Southern District of Georgia

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia woman has admitted taking part in a nationwide telemedicine kickback scheme that led to fraudulent Medicare reimbursements for durable medical equipment and genetic testing.

Robin Darnell, known to some of her co-conspirators as “Nurse Robin,” 57, of Dallas, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to an Information charging her with one count of Conspiracy, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The plea agreement subjects Darnell to a possible statutory sentence of up to five years in prison and substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Telemedicine has played an increasingly important role in providing accessible healthcare, particularly during the pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work diligently to identify and shut down those who would attempt to use technology and deceit to defraud taxpayer funded safety net programs.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Darnell admitted that from June 2018 through September 2020, she and other conspirators took part in a nationwide telemedicine kickback scheme in which she recruited physicians and other medical professionals to sign orders for durable medical equipment and genetic testing. Darnell claimed to have a team of nurses who would contact patients to conduct exams via telemedicine on behalf of the physicians, in exchange for the health care professionals ordering medical equipment and expensive genetic testing for those patients. In fact, Darnell had no such team of nurses, despite claiming otherwise to the physicians she recruited. Darnell processed thousands of orders, which Darnell knew contained medical histories, conditions, diagnoses, or examinations that Darnell knew were false. 

Darnell’s conspirators then used these orders to bill Medicare for thousands of dollars each. Medicare beneficiaries were located in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere.

“Telemedicine has become a valuable tool for delivering health services in this time of pandemic. However, bad actors are abusing these tools to commit health care fraud,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “When marketing and so-called telehealth services are misused, alleged violators can expect aggressive investigation and swift prosecution.”

“Darnell took advantage of a system that was set up to help healthcare patients get much-needed government assistance during a pandemic,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Her actions not only affect those patients, but every citizen whose tax dollars support programs like Medicare. The FBI is determined to hold her accountable and anyone who would commit such fraud.”

The Southern District of Georgia has now charged 33 defendants as part of the nationwide crackdown on fraudulent genetic testing, and prescribing of orthotic braces and pain creams, identifying more than $1.5 billion in losses to Medicare and Medicaid for defendants charged in the Southern District alone.

This investigation is ongoing. As telemedicine becomes an increasing part of our healthcare system, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, vigilance in ensuring that fraud and kickbacks do not usurp the legitimate practice of medicine by electronic means is more important than ever. If you are aware of any fraud or kickbacks relating to telemedicine, including COVID-19 fraud, please call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Porter.

AUGUSTA, GA:  In the first post-pandemic jury trial held in the Southern District of Georgia, a previously convicted felon has been found guilty on gun and drug charges.

Michael Venetez McRae, 36, of Augusta, was found guilty after a two-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall on charges of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Cocaine, said Acting David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The conviction exposes McRae to a possible statutory penalty of more than 10 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“During the precautionary partial shutdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, our office and our law enforcement partners continued to investigate and prosecute cases in the Southern District,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “As key health indicators have improved, we welcome the return of jury trials as a vital part of the judicial process.”

The first jury in the Southern District to meet since the March 2020 start of COVID-19 restrictions found McRae guilty on all counts of the September 2019 indictment in which he was charged. Jurors deliberated for less than 30 minutes to convict McRae, who acted as his own attorney during the trial.

Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested McRae on Jan. 5, 2019, during a call for a domestic disturbance at an Augusta residence. Deputies found McRae in possession of a bag of powder cocaine and a bag of “crack” cocaine, along with a loaded magazine and a .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol. As a previously convicted felon, McRae is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.    

McRae will be sentenced at a later date.

The case was investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara M. Lyons and Jennifer A. Stanley, with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos.  

AUGUSTA, GA:  A U.S. Army soldier training at Fort Gordon has admitted to possessing child pornography.

Bryan S. Stills, 26, of Fort Gordon, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The plea subjects Stills to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and substantial financial penalties, followed by a period of supervised release of five years to life. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Identifying and removing child predators is an important part of keeping our communities safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “We applaud our law enforcement partners for their continued efforts to find those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our society.”

