U.S. Department of Defense is a priority for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey, DCIS Northeast Field Office.  “The defendant’s guilty plea is the result of a joint effort and this case demonstrates the DCIS’ ongoing commitment to work with the USAO-DE and its law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who defraud the SBIR and STTR programs.”

“The SBIR and STTR programs are critically important in the generation of scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations.  Those who defraud our programs are a threat to our nation.  The Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold all who violate the integrity of our Nation's scientific programs accountable,” said Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson.  “Thank you to the U.S. Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners on this joint investigation.”

Lv faces a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, a fine equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross loss, and a $100 special assessment.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by the Offices of Inspectors General at NASA, NSF, and DOE, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and Homeland Security Investigations.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Hatcher and Elisabeth Christensen, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, from the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. Case 1:20-cr-00021-MN.

WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Wilmington man with carjacking and weapons offenses.

According to the indictment, Davine Boyce, 21, committed the carjacking on December 1, 2019, and in the process he brandished a loaded Taurus Model G2C 9mm semiautomatic firearm with an extended magazine.  He was prohibited from possessing a firearm by virtue of a prior felony conviction. 

Boyce is charged with carjacking, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited.  If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 7 years imprisonment, with a maximum of life imprisonment.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, and Timothy Jones, ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McTaggart are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

WILMINGTON, Del. – On July 7, 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Nahsiem McIntosh, 21 years old, and Derris Lloyd, 35, both of Wilmington, Delaware, for offenses related to the May 31, 2020, burglary of the American Sportsman, a federal firearms dealer in Newark, Delaware. 

According to the Indictment, 35 firearms were stolen. McIntosh and Lloyd are charged with: (1) theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the theft; (2) possession of a firearm by a prohibited person; and (3) possession of a stolen firearm. McIntosh is charged with possessing one of the stolen firearms on June 1, 2020; Lloyd is charged with possession of one of the stolen firearms on June 18, 2020.

If convicted of all crimes charged, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Indictment is a part of an ongoing investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).  The ATF was assisted by the Delaware State Police, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Wilmington Police Department, New Castle County Police Department and Delaware State Probation and Parole.

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, and Timothy Jones, ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe and Maureen McCartney are prosecuting the case.

One unaccounted firearm in our community is too many. 35 guns on the street is unacceptable. We again ask for the public’s assistance in providing any information about the theft of these firearms or the suspects appearing in the attached photos. A $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of these individuals still stands. Please call 888-ATF-TIPS (888-283-8477) or send an email to ATFTips@atf.gov if you have information.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-040.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced today that a criminal complaint was issued on Saturday, June 6, 2020, charging Adrian Wood, 21, of Washington State, with engaging in a civil disorder that obstructed, impeded, or interfered with a law enforcement officer’s lawful duties.  If convicted, Wood faces a statutory maximum punishment of up to five years in prison.

The criminal complaint alleges that, beginning in the afternoon of May 30, 2020, protesters gathered in downtown Wilmington in recognition of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Protest participants marched in and around Wilmington, including onto Interstate Highway I-95 where they blocked traffic moving in both directions.  Later in the evening, a number of persons damaged and looted commercial businesses on Market Street, including restaurants, bars, retail stores, and at least one sporting goods store.  Defendant Wood was observed throwing a brick through the back window of a Wilmington Police Department (WPD) marked police car that was being operated by a WPD officer at the time of the incident.  Woods ultimately surrendered to police.

U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the issuance of the criminal complaint, “In recent days, protestors throughout Delaware have lawfully exercised their First Amendment rights in sympathy with those seeking criminal justice reform.  But peaceful protest does not extend to the lawless destruction of private or public property.  Thankfully, the defendant’s violent actions did not result in physical harm to the WPD officer driving the police car attacked by the defendant.  I commend WPD’s collaboration with the FBI and their efforts to quickly identify and bring the defendant to justice.

“We appreciate the continued partnership and support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” said Wilmington Police Chief Robert J. Tracy.  “I am glad that none of our officers were injured, and that our collaborative, investigative efforts have been successful in holding this individual responsible for his actions.”

“The cornerstone of America is built on the rights of its citizens to peacefully assemble and have their voices heard,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone.  “But we cannot allow violence committed by those who try to take advantage of peaceful demonstrations to pursue their own agendas to stand.  Together with our partners, we will not let anyone use violence to silence a community and we encourage anyone with information or evidence of violence to submit a tip at fbi.gov/violence.”

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss requests that anyone who has witnessed or experienced sexual harassment by a landlord, property manager, maintenance worker, or anyone with control over housing report that conduct to federal or state law enforcement officials.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the ability of many people to pay rent on time and has increased housing insecurity. The Department of Justice has heard reports of housing providers trying to exploit the crisis to sexually harass tenants. Sexual harassment in housing is illegal, and the Department of Justice stands ready to investigate such allegations and pursue enforcement actions where appropriate.

“Delawareans are facing very difficult times due to the current pandemic and any attempt to take advantage of them or this crisis to sexually harass tenants is illegal, abhorrent and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work closely with state and local partners to identify incidents of sexual harassment in housing.

The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is an effort to combat sexual harassment in housing led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Launched in 2017, the Initiative has filed lawsuits across the county alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing and recovered millions of dollars in damages for harassment victims. The Justice Department’s investigations frequently uncover sexual harassment that has been ongoing for years.  Many individuals do not know that being sexually harassed by a housing provider can violate federal law or that the Department of Justice may be able to help.

The Department encourages anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in housing, or knows someone who has, to contact the Civil Rights Division by calling (844) 380-6178 or emailing fairhousing@usdoj.gov.

Individuals may also file a complaint alleging harassment or discrimination in housing with the Department of Housing and Urban Development through HUD’s website or by calling (800) 669-9777.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, United States Attorney David C. Weiss and Delaware Attorney General Kathleen Jennings announced the formation of a new Coronavirus (COVID-19) Anti-Fraud Coalition, aimed at better protecting the citizens of Delaware from criminal and civil fraud arising from the pandemic.  The Coalition is comprised of local, state and federal agencies, investigators and prosecutors with significant experience in handling complaints and cases related to consumer fraud, financial fraud, heath care fraud, and cybercrime.  Together, the Coalition will share information and resources to monitor, identify and investigate misconduct to protect the people of Delaware from those exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic for their own advantage.

Agencies participating in the Coalition include:

• Delaware Department of Justice
• United States Attorney’s Office
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations
• U.S. Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General
• U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General
• Delaware Department of Health & Social Services
• Delaware Office of Management & Budget
• Delaware Department of Transportation
• Delaware Department of Education
• Delaware Department of Insurance
• Delaware Department of Finance
• Delaware Department of Labor
• Delaware Auditor of Accounts
• Delaware State Police
• New Castle County

Participating agencies will take information, tips and complaints from the public, as well as other local law enforcement agencies seeking the Coalition’s assistance.

“Sadly, criminals look to take advantage of people, regardless of the circumstances,” said David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware.  “But the people of Delaware can rest assured that we will be relentless in bringing to justice those seeking to illegally profit from this crisis. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, or have been contacted by someone falsely claiming to be a representative of the government, please contact the Coalition at one of the below email addresses immediately.  I want to thank our local and state partners for their commitment to combating fraud and protecting Delawareans.  By working together, we are more fully able to identify, investigate, and prosecute these criminal acts of fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  In these challenging times, I am grateful for this type of collaboration, which represents the best of public service.” 

“This pandemic is ripe for exploitation by scammers,” said Attorney General Jennings. “The Delaware Department of Justice and its Fraud Division works each day to educate consumers, prevent fraud, and bring scammers to justice—but our work will never be done as long as consumers continue to be preyed upon by those who profit shamelessly off of their fears and anxiety. Our collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is the latest chapter in a longstanding record of partnership, and in this public health and economic crisis it has never been more important for everyone at the federal, state, and local level to collaborate on the people’s behalf.”

Be on the lookout for and be wary of potential COVID-19 scams and abuses. Any information, complaints, or concerns can be reported to the Coalition by email to COVID.DOJ@delaware.gov or USADE-COVIDFRAUD@usdoj.gov.  Delawareans who may have been scammed can also reach out to the Attorney General's consumer protection hotline at (800) 220-5424. In addition, you can also contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by hotline (1-866-720-5721) or to the NCDF e-mail address disaster@leo.gov.  

Common scams and frauds include:

• Economic Impact Payment (Stimulus Check):  Scammers pretend to be government officials offering false economic impact payments (stimulus checks) in order to obtain personal identifying information including social security and bank account numbers.
• Diagnosis Testing Scams: Scammers offer fake COVID-19 testing kits, particularly door-to-door.
• Treatment/Cure Scams: Scammers offer fake or unproven treatment regimens that are particularly dangerous because they have the potential to do more harm than good.
• Charity Scams: Virtually every time there is a disaster or emergency, scammers set up fake charities to solicit donations that they then spend on themselves.
• Overinflated prices: The Coalition will use every tool available to hold sellers accountable who unlawfully use the COVID-19 pandemic to unreasonably inflate prices.
• Investment Scams: Scammers make false claims about tests, cures and other matters related to COVID-19 in order to entice victims to make investment decisions based on those false claims that allow the scammer to steal money and assets from Delawareans.
• Cyber Scams: Scammers send victims emails related to COVID-19 that appear to be from the victims’ banks, health care providers, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and others for the purpose of obtaining the victims’ personal identifying information and exploiting it for the scammers’ own benefit.
• App Scams: Scammers are creating and manipulating mobile apps designed to track the spread of COVID-19 to insert malware that will compromise users’ devices and personal information.
• Insurance, Workers’ Compensation and Medicaid Fraud: Businesses and government agencies are not immune to scams. They should also be vigilant to ensure scammers do not take advantage of their businesses or customers during this pandemic.
• Scams specifically targeted at seniors: Seniors are more vulnerable than ever to common scams like the Grandparent Scam and Government Imposter Scams.  Consumers receiving a call or any contact claiming that loved ones are in danger or hurt, that they owe money and failure to pay will result in their arrest or other harm, or that their benefits are in jeopardy, do not act. Contact your loved ones or the purported agency using known, trusted contact information not sourced from the suspicious communication.