As described in court documents and testimony, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted investigators from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) after detecting child pornography being saved to an email account. Investigators identified the source as Stills, a Private Second Class in training at Fort Gordon with the 369th Signal Battalion, and in an October 2019 search of his living quarters seized electronic devices with hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.

Stills is in custody while awaiting sentencing.

“U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command will continue to actively pursue soldiers who engage in this heinous crime regardless of where they are in the world,” said Edward LaBarge, Director of the Major Cybercrime Unit, U.S. Army CID.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Three defendants face felony firearms charges after indictment by a U.S. District Court grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia. 

The cases are being investigated in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with charges related to illegal possession or purchase of firearms.

“A key factor in reducing gun violence is to get firearms out of the hands of people who are prohibited from possessing them,” said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Our collaboration with the ATF and other law enforcement partners will help make our communities safer.”

In the past three years, more than 670 defendants were federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a previous felony. The charge carries a statutory penalty upon conviction of up to 10 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

Defendants named in federal indictments from the May 2021 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Tareem Burgess, 39, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, in reference to a prior conviction for domestic violence;
• Jakobian Sentell Jones, 20, of Warrenton, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Jerry Allen Edenfield, 30, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

These cases also are being investigated under the Prosecutor to Prosecutor Program (P3), in which federal and state prosecutors collaborate to determine the most appropriate venue for adjudication of alleged crimes.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF; the Georgia State Patrol; the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office; and the Swainsboro Police Department.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Project Guardian Coordinator Henry W. Syms Jr.; Alejandro V. Pascual IV; and Joseph McCool.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Burke County man who admitted to operating an illegal pill factory has been sentenced to prison, and his codefendant also has pled guilty.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall sentenced Telly Savalas Carswell, 47, of Midville, Ga., to 168 months in prison after Carswell pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.  After completion of his prison term, Carswell will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Carswell’s codefendant, Cedrick Gabriel Brown, a/k/a “Pop,” 47, also of Midville, awaits sentencing after also pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine.

“Drug traffickers like Carswell and Brown prey on rural communities, spreading poison for profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Vigilant law enforcement makes our neighborhoods safer when it identifies and shuts down these illegal markets.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation of Carswell and Brown in January 2020 after tracking the delivery of a commercial pill press to their residence. With assistance from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, DEA agents searched the home on May 7, 2020, and found the pill press, along with methamphetamine, heroin and other drugs; nearly $9,000 in cash; and paraphernalia related to drug manufacturing and trafficking.

Both Carswell and Brown have extensive criminal records, including state convictions for drug trafficking offenses.

“DEA and its law enforcement partners worked jointly to shut down the drug trafficking activities of this poisonous pill peddler,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Mr. Carswell’s drug trafficking activities posed a significant threat to the quality of life in the Burke County community and his sentencing makes this community a safer place today.”

The case is being investigated by the DEA and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Josephson. 

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A convicted felon and gang member faces substantial additional time in federal prison after admitting he threatened a witness and a federal judge.

Wilbert Stephens, 29, of Brunswick, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence and Mailing Threatening Communications, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Stephens’ guilty plea subjects him to a statutory sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison and substantial financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Less than a year ago, Wilbert Stephens was sentenced to 10 years in prison on a firearms charge related to a drug trafficking investigation, and rather than accept responsibility for his criminal behavior, he sought to retaliate against those who held him accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “He’ll now learn that his actions will keep him behind bars for a very long time – and our community will be safer as a result.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Stephens was indicted in U.S. District Court in 2018 along with 23 other defendants as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy. He later pled guilty to an Information charging him with Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon and was sentenced in June 2020 to 10 years in prison. While being held in the Glynn County Detention Center awaiting transfer to federal prison, Stephens contacted a fellow member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang to solicit retaliation against a witness, and wrote and mailed a letter in which he threatened a federal judge.  

Stephens remains in custody awaiting sentencing.

“Stephens’ death threats against a witness and a judge show his complete lack of remorse for the crimes he was convicted of,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “If there is anything positive to come from his actions, it’s that he will stay in prison and off our community’s streets for a much, much longer time.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man has admitted he distributed child pornography from inside a state prison transitional center after serving a sentence for failing to register as a sex offender.