WILMINGTON, Del. – “In the midst of this unprecedented national pandemic, I would like to offer some measure of certainty to our community.

First, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is still open for business.  Federal, state, and local law enforcement are still open for business.

Second, federal, state and local law enforcement are aggressively pursuing criminals who seek to profit from COVID-19, whether through hoarding, price gouging or any other fraudulent scheme. Fraudsters, when we find you we will shut you down and seek to lock you up.

Third, there is no good reason for you to provide personal identifying information or banking information over the phone or online. You certainly do not need to provide this information to receive an economic stimulus payment. Be on the lookout for scams and swindles. Don’t be a victim.

Together our strength is immeasurable, so please contact my office at (302) 573-6277 if you encounter any suspicious behavior or fraudulent scams.”

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss of the District of Delaware today urged the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or to the NCDF e-mail address disaster@leo.gov.

In coordination with the Department of Justice, Attorney General William Barr has directed U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus fraud schemes.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “These are difficult times. Everyone is making sacrifices. We will not tolerate those who seek to exploit the vulnerability of our seniors to make a buck.”

Some examples of these schemes include:

• Individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online and engaging in other forms of fraud.
• Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Malicious websites and apps that appear to share Coronavirus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
• Seeking donations fraudulently for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.
• Medical providers obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.      

In a memorandum to U.S. Attorneys issued March 19, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen also directed each U.S. Attorney to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial district on matters relating to the Coronavirus, direct the prosecution of Coronavirus-related crimes, and to conduct outreach and awareness activities.   The District of Delaware Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator is Lesley Wolf.

The NCDF can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate and prosecute fraud schemes.  The NCDF coordinates complaints with 16 additional federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state Attorneys General and local authorities.

To find more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Roy Horsey, 28, of Sussex County, pled guilty yesterday to a drug offense, and admitted that he distributed a mixture of heroin and fentanyl  that killed a Seaford woman in March, 2019. 

According to statements made in open court, in March 2019 the defendant was selling controlled substances containing  heroin/fentanyl packaged with a stamp that read “Shooter.”  On March 8, 2019, the defendant sold some “Shooter” stamped drugs to a Seaford man, and the man shared those drugs with his wife.  A few hours later, the man woke up to find his wife in medical distress.  He administered CPR, but his wife died of a fentanyl and heroin overdose. 

A few days later, Delaware State Police executed a search warrant at Horsey’s house in Seaford.  Inside were about 333 baggies of heroin and fentanyl mixture, most of which were stamped “Shooter.”

The stamp “Shooter” caused three deaths and a number of non-fatal overdoses in Sussex County between March 9-13, 2019, and also caused overdoses in Kent and New Castle Counties.  Only one of those deaths has been tied to Horsey.

“This defendant  gambled with other people’s lives when he decided to sell heroin.   Now  he’ll roll the dice as the criminal justice system decides an appropriate period of incarceration.” said U.S. Attorney Weiss.  “The First State Overdose Task Force and my office will continue to investigate people who sell drugs that cause overdoses – no matter the  type of drug or quantity of drugs  involved.  Dealers will have to decide if it’s worth the risk.

"Horsey was responsible for the distribution of drugs, specifically a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, that resulted in the fatal overdose death of a woman in Sussex County," said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  "When the Delaware State Police executed a search warrant on Horsey's house several days later, they recovered a substantial amount of this same heroin and fentanyl mixture that was packaged for distribution.  Working with our law enforcement partners in the First State Overdose Task Force, the DEA will continue to pursue drug traffickers like Horsey that seek to poison our communities." 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the First State Overdose Taskforce with assistance from the Delaware State Police.  The Task Force consists of state and federal law enforcement partners who work to investigate overdose deaths soon after they occur.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 01:20-cr-00013 (RGA).

WILMINGTON, Del. – Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark sentenced Michael Henry, a 40 year-old Rehoboth Beach resident, to 111 months in prison for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Henry was on probation following a 2017 State of Delaware sexual assault conviction. Because Henry had been twice convicted of federal gun-possession charges, he was prohibited from possessing any firearm.

On February 12, 2019, Henry’s state probation officers learned that Henry was violating his probation by carrying a gun and selling drugs. On the basis of that information, the probation officers searched Henry’s vehicle and residence. As they were conducting the search, law enforcement located Henry hiding underneath a mattress. Dispersed throughout the residence and vehicle, the officers discovered more than 333 grams of cocaine, 14 grams of marijuana, digital scales used to weigh drugs, and several “trap” soda cans—cans with a hidden compartment used to conceal contraband. Concealed between the box springs and the mattress where Henry was hiding, the officers found a loaded 9 mm handgun. Henry confessed that he had been selling the drugs since October 2018.

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, commented on the sentence: “Despite having been convicted twice of federal gun charges, and despite being on active probation, this defendant chose to deal drugs while illegally possessing a firearm. Defendant couldn’t hide his person; couldn’t hide his drugs; and couldn’t hide his gun. The message is clear—if you possess a gun and sell drugs we will find you and you will go to jail for a long time.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Delaware State Police, and the Delaware Department of Probation and Parole participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Howland prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-00068-LPS.

Wilmington, Del. – A New Castle, Delaware man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for possessing and attempting to receive child pornography, announced David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware.

On October 24, 2019, a federal jury for the District of Delaware found Thomas Noble, 71, guilty of one count of attempting to receive child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography after three days of trial.  On February 26, 2020, Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark sentenced Noble to serve 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.

According to publicly filed documents and statements made in open court, while executing a search warrant at Noble’s home, law enforcement caught Noble actively downloading child pornography using peer-to-peer file sharing software.  Later forensic analysis of Noble’s computer revealed 54 videos of child pornography and more than 900 hundred images of child pornography, including files depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent girls.  Noble had previously been convicted in the State of Delaware on child pornography charges.

U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss stated as follows, "Our office is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable among us – our children – from the abhorrent shadow industry that produces, distributes, and collects child pornography and from those who lurk in its base marketplace. Defendant’s time of preying on our children has come to an end."

“The 15-year sentence imposed on Noble sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those possessing sexually explicit images of children,” said William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “HSI is dedicated to identifying these predators, and bring them to justice.”

“As a New Castle, Delaware man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, everyone should know the protection of our children are a top priority for Delaware Law Enforcement. Our laser focus is to defend, guard and shield our most vulnerable for a safer Delaware. We are beholden to the prosecutors and the investigators who work tirelessly to protect our precious children from predators who seek to exploit them,” said Sergeant Richard Bratz, spokesperson for the Delaware State Police.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Delaware State Police investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Graham L. Robinson and Alexander P. Ibrahim of the District of Delaware prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Crystal Martin, former Associate Registrar at Delaware State University, was sentenced to 15 months’ incarceration today by the Honorable Richard G. Andrews, United States District Judge for the District of Delaware.  

According to court documents and statements made in open court, between 2013 and 2017, Martin accepted bribes from co-defendant Stephen Williams in order to change the registration status of hundreds of out-of-state students, falsely qualifying them for in-state tuition.   Using forged residency documents prepared by her co-conspirator, Martin’s actions allowed these students to pay reduced tuition, when in fact, she knew these students should be paying the higher rate for out-of-state residents.  The out-of-state students paid Williams for this fraudulent service, who in turn paid Martin, and during the scheme Martin personally collected thousands of dollars in bribe payments.  The loss to Delaware State University in reduced tuition payments during this four-year-period exceeded $3 million. 

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “The citizens of Delaware depend on public officials to perform their work honestly and to put the public interest first.  The defendant did the opposite when she accepted bribe after bribe to change the registration status of out-of-state students and deprive a public institution of millions of dollars.  How much she personally profited matters little. She sold out Delaware State University and the people of Delaware. With the help of our dedicated law enforcement partners, my office will continue to prosecute individuals who violate the public trust.”

“We look to our University leaders to stand for integrity and fairness, but the defendant violated that trust when she took part in this scheme to steal from the taxpayers of Delaware,” said Jennifer Boone, special agent in charge of the Baltimore Division of the FBI.  “Today’s sentence shows those actions have severe consequences and the FBI stands ready to hold accountable anyone who abuses the system for their own personal gain.”

"With today’s action, the two people who perpetrated this fraud scam not only against Delaware State University but America’s taxpayers have now been sentenced and held accountable for their fraudulent actions,” said Geoffrey Wood, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Regional Office.  “I am proud of the contribution of OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement partners for their work in the case and commitment to protecting Federal education funds from such abuse.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Office, the United States Department of Education, and Delaware State Police, with assistance from the Delaware Attorney General’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney C. Cloud and Laura D. Hatcher.

WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on February 13, 2020, charging a Baltimore, Maryland woman with one count of theft from a Wilmington company receiving federal funds.

According to the indictment, April Pritchett, 37, engaged in a scheme to defraud her former employer, referred to as Company A in the indictment, a property management and development company based in Wilmington, Delaware.  Company A receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) Project-Based Section 8 Rental Assistance Program, which supports low-income individuals in paying rent for otherwise unaffordable housing units.

According to the indictment, Pritchett worked as a property manager for two of Company A’s properties from 2015 through mid-2019.  Pritchett engaged in a scheme to defraud Company A by collecting tenant rent payments in the form of money orders and changing the payee field to reflect her own name.  Pritchett then deposited over $95,000 of these money orders, meant for rent, into her personal bank account and used the stolen rent payments to fund international vacations, plastic surgery, and clothing purchases.  Pritchett hid her fraud by making false statements to Company A’s management to explain mounting rent delinquencies and making false entries into Company A’s tenant management system.

Pritchett is charged with Theft from a Program Receiving Federal Funds.  If convicted, Pritchett faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, made the announcement and gave the following comment, “The defendant is charged with abusing the trust of her employer and the tenants who entrusted her with their rent payments by diverting those funds for her personal use.  My office is committed to prosecuting those who defraud Delaware businesses, particularly when those businesses are themselves partially funded with taxpayer dollars designed to assist low-income citizens in securing housing.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lesley F. Wolf and Ruth E. Mandelbaum.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Canda Quach, 28, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews.  Quach previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 3000 grams of heroin in capsule form. 

According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Castle County Police Department investigated an overdose death involving suspected heroin capsules in August, 2017.  Heroin sold in Delaware is typically packaged in clear plastic baggies containing a blue wax paper sheet, which is usually “stamped” or otherwise branded to differentiate it from other types of heroin.  The emergence of heroin capsule sales in the greater Newark area was novel and unique to Delaware. 

Following an investigation into the death of the victim, officers arrested co-defendant Rodney Cox for delivering the fatal dose of heroin capsules.  Judge Andrews sentenced Cox to 51 months in federal prison on August 20, 2017.  Cox received the heroin capsules from co-defendant Jawaan Wallace, who was sentenced by Judge Andrews on August 20, 2019 to 10 years in federal prison.  As the heroin supplier for Wallace, Quach was the source of the heroin capsules in Delaware.   Since Quach’s arrest on February 1, 2018, officers have no reported cases of heroin capsules distributed in Delaware. 

Commenting on the sentence, U.S. Attorney Weiss noted: “This case highlights both the tragedy of heroin overdoses and the collective response needed to combat it.  The collaborative efforts of federal and local law enforcement resulted in Mr. Quach’s arrest and conviction.  The deadly heroin capsules the defendant distributed took a human life. Today’s sentence appropriately reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crime.”

“Quach was responsible for distributing over 3,000 grams of heroin in capsule form, which represented a distribution method that was different from what is normally seen in this region.  As such, Quach’s unusual method of packaging heroin was likely tied to the significant amount of heroin that he was responsible for distributing,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  “This case is a reminder that illegal street drugs, especially when packaged in an innocuous from like a capsule, pose a deadly threat to the people that use them.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the First State Overdose Taskforce with assistance from the New Castle County Police Department and Delaware State Police.  The Task Force consists of state and federal law enforcement partners who work to investigate overdose deaths soon after they occur.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Logan prosecuted the case. 

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Larry B. Wise, 26, of Wilmington, was sentenced on February 5, 2020 to 63 months in federal prison.  Wise previously pled guilty to distributing heroin.  Prior to sentencing, Wise agreed that his drugs resulted in the death of a 31-year-old man from Middletown, Delaware. 

According to court documents, in early 2019, Wise was distributing between 130-650 baggies of fentanyl-laced heroin per day in the Wilmington’s Riverside neighborhood.  Wise’s drugs, stamped “Dragon Ball Z,” changed hands multiple times before they were ultimately ingested by the victim on February 2, 2019, causing his death.  Post mortem toxicology records showed that the victim had 6.7 ng/ml of fentanyl in his bloodstream.

United States District Judge Maryellen Noreika found that drugs distributed by Wise caused the victim’s death.  As a result, she granted a motion by the United States to enhance Wise’s sentence, ultimately imposing a sentence of 5 1/4 years in prison.

Commenting on the sentence, U.S. Attorney Weiss noted: “This case is yet another tragic example of the destructive power of fentanyl-laced heroin.  Drug dealers take note: if you knowingly sell a substance that may contain fentanyl and that substance causes death, we will hold you accountable.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the First State Overdose Task Force (the “Task Force”) with assistance from the Middletown Police Department and the New Castle County Police Department.  The Task Force consists of state and federal law enforcement partners who work to investigate overdose deaths soon after they occur.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 01:19-cr-083.

WILMINGTON, Del.  David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that William A. Brown (“Brown”) was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leonard P. Stark to 12 months’ incarceration for wire fraud on January 29, 2020. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Brown, age 52, of Felton, Delaware, was previously a job placement counselor at Connections Community Support Programs, Inc. (“Connections”).  During 2015 and 2016, Connections contracted with the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (“DVR”) to help that organization provide employment counseling and job placement services to individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.  The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provides funding for DVR and sets programmatic goals; DVR receives 80% of its funding through federal government programs. 

As part of a multi-year fraud on DVR, Brown submitted falsified client paperwork and created bogus client paystubs so that DVR would pay Connections for completed client services.  By submitting more than thirty false documents over a two-year period, Brown not only caused the payment of excess funds to Connections, he made Connections’ services appear more successful than they actually were and so improved his own job security.

In sentencing the defendant, Chief Judge Stark expressed that the defendant’s “actions contribute to undermining public support in these types of programs.”

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation performs an important service for Delaware citizens, and its mission is undermined when a self-interested contractor like the defendant commits fraud.  By falsifying client paperwork in a way that boosted his own performance numbers and triggered payments by DVR to Connections, the defendant put his own job security above the job prospects of the clients that Connections was contracted to assist.  The defendant’s sentence of incarceration sends an important message that fraud on government programs will not be tolerated by the criminal justice system.”   

“This defendant perpetrated a fraud against the government, against his employer, and against a public program that supports Delaware citizens, for his own personal gain. When programs funded by the government are victimized by fraud, the FBI will work relentlessly with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to root out the individuals responsible. Such fraud victimizes not only public programs but also the taxpayers who fund these programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the FBI’s Baltimore Division.

“William Brown defrauded the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation by submitting false documentation for employment counseling and job placement services intended for clients in drug and alcohol recovery. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of federally-funded job placement programs,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Derek Pickle, Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

“This case is an example of our commitment to protecting Federal funds from fraud, waste, and abuse, and stop those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers," said Geoffrey Wood, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Regional Office.   "The Office of Inspector General and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to safeguard Federal education dollars.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Office, U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, with help from the Delaware Department of Justice.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Cloud.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Stephen Williams was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Andrews to 42 months’ incarceration for bribery in connection with programs receiving federal funds.  Williams is the co-defendant of Crystal Martin, the Delaware State University (“DSU”) administrator who pled guilty to the same bribery scheme in April 2019, and whose sentencing occurs in February 2020. 

According to court documents and statements made in open court, between 2013 and 2017, Williams was the leader of a bribery scheme at DSU.  Williams recruited students to pay him a fee to change their student registration status from out-of-state residency to in-state residency.  After students paid him their fee, Williams helped create forged residency documents, such as leases, and then delivered the forged documents to his co-defendant Martin to place in the students’ files, justifying the residency changes that Martin recorded in the university’s computer system.  Williams paid Martin a percentage of the fee he collected from each student whose residency was changed, amounting to approximately $70,000 over the course of four years. Williams also paid DSU students to recruit others interested in having their registration status changed.  While the total amount that Williams profited from his scheme remains unknown, the estimated cost of reduced tuition payments of more than 250 students to DSU during this four-year-period exceeded $3 million. 

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “The defendant created and ran a four-year scheme that defrauded a Delaware public university.  In so doing, he encouraged hundreds of people to break the law.  Further, he deprived his own alma mater and Delaware taxpayers of the rightful tuition proceeds for Delaware State University so that he could personally profit.  Defendants who repeatedly break the law for their own personal gain at the expense of Delaware citizens must be held accountable.”

“This defendant perpetuated a fraud, for his own personal gain, against the university, the state of Delaware, and those students who did not try to game the system,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone.  “The FBI will pursue cases of injustice, such as this, until the perpetrator pays for the crime.”

“Williams knowingly and willfully defrauded America’s taxpayers and students in a deliberate and methodical way. With his prison sentence and this judgment, he is being held accountable for his criminal actions,” said Geoffrey Wood, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office.  “I’m proud of the work of the Office of Inspector General and our law enforcement partners in this matter and continuing our work to protect Federal education funds from those who would use them for their own selfish purposes.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore - Wilmington Office, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, and Delaware State Police, with assistance from the Delaware Department of Justice’s Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura D. Hatcher and Whitney C. Cloud.

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware collected $9,560,696.85 in criminal and civil actions during fiscal year 2019, which ended September 30th.  Of that amount, $6,337,256.91 was collected through civil actions and $3,223,439.94 stemmed from fines and restitution ordered as part of criminal convictions.

Two cases that generated significant collection efforts include U.S. v. Zahid Aslam and U.S. v. Navimax Corp., both generating $3,070,000 and $2,000,000 respectively.   

“This year’s substantial recovery is a direct result of increased collaboration and cooperation between my Office and our federal, state and local partners,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “As prosecutors, our work does not end with a conviction in a criminal case or a settlement or judgment in a civil case. As the numbers demonstrate, we work diligently to facilitate collection of civil debts and thereby ensure financial justice for crime victims.”