Melton Andrew Padgett Jr., 47, of Savannah, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The plea subjects Padgett to a possible statutory sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison, along with substantial financial penalties, followed by a period of supervised release of five years to life.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“This defendant is a shocking example of a child predator who shared videos of child exploitation even as his sentence for a previous offense was nearing its end,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to be vigilant in removing such criminals from our community.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Georgia’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in March 2020 received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that led investigators to Padgett. In his guilty plea, Padgett admitted sharing videos of child exploitation through a social media messaging service. At the time Padgett shared these images of child pornography Padgett was completing a state term of imprisonment and was being housed in the Coastal Transitional Center in Savannah.  Padgett has prior convictions for child molestation and failing to register as a sex offender.

“This predator has not gotten the message that he cannot continue to prey upon our children or share these disturbing images with others involved in this depravity,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Cases like this strengthen the resolve and the commitment that HSI and its law enforcement partners have to protect our children and our communities.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A former federal training officer has admitted assaulting a fellow Customs and Border Protection employee at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Glynco, Ga.

Roberto Baptiste, 37, of Brunswick, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to an Information charging him with Assault on a Federal Officer or Employee, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and financial penalties of up to $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.

“All workers have a right to do their jobs without fear of harassment or assault,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “This prosecution sends a clear message that such violations will not be tolerated.”

As described in the plea agreement accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, Baptiste admitted that on Nov. 5, 2018, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers near Brunswick, he “forcibly assaulted, intimidated, and interfered with” a fellow Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employee.

A sentencing date has not yet been set.

“DHS employees are held to the highest standards of professional conduct,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, “There is no place among the dedicated professionals of DHS for individuals who cannot respect the law or their colleagues.”

The case was Investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Joshua S. Bearden.

AUGUSTA, GA:  An Augusta man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to steal hospitality services by claiming to be part of a famed rap group.

Walker Washington, 53, of Augusta, was sentenced to 100 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Washington also was ordered to pay nearly $300,000 to 19 businesses defrauded in the scheme, and must serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Co-defendant Aaron Barnes-Burpo, 29, of Crestview, Fla., previously was sentenced to 84 months in prison after also pleading guilty, and also must pay restitution to the businesses victimized in the scheme.

“These two flim-flam artists and their phony entourage lived large for several weeks by scamming hospitality providers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend the skeptical hotel clerk who saw through the scam and alerted law enforcement, bringing this scheme to a halt.”  

In court documents and testimony, Washington and Barnes-Burpo admitted that they falsely portrayed themselves as affiliated with the Roc Nation production company and the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan as early as September 2019, and used those fictitious representations along with fraudulent and stolen credit cards to rent luxury limousines and defraud hotels, caterers and production studios of thousands of dollars in goods and services in multiple cities, primarily in the Southeast.

The scam unraveled Nov. 21, 2019, when staff at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Augusta became suspicious and alerted the FBI and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

“These two scammers will have plenty of time to figure out if their few weeks of unearned fame was worth several years in prison,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “With this sentence, law enforcement and the victims of their scam, have spoken loudly that we won’t tolerate anyone who takes anything they do not earn or deserve.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and other state and local authorities, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Grovetown, Ga., man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after admitting to possession of child pornography.

Johnathan Malone, 23, of Grovetown, was sentenced to 68 months in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Acting U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. He also was ordered to pay a total of $21,000 in restitution to victims in the case. After completion of his prison sentence, Malone will be required to serve 25 years of supervised release, and register as a sex offender.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Protection of our most vulnerable citizens is essential for a safe and secure society,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners perform outstanding work in monitoring cyber networks to protect children from exploitation – and hold accountable those who do them harm.”

As described in court documents and testimony, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that led to the execution of several search warrants. Agents found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on devices belonging to Malone.  

“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent child victims of online exploitation,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds. “We are grateful for the relationships we maintain with our federal partner agencies to bring these offenders to justice.”

The cases were investigated by the GBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara Lyons.