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the U.S. Department of Justice’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

FY 2019 collections include recovery of government money lost to criminal fraud, environmental crimes, and other misconduct and recovery of money lost by victims as a result of individual and corporate misconduct. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Education.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Federal grand juries in Delaware and Maryland have returned indictments charging alleged members of the racially motivated violent extremist group “The Base” with firearms and alien-related charges.  Both federal indictments charge Brian Mark Lemley, Jr., age 33, of Elkton, Maryland, and Newark, Delaware; and Canadian national Patrik Jordan Mathews, age 27, currently of Newark, Delaware, with firearms and alien-related charges.  A third alleged member of “The Base,” William Garfield Bilbrough IV, age 19, of Denton, Maryland, is charged in the Maryland indictment for alien-related charges. The Delaware indictment also charges Lemley and Mathews with destroying their cellular telephones with intent to obstruct justice.  The Maryland indictment was returned on January 27, 2020 and unsealed today. The Delaware grand jury returned its indictment today.

The indictments were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss; United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

The six-count Delaware indictment alleges that Lemley transported an illegal alien, specifically Patrik Jordan Mathews, on November 4, 2019; and that from November 4, 2019 through January 16, 2020, Lemley harbored Mathews, knowing he was an illegal alien.  Further, Lemley and Mathews are charged with being or aiding-and-abetting an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition from November 28, 2019 through January 4, 2020, and again on January 16, 2020; with illegal possession of a machinegun; with illegal possession of an unregistered machinegun; and with destroying their cellular telephones with the intent to obstruct justice, specifically an investigation conducted by the FBI.

The 12-count Maryland indictment charges Lemley and Bilbrough with conspiring to transport an alien from August 30 through 31, 2019, and with transporting an alien on August 31, 2019; with conspiring to transport and harbor an alien on November 2 and 3, 2019, and with transporting an alien and harboring an alien on November 3, 2019.  Lemley is charged with transporting a machine gun in interstate commerce on January 2, 2020; and with disposing of a firearm and ammunition to an illegal alien on January 5, 2020 and January 11, 2020.  Lemley and Mathews are charged with being or aiding-and-abetting an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition on January 5, 2020 and January 11, 2020; and with transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony on January 5, 2020 and on January 11, 2020.

The federal indictments also seek the forfeiture of any property traceable to the offenses charged, including all firearms and ammunition allegedly involved in the commission of the offense, and a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 allegedly used to facilitate the offense.

If convicted, Lemley and Bilbrough each face a maximum sentence of five years for transporting and harboring certain aliens, and 10 years for conspiracy to do so.  Lemley also faces a maximum of five years in prison for transporting a machine gun in interstate commerce, and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for disposing of a firearm and ammunition to an illegal alien.  Lemley and Mathews each face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony offense; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being or aiding-and-abetting an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition; a maximum of 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm; a maximum of 10 years in prison for illegal possession of an unregistered firearm; and a maximum of 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

United States Attorneys David C. Weiss and Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and ATF for their work in the investigation, and thanked U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland State Police, and the Delaware State Police for their assistance.  Mr. Weiss and Mr. Hur thanked their offices’ national security prosecutors, who are handling the case.

WILMINGTON, Del. – A Seaford man pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return.

According to court documents, Lorne “Bob” Adams, 49, filed a false 2015 Federal Income Tax Return, omitting approximately $165,000 in income.  Pursuant to his plea agreement, Adams further admitted to outstanding tax liabilities for 2013, 2014, and 2016.  In total, Adams agreed to make restitution to the Internal Revenue Service totaling $112,628.00.

Adams pleaded guilty to Making False Statements on a Tax Return, and faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison when sentenced on May 29, 2020.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“Lorne Adams’ failure to report all of his income is a felony offense that carries severe consequences,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “As we approach the beginning of tax filing season, would-be tax cheats are reminded that engaging in similar criminal behavior could result in a prison sentence.”

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley F. Wolf is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-143.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, and for the fourth time since 2016, U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announce that they have recovered a more than 500-year-old copy of Christopher Columbus’ letter describing his discoveries in the Americas to the Government of Italy.  This announcement follows a court filing in the District of Delaware, which ordered the return of this historic document to the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice, Italy.  This letter, commonly known as a Plannck I edition (“Columbus Letter-Plannck I”), is exceptionally rare because this first edition only mentions the King of Spain, while the second edition, commonly known as Plannck II, acknowledges both the King and Queen of Spain.  This Columbus Letter-Plannck I is valued in excess of $1,300,000.

Following a lengthy investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, and the Italian Carabinieri Command for Protection of Cultural Heritage, investigators determined that, sometime in or around 1875, the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice, Italy acquired a copy of the Columbus Letter-Plannck I, described above.  At an unknown time between 1985 and 1988, the Columbus Letter-Plannck I was stolen from the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana.

Unlike prior recovered Columbus letters, this Columbus Letter-Plannck I was not replaced with a forgery, but instead was missing from the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana for decades.  The investigation determined that, in May 2003, a collector acting in good faith unknowingly purchased the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana’s Columbus Letter-Plannck I letter from a rare book dealer in the United States. 

In 2019, following negotiations between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and representatives for the individual in possession of the letter, the parties agreed to permit Dr. Paul Needham from Princeton University to inspect the Columbus Letter-Plannck I, along with important evidence provided by the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana.  Dr. Needham’s inspection ultimately assisted investigators in determining that the Columbus Letter-Plannck I was, in fact, the stolen letter that belonged to the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana.  Accordingly, the individual in possession of the Columbus Letter-Plannck I voluntarily agreed to relinquish title and interest in the letter.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated that, “We continue to be thankful for our strong law enforcement partnership with the Government of Italy to combat cross-border crimes that bring stolen cultural property into the United States for sale.  This recovery is an excellent example of international law enforcement collaboration resulting in the return of world treasurers to their rightful owners.  I commend the efforts of those involved in this case, including Dr. Needham for his expertise in this field.”

“Culturally significant artifacts are assigned a monetary value in the world's marketplaces in which they are traded,” said William Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “But the cultural and symbolic worth of these objects far surpasses any given dollar value to the nations to whom they rightfully belong. HSI is pleased that today's court action is a positive step toward returning this five-century old Christopher Columbus letter to the people of Italy.”

The case is being investigated by Special Agent Mark Olexa and Investigator Mario Coppola, HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie M. McCall for the District of Delaware.

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Kristian James O’Hara, age 25, of Bardonia, New York, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison by the Honorable Colm F. Connolly, U.S. District Judge for the District of Delaware.  O’Hara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking on April 3, 2019.

According to court documents and statements made in open court, O’Hara led an 18-month cyberstalking conspiracy designed to intimidate and harass a former college classmate and her parents.  From December 2016 through May 2018, O’Hara and his co-conspirator Vincent James Palesky harassed the victim and her parents in multiple ways.  They frequently sent late-night food orders to her apartment, spoofed phone calls to her phone, and left disturbing voicemails at her childhood home in Delaware, falsely claiming the victim gave them a sexually transmitted disease.  O’Hara drew upon his friendship with the victim in order to gain information about her location and her activities, which he then used to further his cyberstalking campaign. 

In May 2018, O’Hara escalated the conduct by signing up the victim’s work email address for membership at websites including Pornhub.com, barraging the victim’s new cell phone number with spoofed calls, and posting the victim’s name, likeness, and cell phone number on a sex-chat website.  Each time his victim took steps to deter him, O’Hara found new means to inject himself into her life.   The persistent nature of O’Hara’s conduct caused his victim to fear leaving her home alone.  

O’Hara and Palesky also cyberstalked five other individuals between 2016 and 2018, including former high school acquaintances, another college classmate, and coworkers.  O’Hara bragged to others about the “standard procedure” they used to psychologically harm victims.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “This defendant used the Internet to terrorize a young woman and her parents.  He and his co-conspirator committed dozens of separate acts, culminating in the defendant posting the victim’s name and number on a sex-chat website.  Thanks to the courage of this family, the diligence of the lead FBI investigators, and assistance from other jurisdictions, O’Hara was quickly stopped and today appropriately punished.  Members of our community deserve to be free from criminal online harassment and to feel safe in their homes. We are committed to prosecuting Defendants who use the Internet to cyberstalk others.”

"Those who think they can use the anonymity of the Internet to terrorize people will quickly realize the investigative abilities of the FBI and cyber task force partners," said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone. "The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and we will always support our communities against cyberstalking."

This case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore - Wilmington Cyber Task Force, with support from the FBI New York Cyber Task Force, Newark Cyber Task Force, and the New York City Police Department, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in District of New Jersey and Southern District of New York.   The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Cloud and Cybercrime Section Chief Jamie M. McCall. 

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Donte Jacobs, 31, of New Castle County, was sentenced today to 24 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews.  Jacobs had previously been convicted at trial of distributing and conspiring to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted in the death of a 26-year-old woman.  Jacobs had also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm recovered during the investigation. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jacobs had a longstanding agreement to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl-laced heroin with others in the region.  By the end of June 2016, Jacobs was distributing fentanyl-laced heroin packaged with a “BUTTER” stamp on it.  On June 28, 2016, one of Jacobs’ sub-distributors sold those “BUTTER”-stamped drugs to the victim, whose identity is listed in court documents as T.A.  Hours later, in New Garden Township, Pennsylvania, the victim used those drugs and died from a fentanyl overdose.  Toxicology records showed that T.A. had 26 ng/ml of fentanyl in her blood stream when she died.  Testimony at trial showed that this was clearly a lethal amount of fentanyl.

Members of what is now the Southern Chester County Police Department worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate T.A.’s death.  Law enforcement first arrested the sub-distributor who directly sold the “BUTTER”-stamped bags of fentanyl-laced heroin to T.A.  Officers then recorded a conversation between that sub-distributor and Jacobs, wherein Jacobs acknowledged his involvement in distributing the “BUTTER”-stamped drugs.  During the call, Jacobs also explained to his sub-distributor how people, “OD on Fentanyl” and how fentanyl and heroin were causing people to “die every day.”

“Jacobs distributed thousands of bags of heroin into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “As his statement indicates, Jacobs was willing to accept the possibility that customers would die after using his drugs.  We are not.  If you knowingly sell a substance that may contain fentanyl and that substance causes death, we will hold you accountable.  In this case, for the Defendant, that means he will spend the next 24 years in jail.”

“Jacobs was convicted of distributing and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted in the overdose death of a woman in Pennsylvania,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  “Illicit fentanyl has claimed thousands of lives across our region in Delaware and Pennsylvania.  That Jacobs knew that fentanyl and heroin was causing people to “die every day” but sold it anyway shows his utter disregard for the members of our communities and the law.  The DEA greatly appreciates the work of U.S. Attorney’s Office throughout this investigation.”  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe and Jesse S. Wenger prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 01:19-cr-094.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Wilson Colon-Sierra, 33, of Elkton, Maryland was sentenced earlier this week in federal court in Delaware for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the heroin overdose death of Jennifer Rodick of Wilmington, Delaware. 

According to court documents and statements made in open court, Jennifer Rodick overdosed on a bag of heroin on January 3, 2018.  After an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and New Castle County Police Department, witness statements and phone location data established that Colon-Sierra had sold the bag of heroin that was ultimately used by Jennifer Rodick.

Colon-Sierra was arrested in his home in Elkton, Maryland in March 2018 in possession of over 160 grams of heroin and 82 grams of crack cocaine, which he admitted that he conspired to distribute.

Chief United States District Judge Leonard P. Stark found that Colon-Sierra’s drug conspiracy crime resulted in the death of Jennifer Rodick and that Colon-Sierra was a leader of the drug conspiracy that ultimately caused Rodick’s death.  As a result, Chief Judge Stark granted a motion by the United States to enhance Colon-Sierra’s sentence because Colon-Sierra’s conduct resulted in a death, imposing a sentence of 8 ½ years in federal prison.  

U.S. Attorney Weiss commented, “In the midst of the opioid epidemic, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who profit off of the addictions of others and put this poison on the streets of Delaware.  Cases like this one are why we have created the First State Overdose Task Force.  We are thankful to our federal and state partners for their hard work in investigating this case.”

“Colon-Sierra was responsible for the distribution and sale of heroin that resulted in the death of Jennifer Rodick,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  “The criminal penalties for drug-traffickers like Colon-Sierra who sell and distribute dangerous drugs that result in lost lives are very severe.  The DEA remains committed to pursuing the drug-traffickers that pose the greatest danger to our communities.”  DEA wishes to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their outstanding efforts throughout this investigation and trial.” 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in coordination with the New Castle County Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Ibrahim and Ruth E. Mandelbaum.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Samuel James Gulick, 18, of Middletown, Delaware was charged today in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in connection with utilizing an incendiary device to damage the Planned Parenthood facility in Newark, Delaware on January 3, 2020.

Gulick is charged in a three-count complaint with: (1) maliciously damaging a building used in interstate commerce through the use of fire or destructive device; (2) intentionally damaging a facility that provides reproductive health services; and (3) possession of an unregistered destructive device under the National Firearms Act.

According to court documents, at approximately 2:16 a.m. on January 3, 2020, an individual later identified as Gulick drove to the Planned Parenthood facility in Newark, Delaware.  Video surveillance captured Gulick standing on the front porch of the building and spray-painting the phrase “Deus Vult” in red letters. Gulick then stepped off the front porch, lit an object and threw it at the front window of the Planned Parenthood facility. The object exploded and Gulick ran away. The fire burned for approximately one minute before self-extinguishing. The explosion damaged the front window and porch of the building. Through video surveillance, law enforcement identified a car operated by Gulick fleeing the scene. Law enforcement also identified Gulick through social media postings attributed to him, including posts containing the phrase “Deus Vult” and several anti-abortion posts.  Gulick was arrested by the FBI without incident on January 4, 2020.

If convicted of the most serious offense - maliciously damaging the Planned Parenthood facility - Gulick faces a statutory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.   Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by the FBI-Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Resident Agency with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Police Department, University of Delaware Police, Delaware State Police, , Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office, and New Castle County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne C. Dedjinou is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 20-60M.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

Nikolaos Vastardis, Evridiki Navigation Inc., and Liquimar Tankers Management Services Inc., were convicted by a federal jury in Wilmington, Delaware, of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, falsifying ship’s documents, obstructing a U.S. Coast Guard inspection, and making false statements to U.S. Coast Guard inspectors. The crimes were committed in order to conceal Vastardis’ deliberate bypassing of required pollution prevention equipment in order to illegally discharge oil-contaminated bilge waste overboard from the foreign-flagged oil tanker Motor Tanker (M/T) Evridiki.

“This case demonstrates that those who pollute our oceans and deliberately mislead Coast Guard officials will be brought to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to support the important work of the Coast Guard to deter deliberate vessel pollution.”

“The Coast Guard is committed to protecting the safety of the marine environment and our living marine resources,” said Rear Adm. Keith Smith, commander, 5th Coast Guard District. “Today’s conviction highlights our dedication to working with the Department of Justice to investigate and successfully prosecute those who violate the law and pollute our oceans and waterways.”

The M/T Evridiki was an 899 foot Liberian-flagged oil tanker owned by Evridiki Navigation and operated by Liqumar Tankers Management Services. Vastardis was the Chief Engineer of the M/T Evridiki. On March 10, 2019, the ship arrived in the Big Stone Anchorage, within Delaware Bay, for the purpose of delivering a cargo of crude oil. The following day, the ship underwent a U.S. Coast Guard inspection to determine, among other things, the vessel’s compliance with international environmental pollution prevention requirements.

The jury found that during the inspection, Evridiki, Liquimar, and Vastardis tried to deceive Coast Guard inspectors regarding the use of the ship’s oily water separator (OWS), a required pollution prevention device. Under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), an international treaty to which the U.S. is a party, only bilge waste containing less than 15 parts per million (ppm) oil can be discharged overboard and must be first run through an OWS and oil content meter (OCM) to ensure that no waste containing more than 15 ppm oil is discharged. During the Coast Guard inspection, Vastardis operated the equipment with unmonitored valves that trapped fresh water inside the OCM’s sample line so that its oil sensor registered zero ppm instead of what was really being discharged overboard.  However, historic OCM data recovered during the inspection proved that the OCM was being tricked and bypassed. When the Coast Guard opened the Evridiki’s OWS, they found it was fouled with copious amounts of oil and soot. 

Each defendant was convicted of all four felony counts including knowingly failing to maintain an accurate oil record book, in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships;  obstruction of justice;  obstruction of the Coast Guard’s inspection; and  making a materially false statement to the Coast Guard concerning how the OWS was operated at sea.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Andrews for the District of Delaware presided over the trial and will conduct sentencing on a date to be determined. 

Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell and Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth E. Nelson, both with the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, represented the government at trial. Assisting in the prosecution were Trial Attorney Joel La Bissonniere with the Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edmond Falgowski for the District of Delaware, and Lieutenant Commander Ben Robinson, attorney with the Coast Guard’s Office of Maritime and International Law. The Coast Guard’s Investigative Service investigated the case with assistance from the Coast Guard’s Sector Delaware Bay and Marine Safety Detachment in Lewes, Delaware.

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Brandon Williams, 26, of Dover, was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark.  Williams previously pled guilty to stealing firearms from a Millsboro gun store and to the possession of a firearm by a person prohibited from possessing guns, due to Williams’ prior felony conviction in Delaware state court. 

According to court documents, Williams, 26, broke into Baker’s Hardware, a federal firearm licensee, in Millsboro on May 5, 2017, and stole thirteen handguns and an AR-15-style rifle.  Williams was arrested shortly after selling the stolen AR-15-style rifle in March 2019.

“The defendant’s arrest occurred almost two years after he robbed a Millsboro business and stole over a dozen firearms.  Patience, perseverance and collaboration with our state and local partners made the prosecution of this gun store robbery possible. We will not stop until those who place our community at risk by trafficking in stolen firearms are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss.

“Offenders who steal from federally licensed gun dealers not only threaten the safety of our communities but they also victimize law-abiding businesses,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “A firearm in the hands of someone with criminal intentions is a dangerous situation and ATF is committed to stopping the flow of illegal firearms onto our streets.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Delaware State Police, and the Millsboro Police Department investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse S. Wenger.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-62-LPS.

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that on December 13, 2019, a federal jury convicted Charles Esham, a 60 year old Wilmington physician, on charges of conspiracy to distribute and distribution of oxycodone, one of the most powerful and commonly abused opioids available. United States District Judge Richard G. Andrews presided over the trial and accepted the verdict.

According to court records and evidence presented during the six-day trial, Esham issued oxycodone prescriptions to five individuals outside the course of usual professional practice and not for a legitimate purpose over the course of several years. Many of these oxycodone pills were not taken by the people to whom they were prescribed, but were instead illegally diverted and sold for profit.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “In the midst of an opioid epidemic, Esham abandoned his role as a doctor and effectively handed over his prescription pad to a drug trafficking ring. The jury’s verdict serves as a warning to doctors who betray the solemn trust that our society places in them: when doctors facilitate and enable drug abuse, they must be held accountable.”

“Dr. Esham was convicted of federal drug conspiracy and distribution charges for using his DEA registration to prescribe oxycodone without any legitimate medical purpose,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  “DEA Registrants like Esham who choose to engage in these criminal practices risk losing their medical license as well as criminal prosecution and a federal prison sentence.” 