USA v. McMichael et al - indictment CR221-022 USA v. McMichael et al - indictment CR221-022 USA v. McMichael et al - penalty cert CR221-022 WASHINGTON - Three Georgia men were indicted today by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia and charged with hate crimes and the attempted kidnapping of Ahmaud Arbery. The indictment also charges two of the men with separate counts of using firearms during that crime of violence.

Travis McMichael, 35; Travis’s father, Gregory McMichael, 65; and William “Roddie” Bryan, 51, were each charged with one count of interference with rights and with one count of attempted kidnapping. Travis and Gregory McMichael were also charged with one count each of using, carrying, and brandishing—and in Travis’s case, discharging—a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Counts One and Two of the indictment allege that the defendants used force and threats of force to intimidate and interfere with Arbery’s right to use a public street because of his race.  Specifically, Count One of the indictment alleges that as Arbery was running on a public street in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia, Travis and Gregory McMichael armed themselves with firearms, got into a truck, and chased Arbery through the public streets of the neighborhood while yelling at him, using their truck to cut off his route, and threatening him with firearms.  Count One also alleges that the offense resulted in Arbery’s death.  Count Two alleges that William “Roddie” Bryan joined the chase and used his truck to cut off Arbery’s route. 

In addition to the hate-crime charges, Count Three alleges that all three defendants attempted to unlawfully seize and confine Arbery by chasing after him in their trucks in an attempt to restrain him, restrict his free movement, corral and detain him against his will, and prevent his escape.  Counts Four and Five allege that during the course of the crime of violence charged in Count One, Travis used, carried, brandished, and discharged a Remington shotgun, and Gregory used, carried, and brandished a .357 Magnum revolver. 

All three defendants have also been charged in a separate state proceeding with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony.  No trial date has been set for the state case.

The announcement was made by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Civil Rights Division, Acting United States Attorney David Estes of the Southern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge J.C. Hacker of the FBI.

This case was investigated by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tara Lyons of the Southern District of Georgia, and Deputy Chief Bobbi Bernstein and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.

An indictment is a formal accusation of conduct, not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

STATESBORO, GA:  Two Vidalia, Ga., men who played key roles in an expansive, gang-related drug trafficking ring in middle Georgia each have been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison.

Justin Adams, a/k/a “Ace,” 40, of Vidalia, and Andre Jackson, a/k/a “Dre,” 31, of Vidalia, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, said Acting U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. Adams was sentenced to 165 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, while Jackson was sentenced to 188 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Adams, a regional leader in the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang, was sentenced as an armed career criminal after pleading guilty to Distribution of Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jackson pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine, and Quantities of Marijuana and Cocaine.

“These sentences represent significant milestones in the prosecution of Operation Ace in the Hole, a multi-agency investigation disrupting a major source of illegal drugs and guns in the greater Toombs County area,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “The community is much safer with these defendants behind bars.”

Operation Ace in the Hole, whose name was derived from Adams’ alias, was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation initiated in August 2018 in response to increasing levels of gang violence and drug-related activities in the Vidalia area. Investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), working with federal and local law enforcement agencies, identified Deltinaud Toussaint, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Tino,” a/k/a “Tino Black,” 44, of Vidalia, as the primary supplier of the organization’s narcotics – including methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA or “Ecstasy,” and marijuana – through connections in Atlanta.

In June 2019, investigators executed search warrants at eight houses used for stashing or distributing narcotics in Atlanta and Vidalia, seizing more than two kilos of cocaine, four kilos of marijuana, half a kilo of methamphetamine, more than two kilos of MDMA, pints of Codeine, 600 grams of Xanax, pill presses, and surveillance equipment. The drugs were hidden in such items as children’s backpacks and baby-formula bottles. Investigators also seized 20 firearms, including a fully automatic machine gun and several assault-style rifles, a trove of gang-related documents, and nearly $50,000 in cash.

The investigation culminated in a sealed, 61-count federal indictment returned in January 2020 with 26 defendants charged.

Including Adams, Jackson, and Toussaint, 22 of the 26 defendants have entered guilty pleas; 12 of them have been sentenced, with terms of up to 141 months in prison. Toussaint is among seven defendants awaiting sentencing, while three defendants are awaiting trial. One defendant, Torey Johnny Lee Washington, a/k/a “Fool,” 40, of Vidalia, is a fugitive.

“Illegal guns and drugs have no place in Georgia. They are dangerous and threaten the safety of our communities,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the GBI. “We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.” 

“These sentences reinforce our strong commitment to dismantle gangs that plague our communities with drugs, guns and violence, and threaten the safety of the citizens who live in them,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Toombs County residents can take comfort in these two sentences, and many more to follow, that will keep this predatory gang off their streets.”

“These violent, gang-related drug dealers can no longer peddle poison in Vidalia, Ga., and the surrounding community,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Field Division. “These dangerous drugs cause immeasurable damage to communities, but DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting these communities. Both defendants will serve well-deserved time in prison.”

‘This case is the product of a concerted collaborative effort on the part of ATF and its local partners to target, investigate, and eliminate the perpetrators of violent crime,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The OCDETF case was investigated by the ATF, the DEA, the FBI, the GBI, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, the Lyons Police Department, the Oconee Drug Task Force, and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph McCool. And E. Greg Gilluly Jr.

An indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia has been unsealed charging two businesses and nine of their officers and managers located across the country for their roles in an alleged conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and commit various fraud and criminal immigration offenses for profit.

According to court documents, Regal Hospitality Solutions, LLC; Educational World, Inc.; Karen Makaryan, 42, Sargis Makaryan, 42, and Samvel Nikoghosyan, 40, of Destrehan, La.; Artur Grigoryan, 38, of Biloxi, Miss.; Armen Ayrapetyan, 37, of Duluth, Ga.; Jason Hill, 28, of Virginia Beach, Va.; Fremie Balbastro, 49, of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; and Larisa Khariton, 73, and Jon Clark, 71, of North Port, Fla., were charged in a 36-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on April 8. Each defendant was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States, including encouraging and inducing an alien to reside in the United States, alien harboring, transporting aliens, and visa fraud.  Each defendant also was charged with substantive counts of encouraging and inducing an alien to reside in the United States, alien harboring, and transportation of aliens. In addition, Regal Hospitality Solutions, LLC; Karen Makaryan; Sargis Makaryan; Samvel Nikoghosyan; Artur Grigoryan; Armen Ayrapetyan; Fremie Balbastro; and Jason Hill were also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud.

“The defendants in this case allegedly engaged in an expansive conspiracy to enrich themselves by exploiting both the immigration system and noncitizen workers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Systemic fraud and abuse of U.S. visa programs and processes designed to protect American workers and businesses will not be tolerated, and offenders will be held accountable.” 

“Hospitality venues often struggle with finding workers, and in recent years that has been an even greater challenge,” said Acting U.S. Attorney David H. Estes for the Southern District of Georgia. “Agencies that provide workers can be exceptionally helpful in such circumstances – but they must provide that assistance in accordance with the law. In this case, businesses in St. Simons Island were among those allegedly exploited along with the illegally provided workers.”

“The Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange,” said Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Smolich of the U.S. Department of State, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. “When bad actors corrupt these programs for personal gain, it not only diminishes an important tool of diplomacy, it harms the thousands of individuals who participate in these programs hoping to gain skills and experience to make a better life. Today we took a step forward in restoring integrity back to those programs.”

“These defendants’ alleged scheme to game the immigration system and defraud the government has backfired and they will now be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Georgia and Alabama. “Schemes like this not only exploit the noncitizen workers involved, they also damage the other legitimate businesses in the community. Protecting the integrity of the visa program and immigration system is vital to the security of our nation.”

According to the indictment, from an unknown date through at least May 2017, the individual defendants enriched themselves by participating in a scheme to recruit and hire noncitizen laborers without authorization to work for defendant Regal Hospitality Solutions, LLC (RHS). RHS allegedly entered into contracts to provide hospitality-related businesses with lawful laborers to work in housekeeping, retail, and food service positions. To fill those positions, RHS defendants hired noncitizens who were not authorized to work for RHS in the United States. In some cases, the RHS defendants arranged for and provided housing and transportation to the workers.