Esham faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count when sentenced in April 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Judge Andrews will determine Esham’s sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by DEA’s Wilmington Resident Office – Tactical Diversion Squad. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and Dylan J. Steinberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 17-71-CR-RGA.

WILMINGTON, Del. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison for distributing fentanyl that caused the death of Joel Davis, a 29-year-old Newark man. 

According to court documents, Emanuel Jimenez, who is a citizen of the Dominican Republic but was living in the United States under the false identity of “Robin Cintron-Pratts,” was a large-scale heroin dealer.  For several months in 2016-2017, he delivered 13,000 baggies of heroin per week to James Briggs of Wilmington.  In February 2017, the defendant delivered fentanyl-laced heroin to Briggs, who sold some of those drugs to Abdoulaye Diallo, who then sold several baggies to one of Joel Davis’s friends.  The friend gave four of the baggies to Joel Davis, who used them and then died as a result of fentanyl intoxication.  Diallo and Briggs were separately charged.  Briggs was sentenced on September 9, 2019 to ten years incarceration; Diallo was convicted and is pending sentencing.

When the defendant heard that someone had overdosed from his drugs, he explained to a customer: “You know what happens?  People, they do it… they didn’t feel it like that quick, so they think the shit not good so they do it over and over.  And like 20 minutes later… oh shit” “This shit happened like a couple times with me.”

According to United States Attorney David C. Weiss, “Since the introduction of fentanyl, selling heroin is like playing Russian roulette with others’ lives.  As the defendant well knew, people are dying every day using the product he was selling.  Today’s sentence sends an important message to heroin dealers: making a quick profit is simply not worth the prospect of spending decades in prison.  This case was part of the impetus for the First State Overdose Task Force, and we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute people whose drugs are killing Delawareans.”

"Jimenez was a drug-trafficker who distributed thousands of bags of heroin and fentanyl weekly across Wilmington," said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.   "He was also the source of fentanyl-laced heroin bags that resulted in a fatal overdose.  The DEA will continue to work with our law-enforcement partners to aggressively investigate significant drug-traffickers like Jimenez who pose a great threat to the health and safety of the citizens of Delaware."

The U.S. Attorney made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark.  Before imposing sentence, the Court said, “The defendant knew that people were overdosing. It’s not a stretch to say that he knew that overdosing could mean death.  And none of that stopped him, nor is there any indication that it bothered him.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency’s First State Overdose Task Force in partnership with, among others, the New Castle County Police Department.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-0022-1(LPS) and 1:17-cr-0023-1(LPS).

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Stephen S. Landes, 29, of Roswell, New Mexico, was sentenced on November 27, 2019, to 27 months in prison by the Honorable Richard G. Andrews, United States District Judge for the District of Delaware.  Landes pled guilty in August 2019 to one count of Interstate Threats Concerning the Use of an Explosive.

According to court documents, on May 9, 2018, at approximately 1:43 p.m., Landes called the Walmart in Georgetown, Delaware from Roswell, New Mexico. Landes asked to speak with a manager. Landes impersonated a certain resident of Georgetown, Delaware and then stated that he had a bomb and a child hostage in the bathroom. Landes demanded twenty thousand ($20,000) dollars and threatened to blow-up the Walmart if he did not receive the money. Law enforcement from Georgetown Police, Delaware State Police and Delaware Natural Resources Police responded to the Walmart and evacuated the store. K9 units searched the Walmart but did not find any bomb.

A few minutes later, at approximately 1:56 p.m., Landes called Georgetown Elementary School. Landes claimed to be the same resident of Georgetown, Delaware as before and told the person who answered the phone that he had two children buried in his basement and that there was a bomb in the school. School administrators locked down the school and called 911.  Law enforcement units from the Delaware State Police and the Georgetown Police Department responded to the elementary school immediately.  K9 units searched the school but found no bomb or other threats.

Landes made the bomb threats for the purpose of “swatting” a Delaware resident. “Swatting” involves making hoax emergency calls in order to elicit an armed police response (e.g., from a SWAT team) to harass someone believed to be at the location of the purported emergency.  

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “This defendant purposely targeted an elementary school because he knew that  his bomb threat would cause an immediate and intense response by law enforcement. Georgetown Elementary School shares a campus with the Georgetown Kindergarten Center and Georgetown Middle School. Approximately 2,000 children were impacted by the defendant’s unconscionable actions. Children in our community deserve to attend school free from the fear and confusion caused by threats of this kind. Swatting calls also put law enforcement, the intended targets and innocent bystanders at unnecessary risk. My Office will prosecute those who engage in swatting activity to the fullest extent allowed by law and will seek sentences that reflect the seriousness of the offense.”

"Stephen Landes orchestrated an extensive, multi-faceted swatting campaign that caused a significant amount of angst, alarm, and unnecessary expenditure of limited law enforcement resources," said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone, FBI Baltimore Field Office. "FBI Baltimore, working jointly with the Delaware State Police, the Georgetown Police Department and the Delaware United States Attorney's Office, hopes this sentence will deter others from engaging in similar criminal conduct."

"The actions of Stephen Landes exposed our community and first responders to unnecessary danger.  I applaud the work of United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, Mr. Weiss, our F.B.I. partners and the Delaware State Police for their ongoing support and commitment to local law enforcement and the communities we serve," stated Georgetown Police Chief R.L. Hughes.

This case was investigated by the FBI-Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Resident Office with assistance from the Delaware State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou.

The Department of Justice announced today that the United States has filed a complaint alleging infringement by Gilead Sciences Inc. and Gilead Sciences Ireland UC (collectively, Gilead) of four U.S. patents awarded to and owned by the United States, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  These patents cover specific drug regimens used for pre-exposure prophylaxis (commonly referred to as PrEP) that prevents HIV transmission.  The complaint alleges infringement in connection with two of Gilead’s drugs, Truvada® and Descovy®, which Gilead markets for use to prevent HIV as part of the PrEP regimen. 

“Gilead has received billions of dollars in revenue from HIV prevention regimens invented by HHS researchers and patented by the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “This lawsuit demonstrates the Department’s commitment to protect the government’s intellectual property and hold accountable those who seek to unfairly gain from the government’s research without paying reasonable royalties as the law requires.”

“HHS recognizes Gilead’s role in selling Truvada® and Descovy® to patients for prevention of HIV.  Communities have put these drugs to use in saving lives and reducing the spread of HIV,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar II.  “However, Gilead must respect the U.S. patent system, the groundbreaking work by CDC researchers, and the substantial taxpayer contributions to the development of these drugs. The complaint filed today seeks to ensure that they do.”

Starting in the early 2000’s, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention invented an innovative two-drug regimens that could, for the first time, prevent people from becoming infected with HIV.  These breakthrough inventions, now covered by four United States patents, demonstrated that regular prophylactic doses of a combination of two antiretroviral drugs could prevent the transmission and reproduction of the virus that causes AIDS in at-risk populations.  To date, the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on clinical studies of these treatment regimens. 

These regimens have ushered in a new era in HIV prevention and are currently a critical component of the government’s efforts to end the HIV epidemic.  During the 2019 State of the Union address, President Donald J. Trump announced a new initiative entitled “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America,” with the goal of reducing new HIV infections by 90 percent by 2030.  PrEP drug regimens are an appropriate centerpiece of this initiative as clinical trials based on the patented research have shown that approximately 99 percent of at-risk persons who adhere to a once-daily PrEP regimen are protected from HIV transmission.  Expanding the use of PrEP drug regimens will be a key component for preventing the spread of HIV across the United States. 

Gilead manufactures, markets, and sells Truvada® and Descovy®.  Gilead had originally obtained FDA approvals for those products to be used solely for treating HIV in combination with other drugs.  It was only after CDC’s innovative PrEP work and subsequent human trials that Gilead sought FDA approvals for Truvada®, and more recently Descovy®, to be used as part of PrEP drug regimens to prevent HIV.  Gilead now markets and sells Truvada® and Descovy® for PrEP regimens that CDC developed and patented. 

Gilead has repeatedly refused to obtain a license for use of the patented drug regimens, while continuing to profit from hundreds of millions of dollars of publicly funded research.  Rather than pay royalties owed to the United States, Gilead has challenged the validity of all four patents before the Patent and Trademark Office.  This move contradicts the testimony of Gilead’s CEO, Daniel O’Day, before the Oversight Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that Gilead had “chosen not to challenge [the United States’] patents because we value our collaborative relationship with the agency.”  The United States maintains that all four patents were validly issued and will respond as appropriate.

This matter is being handled by the Commercial Litigation Branch, Intellectual Property Staff, of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware.  The claims asserted against the defendants are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Additional information about the Commercial Litigation Branch and its Intellectual Property Staff can be found at https://www.justice.gov/civil/intellectual-property-section.  For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-de.  Information about Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, can be found at https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/ending-the-hiv-epidemic/overview.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Bruce Kevin Fleming of Lewes, Delaware, was indicted today in the District of Delaware on tax charges.

The indictment includes five counts of tax evasion, regarding the tax years 2012 through 2016.  The counts charge that Fleming operated Kevin Fleming, Inc., and generated personal income, for which he did not file returns, and evaded the payment of taxes by diverting corporate funds to pay his personal expenses.

The indictment further charges that from on or about March 31, 2016, through September 30, 2017, Fleming conducted business through Kevin Fleming, Incorporated, a photo gallery in Lewes, Delaware and deducted and collected from the taxable wages of his employees federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act taxes and then willfully failed to pay a total of $22,584 of those taxes over to the Internal Revenue Service. 

Each of the offenses is punishable by a maximum penalty of 5 years’ incarceration, a $250,000 fine and restitution for unpaid taxes. 

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edmond Falgowski.