The defendants and other co-conspirators also allegedly encouraged and induced noncitizen laborers on expiring and expired J-1 exchange visitor visas to obtain B-2 tourist visas and to work in the United States for RHS, knowing that employing such laborers on B-2 visas was illegal. Educational World, Inc. (Ed World) – a visa preparation company –  and the Ed World defendants, after charging noncitizen laborers approximately $650 per application, prepared and submitted applications for B-2 visas on behalf of the workers, which contained false and misleading statements designed to indicate that the noncitizens intended to obtain the B-2 visa for the purpose of engaging in tourism and that the noncitizens were complying with United States immigration laws. In fact, the Ed World defendants knew that those noncitizens were already present in and intended to stay in the United States for employment, not tourism.

The indictment further alleges that the Ed World defendants submitted petitions for H-2B temporary work visas that contained false and misleading information about the location where noncitizen laborers allegedly were to be employed. RHS paid a commission to Ed World for noncitizens Ed World recruited to work for RHS, including those who were not authorized to work for RHS in the United States.

According to the indictment, RHS and the RHS defendants also made false and misleading representations that RHS would staff positions at the hospitality establishments contracting with RHS only with laborers who were legally authorized to work for RHS in the United States.

Individual defendants have made their initial court appearances and the arraignment of all defendants will be scheduled before U.S. Magistrate Judge Benjamin W. Cheesbro of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. If convicted, the individual defendants face maximum potential statutory penalties of five years in prison on the count of conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States; 10 years in prison on the counts of encouraging and inducing an alien to reside in the United States, alien harboring, and transportation of aliens; and 20 years in prison on the counts of wire fraud conspiracy and substantive wire fraud. The organizational defendants are subject to a maximum fine on each count of conviction of $500,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss resulting from the offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General is investigating the case with assistance provided by HSI and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Trial Attorneys Frank Rangoussis and John-Alex Romano of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro V. Pascual IV of the Southern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

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

BRUNSWICK, GA:  Two former employees of a nursing and personal care facility have been sentenced after admitting to a scheme in which they stole and resold prescription drugs.

Rochella Ellison, 48, of Townsend, Ga., and Nadia Gibson, 38, of Jacksonville, Fla., each were sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Alprazolam, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Ellison was sentenced today (Thursday, April 15), while Gibson was sentenced in March.

“All too often, the source of illegally-sold drugs in the community – including dangerously addictive opioids – starts with pilferage of medicine supplies at healthcare facilities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “We applaud the work of our law enforcement partners in tracking down and interrupting the sources of illegal drug supplies, no matter where they’re found.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Ellison and Gibson both were employed at a Brunswick, Ga., nursing home and senior living facility, where Ellison worked as a guest services representative, and Gibson as a licensed practical nurse. From as early as Dec. 2019 until early 2020, the two, and others, conspired to steal drugs from patient supplies and resell them for shared profit.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Brunswick Police Department, and Glynn County Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation after an internal review at the facility discovered the missing drugs. Ellison and Gibson were indicted on federal charges in May 2020.

“The distribution of pain pills for non-medical reasons continues to be a major concern,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “Consequently, DEA and its law enforcement partners will continue to target those who traffic these addictive and sometimes deadly pain medications.”

The case was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson and Mary Sue Robichaux.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Four defendants face felony charges including illegal firearms possession after indictment by a U.S. District Court grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia. 

The cases are being investigated in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). All of the defendants are prohibited from possessing firearms.

“Along with our law enforcement partners, we will vigorously enforce existing laws to keep guns from the hands of those who are prohibited from possessing them,” said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We especially applaud our continued collaboration with the ATF.”

In the past three years, more than 665 defendants were federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a previous felony. The charge carries a statutory penalty upon conviction of up to 10 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

Those named in federal indictments from the April 2021 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Donald Lorenzo Evans Jr., 43, of Augusta, charged with Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, in reference to a prior conviction for domestic violence;
• Matthew James Gordon, 26, of Savannah, charged with Possession of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Kevin James Allen, 42, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• King Coney, 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

 

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

In addition to these indictments, convicted felon Jonah Robert Schafner, 33, of Grovetown, was indicted on one count of Escape from Custody. On March 9, Schafner was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Augusta to 108 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. The new indictment alleges that after his sentencing hearing, Schafner escaped from the Jefferson County Jail while he was awaiting transfer to federal prison. He was taken into custody four days later in Columbia County, and if convicted of Escape faces an additional sentence of up to five years in prison.