The charges in the Indictment are only allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal jury convicted Thomas Noble, age 71, of New Castle, on October 24, 2019, on charges of possession of child pornography and attempted receipt of more child pornography.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on October 5, 2017, the Delaware State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce (ICAC) executed a search warrant at Noble’s home in New Castle, Delaware. When they arrived, officers found Noble's personal computer actively downloading child pornography files through a peer-to-peer file sharing network called BitTorrent. A forensic examination of Noble's computer found hundreds of files of child pornography.

Noble had previously been convicted in the State of Delaware for possessing child pornography. His term of probation for that conviction had ended less than six months before Delaware State Police executed their search warrant.

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware stated, “Crimes involving child sexual exploitation continue to victimize innocent children and my office will prosecute any such crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Those who possess or download child pornography over the internet are a part of a troubling cycle of violence against children. The Delaware State Police ICAC Taskforce made up of the Delaware State Police, Department of Justice, and ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations work together to relentlessly investigate and prosecute these dangerous criminals to ensure child victims, our most vulnerable, are protected,” said Sergeant Richard Bratz, spokesperson for the Delaware State Police 

Noble faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison when sentenced on February 26, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Weiss made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Graham L. Robinson and Alexander P. Ibrahim presented the case to the jury on behalf of the United States.  The case was investigated by Delaware State Police’s ICAC Unit, with support from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 18-15-LPS.

Two shipping companies incorporated in Liberia pled guilty today in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, to failing to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition on one if its vessels and to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by presenting false documents to the Coast Guard that covered up vessel oil pollution.

Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced the plea agreement.  The agreement includes a $1.8 million dollar criminal penalty.

Defendants Nederland Shipping Company and Chartworld Shipping Company are the owner and operator of the 13,049 gross ton, ocean-going, refrigerated cargo/container vessel called the M/V NEDERLAND REEFER.  Large ships like the M/V NEDERLAND REEFER generate oil-contaminated bilge waste when water mixes in the bottom or bilges of the ship with oil that has leaked from the ship’s engines and other areas.  This waste must be processed to separate the water from the oil and other wastes by using pollution prevention equipment, including an Oily Water Separator (OWS), before being discharged into the sea.  APPS requires that the disposal of the ship’s bilge waste be recorded in the ship’s Oil Record Book (ORB).

The investigation began on Feb. 21, 2019, when the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Detachment out of Lewes, Delaware, conducted a Port State Control Examination of the M/V NEDERLAND REEFER.  During the course of the inspection, the Coast Guard determined that the vessel’s Chief Engineer, Vasileios Mazarakis, had been repeatedly tricking the oil content monitoring device on the vessel’s OWS with fresh water thereby discharging untreated oily bilge water overboard at sea.  Mazarakis then falsified the vessel’s ORB to conceal these illegal discharges from the Coast Guard.

On Oct. 2, 2019, Chief Engineer Vasileios Mazarakis pled guilty to a violation of the APPS for his falsification of the ORB.  As part of his guilty plea, Mazarakis also admitted that he took various actions to obstruct the Coast Guard’s investigation, including destruction of evidence and witness tampering.

The Coast Guard’s investigation also determined that on Dec. 30, 2018, seawater began entering the vessel below the waterline through a hole in the vessel’s Bilge Holding Tank.  This compromise of the hull’s integrity and the temporary repairs thereto, constituted a hazardous condition that Defendants failed to report to the Coast Guard.

Under the plea agreement, the companies will be placed on a four-year term of probation that includes a comprehensive environmental compliance plan to ensure, among other things, that ships operated by Chartworld entering the United States fully comply with all applicable national and international marine environmental protection laws.  The compliance plan will be implemented by an independent auditing company and supervised by a court-appointed monitor.

Trial Attorneys David P. Kehoe and Stephen Da Ponte at the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edmund Falgowski of the District of Delaware prosecuted the case.  The case was investigated by the Coast Guard’s Investigative Service.

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Theophil Hollis, 30, of Newark, was sentenced on October 3, 2019 to 5 ½ years in federal prison by U.S. Chief Judge for the District of Delaware Leonard P. Stark.  Hollis had previously pled guilty to two counts of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and heroin.  

According to court documents, between September 9, 2016 and December 7, 2016, Hollis sold heroin laced with fentanyl in baggies branded with the stamp “Block Party.”  A 27-year old Newark man ingested the contents of one of those “Block Party” branded baggies, overdosed, and died.

“This case highlights the dangers inherent in the drug trade and the devastating consequences heroin and fentanyl have on our community,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss.  “We will continue to vigorously prosecute drug dealers whose actions result in death.  While the sentence in this case will never return the life that was lost, it should serve notice that drug dealers will be held accountable for the harm they inflict.  We commend our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication in making our streets safer.”

“As U.S. Attorney Weiss noted, drug-trafficking is an inherently dangerous business for those that distribute dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and the people that use these same drugs.  Hollis was convicted of distributing fentanyl that lead to the fatal overdose of another person,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  “For his crimes, Hollis will now serve time in Federal prison.” 

The DEA and the New Castle County Police Department investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Logan.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No.17-12.

WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Kenneth Holland, 49, of Dover, was sentenced on September 23, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika to 110 months in federal prison for possessing heroin with the intent to distribute and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, over the course of approximately four weeks in September and October 2018, Holland sold heroin on at least six occasions.  He also illegally sold a handgun.  On October 10, 2018, Holland was arrested.  Law enforcement found over 10,000 baggies of heroin and an AR-15-style semi-automatic assault weapon in Holland’s car upon his arrest.

Holland’s arrest and conviction was part Operation Blue Hen—a prolonged campaign between March and September, 2018 by the ATF to remove illegal drugs and guns from Delaware cities.

In total, Operation Blue Hen resulted in

•            15 arrests;

•            The seizure of 9 firearms;

•            The seizure of 768 grams of crack cocaine;

•            The seizure of 864 grams of methamphetamine; and

•            The seizure of 37 grams of heroin.

U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the sentence, “The Defendant repeatedly chose not only to sell heroin, but also worked to illegally arm others with firearms – including an assault rifle.  The substantial sentence imposed sends the message that people who put drugs and guns onto the streets will face serious consequences for their actions.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Wilmington Field Division investigated the case with the assistance from the Dover Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse S. Wenger prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware.  Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 18-CR-96-001-MN.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Subree Waterman, 38, of Wilmington, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark to five years in federal prison for distributing crack cocaine.

According to court documents, over the course of several months between March and June 2018, Waterman distributed crack on at least seven different occasions. Video of one transaction showed Waterman removing 42 grams of crack from plastic baggies, weighing the crack on a digital scale, taking $1,875 in exchange, and smiling and laughing as he counted the money.

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, commented on the sentence, “The Defendant willingly chose to profit from peddling addictive, illegal drugs in our community. Today’s substantial sentence is the product of tireless work with our state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure that Delaware drug dealers face serious consequences for their actions.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Wilmington Field Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Howland prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 19-CR-22-001-LPS.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Christopher Hurd, 33, of Harrington, was sentenced today by the U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard P. Stark to 10 years in prison for his role in conspiracy to distribute furanyl fentanyl.

Between August 30, 2017 and November 9, 2017, Hurd and his co-conspirator ordered furanyl fentanyl, a powerful fentanyl analog, from China on the Dark Web. They then packaged the fentanyl into baggies which they branded with a “predator” stamp and sold the drug on the streets of Harrington, Delaware.  On November 7, 2017, a woman ingested the furanyl fentanyl contained in one of those “predator” branded bags, overdosed on the drug, and died.  When police executed a search warrant at Hurd’s residence, they found additional furanyl fentanyl. 

Fentanyl’s high potency and unpredictable effects continue to lead to victim overdoses and deaths in record numbers in this country.  A very small amount of fentanyl can be lethal. In sentencing Hurd, Chief Judge Stark spoke about the recklessness with which Hurd acted and pointed out that his drug dealing had a devastating consequence.

“We at the Department of Justice seek to reduce the supply of illegal drugs in the United States by aggressively investigating and prosecuting drug traffickers who distribute fentanyl knowing of its deadly effects,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss.  “We are grateful that our state and federal law enforcement partners acted swiftly in this instance to remove this harmful drug from our community and to bring some small measure of justice to the victim’s family.”   

“Hurd was convicted of distributing furanyl fentanyl, a dangerous and incredibly powerful synthetic opioid, that lead to the fatal overdose of a woman in this case,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  “For the drug traffickers that seek to obtain and distribute these dangerous drugs, the penalties are severe.” 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Dover Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen McCartney. 

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No.18-29.

WILMINGTON, Del.  – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that on Monday, September 30, 2019, District Judge Richard G. Andrews sentenced Tae Kim, age 49, of Wayne, Pennsylvania, to an 18-month prison sentence for bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  The Court also ordered Kim to pay mandatory restitution of at least $2,459,150.49, and to serve three years of supervised release following his sentence.

Kim, a former relationship manager (loan officer) for Citibank and WSFS Bank, pleaded guilty in August 2017, to committing bank fraud in connection with loans obtained by one of his customers, Dr. Zahid Aslam.  Kim’s conduct involved allowing Aslam to use third-party nominees to obtain loans on Aslam’s behalf at Citibank and WSFS Bank.  These loans, which Aslam could not have otherwise qualified for on his own, fueled the growth of his medical practices.  Kim acknowledged that he was responsible for additional misconduct, including:  (1) submitting false information about Aslam’s available deposits at Citibank in connection with a loan application at another bank, which was eventually declined; and (2) falsifying the scope of Aslam’s liabilities in connection with multiple loans at WSFS Bank.  Aslam’s loans eventually went into default.  Aslam pleaded guilty, acknowledged making false statements to Citibank and WSFS Bank, and received a sentence of 30 months imprisonment.

In imposing sentence on Kim, Judge Andrews stated that “loan officers at banks are supposed to protect the bank’s interests and act as the first line of defense.”  Instead, defendant Kim was “working for Dr. Aslam, not the banks, when it came to Dr. Aslam’s loans.”  The Court told Kim, “This was a very rewarding relationship for you,” and that there was “a strong element of greed here.”  The Court referenced Kim’s status as a banking professional in noting that a prison sentence was important to place other bankers on notice of the consequences of committing criminal conduct during their employment.  As a result of his criminal conviction, Kim agreed to a bar from working in the banking industry.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated the following, “We couldn’t agree more with the Court that banking professionals have a special responsibility to safeguard the interest of financial institutions in protecting depositor funds.  Here, Mr. Kim placed greed and his own financial needs over prudent banking.  His conduct resulted in significant losses to Citibank and WSFS, for which he was punished appropriately by the Court.  My Office will continue to exercise vigilance in protecting the integrity of the banking system.  I commend the hard work of the agents and prosecutors who helped bring Mr. Kim and Dr. Aslam to justice.”

"The FBI remains committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Delaware to protect our nation’s financial security, to include aggressively pursuing those who defraud our banking institutions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone of the FBI’s Baltimore Division. “This defendant abused his position as a loan officer and will now serve federal jail time for his fraudulent actions.” 

“The IRS Criminal Investigation stands ready to partner with all law enforcement agencies to combat fraud against financial institutions,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “Those considering similar behavior should be aware of the steep penalties, which often include jail time.”

The case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Office and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission – Office of Inspector General.

WILMINGTON, Del. – A Smyrna woman was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika to 18 months in prison for defrauding the U.S. Social Security Administration (“SSA”) of more than $175,000.

According to court documents, Deborah Vaughn, 63, spent over a decade collecting fraudulent Social Security funds intended for her deceased mother-in-law. Each month for twelve years, the SSA deposited approximately $1,100 into a bank account belonging to Vaughn’s mother-in-law. Vaughn, who was a joint-user on the bank account, fraudulently accessed and withdrew the money—knowing that her mother-in-law, the rightful beneficiary of the Social Security funds, had died in 2006.  When the SSA contacted Vaughn in 2013 and again in 2018, Vaughn repeatedly lied, including pretending to be her deceased mother-in-law, to ensure that the Social Security deposits would continue.

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, commented on the sentence: “By defrauding the government, Vaughn’s conduct subverted the purpose of the SSA: to provide a safety net for vulnerable individuals in our society. The Court’s sentence reflects the seriousness of fraud against the government and should serve as a warning to those inclined to lie and cheat to obtain Social Security payments they do not deserve.”

“I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support in bringing this individual to justice and recovering funds for Social Security,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “We will continue to work closely with SSA and other agencies to identify beneficiary deaths and pursue those who misuse those payments after someone dies.”

SSA’s Office of the Inspector General investigated this case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Howland prosecuted it.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Criminal Action No. 19-cr-63-MN.

WILMINGTON, Del. – This afternoon, a federal jury convicted Donte Jacobs of distributing and conspiring to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin that resulted in the death of a 26-year-old woman. Jacobs faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison as a result of his conviction. 

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jacobs, of New Castle County, had a longstanding agreement to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl-laced heroin with others in the region.  By the end of June 2016, Jacobs was distributing fentanyl-laced heroin packaged with a “BUTTER” stamp on it.  On June 28, 2016, one of Jacobs’ sub-distributors sold those “BUTTER”- stamped drugs to the victim, whose identity is listed in court documents as T.A.  Hours later, in New Garden Township, Pennsylvania, the victim used those drugs and died from a fentanyl overdose.  Toxicology records showed that T.A. had 26 ng/ml of fentanyl in her blood stream when she died.  Testimony at trial showed that this was clearly a lethal amount. 

Members of what is now the Southern Chester County Police Department worked with the DEA to investigate T.A.’s death.  They first arrested the sub-distributor who directly sold the “BUTTER” bags of fentanyl-laced heroin to T.A. Officers then recorded a conversation between that sub-distributor and Jacobs, wherein Jacobs acknowledged his involvement in distributing the “BUTTER”-stamped drugs.  During the call, Jacobs also explained to his sub-distributor how people, “OD on Fentanyl” and how fentanyl and heroin were causing people to “die every day.”

United States Attorney David C. Weiss stated, “The message from this verdict is simple.  If you knowingly sell a substance that may contain fentanyl and that substance causes death, we will hold you accountable.  In this case, for the Defendant, that means that he will spend at least the next 20 years in jail.”

"Drug-trafficking is an inherently dangerous and risky business.  This same risk will now lead Jacobs to spend at least the next 20 years of his life in federal prison," said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  "For the drug-traffickers like Jacobs that seek to sell this poison that is destroying our communities, the penalties are severe."  

At the conclusion of the trial, Jacobs also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm that was found during the course of the investigation.  Sentencing for all of these offenses is currently set for January 10, 2020.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, other statutory factors, and the applicable twenty year mandatory minimum sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe and Jesse S. Wenger prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 01:19-cr-094.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Mark Consiglio, 49, of Elsmere, Delaware was sentenced today in federal court in Delaware for his role in detonating a pipe bomb at a home in Elsmere, Delaware. 

According to court documents and statements made in open court, Consiglio detonated a pipe bomb at his estranged wife’s residence in the early morning hours of March 12, 2018 before fleeing the scene.  The pipe bomb was thrown at the living room window and bounced back after damaging the window. The pipe bomb then exploded in the front yard of the residence.  Two occupants were home at the time of the pipe bomb explosion, one of whom was in the living room.  Shrapnel from the explosion was found inside the living room. 

After conducting a search warrant at Consiglio’s house, four more pipe bombs were recovered as well as a .38 caliber revolver; materials used to make a pipe bomb, including PVC, fuse wire, ball bearings, and gunpowder; a World War II-era flare launcher that had been modified to accept 9mm ammunition; and a book titled “CIA improvised sabotage devices” that was dog-eared to the page on “incendiary devices.”  At the time he set off the pipe bomb, Consiglio was already facing state charges for threatening to kill his wife.  The government’s court filings noted that Consiglio had a history of violence and threats of violence both toward his estranged wife and other members of the community. 

In sentencing Consiglio to 105 months of prison, Judge Andrews noted Consiglio’s history of violence and stated, “During his entire adult life Defendant has threatened and assaulted others.” The statutory maximum sentence for the offense was 10 years of imprisonment.    

U.S. Attorney Weiss commented, “The defendant’s brazen and violent act was intended to harm and terrorize.  Only sheer luck prevented anyone from being injured or killed. We will continue to prosecute violent criminals to the fullest extent of the law in an effort to make our streets and communities safer.  We are thankful to our federal and state partners for their hard work in investigating this case.”

“Elsmere residents deserve to live in safe neighborhoods, and we are committed to identifying, investigating, and incarcerating anyone who threatens the safety of these communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “We are proud to see that the thorough work done by our Special Agents and local and state investigative partners has resulted in bringing this violent offender to justice.”

This case was investigated by the ATF Wilmington Field Office in coordination with the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Elsmere Police Department.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the New Castle County Police Department for its assistance.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Ibrahim.

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, unsealed two criminal complaints today charging two men with drug trafficking offenses in Delaware.  Both men are detained pending further proceedings.

According to statements at the press conference and court documents, Julian Rivera-Villa, age 56, and Ricardo Perez-Guillen, age 40, of Gloucester City, New Jersey were charged in federal court in Wilmington last week in connection with sales of fentanyl-laced fake Oxycodone pills in Delaware.  Perez-Guillen was arrested after selling a kilogram of heroin and 600 fake Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in New Castle, Delaware.  Rivera-Villa was arrested outside the residence he shared with Perez-Guillen in Gloucester City, New Jersey. A subsequent search of that residence yielded approximately 7 additional kilograms of heroin; 3 kilograms of cocaine; 14,000 fake Oxycodone pills that tested positive for the presence of fentanyl and over $28,000 in cash.   Law enforcement also seized another 2 kilograms of heroin from a car registered to Perez-Guillen.  Those kilograms of heroin were hidden in traps located behind the car’s rear seats. 

The arrests and drug seizures are the result of a long-term investigation into fentanyl and heroin trafficking in Delaware by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA”) Wilmington Resident Office Tactical Diversion Squad and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”) Group 41. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is in excess of $1 million.    

U.S. Attorney Weiss noted that this was the largest federal seizure of heroin and fake Oxycodone pills by Delaware law enforcement in recent memory, stating: “Thousands of fentanyl-laced pills and over 1.4 million doses of heroin have been taken out of the hands of those who would seek to profit from illegally distributing these poisons to our communities. Fake Oxycodone pills such as those seized here are especially dangerous, because the pills actually contain fentanyl, a dangerous—and potentially deadly—synthetic opioid.”

Both Rivera-Villa and Perez-Guillen are charged with distribution of fentanyl and face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad and HIDTA Group 41 are comprised of investigators from Middletown Police Department, Newark Police Department, New Castle County Police Department, Delaware Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement, Delaware State Police, Maryland State Police, Wilmington Police Department, Delaware Probation and Parole, Newport Police Department, and the University of Delaware Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Ibrahim.

The DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware also wish to thank Homeland Security Investigations, Immigrations & Customs Enforcement, Camden, New Jersey DEA-HIDTA, and the Camden County Sherriff’s SERT team for their assistance.   

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case Nos 19-MJ-231 and 19-MJ-232.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.