These cases also were investigated under the Prosecutor to Prosecutor Program (P3), in which federal and state prosecutors collaborate to determine the most appropriate venue for adjudication of alleged crimes.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF; Savannah Police Department; the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Project Guardian Coordinator Henry W. Syms; Jennifer A. Stanley; Joseph McCool; and Marcela C. Mateo.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Two former soldiers have been indicted in U.S. District Court alleging a murder conspiracy after another soldier was found dead in his barracks room in June 2020.

In a newly unsealed federal indictment, Byron Booker, 28, of Ludowici, Ga., and Jordan Brown, 21, of St. Marys, Ga., are charged in the death of Specialist Austin J. Hawk, 24, at Fort Stewart Military Reservation, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Booker is charged with Premeditated Murder, and Murder of a Member of the U.S. Uniformed Services. In addition, both Booker and Brown are charged with Felony Murder; Conspiracy to Commit Assault Upon a Member of the U.S. Uniformed Services and to Commit Burglary; Assault Upon a Member of the U.S. Uniformed Services; Burglary; Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; and Retaliation Against a Witness. The statutory penalty for each of the murder charges upon conviction is death, or mandatory life in prison.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“It is a high priority for our office to pursue justice for members of the military who are victims of violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and other law enforcement partners for their tireless and detailed work on this case.”

The 21-page indictment alleges that Booker and Brown conspired to commit the offenses against Hawk in retaliation for Hawk reporting Booker to U.S. Army leadership for “poor leadership, poor military performance, and maltreatment of subordinates” prior to Booker’s discharge from the U.S. Army, and in retaliation for Hawk reporting Brown for drug use during his service.

The indictment further alleges that Booker and Brown discussed “silencing” Hawk, and discussed Brown providing Booker with a key to access Hawk’s room. The indictment alleges that Booker drove from his home on or about June 17, 2020, to Fort Stewart, and entered the installation on foot before walking approximately one mile to Hawk’s barracks. The indictment then alleges that Booker killed Hawk by “stabbing, cutting, and slashing” him with an edged weapon, and that afterward Booker disposed of the clothing and shoes he was wearing at the time.

Booker has been in custody since June 18, 2020; Brown was taken into custody after a U.S. District Court grand jury returned the indictment during its April 2021 term. Both defendants await further legal proceedings.  

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI are investigating the case, which is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Frank Pennington, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.

BRUNSWICK, GA: The final sentence of seven defendants in the April 2018 illegal entry and vandalism of Submarine Base Kings Bay draws to a close three years of investigation and criminal prosecution.

Mark Peter Colville, 59, of New Haven, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 21 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $33,503.51 in restitution, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Colville, along with six other defendants, was found guilty after a four-day jury trial in October 2019 on charges of Conspiracy, Destruction of Property on a Naval Installation, Depredation of Government Property, and Trespass. Colville was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence.

“Mark Colville’s sentence brings closure to a prosecution that represents the triumph of the rule of law over misguided principles,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Colville and his attention-seeking cohorts attempted to make a grand statement by breaking into and vandalizing a secure government facility, but in the end succeeded only in adding felony convictions to their criminal records.”

As admitted by the defendants during their trial, Colville was among seven co-conspirators who cut a padlock from the gate of an outer security fence at the naval installation in St. Marys, Ga., late in the evening April 4, 2018. Once through the security fence, the trespassers split into two groups and then damaged and vandalized property inside the facility before being taken into custody by naval security personnel.

Colville has a long history of arrests, including eight criminal convictions related to trespassing and damaging government property.

The six other defendants in the case previously were sentenced for their participation in the illegal activities, including Stephen Michael Kelly, 72, of Massachusetts; Patrick O’Neill, 65, of Garner, N.C.; Elizabeth McAlister, 81, of New London, Conn.; Clare Therese Grady, 62, of Ithaca, N.Y.; Martha Hennessy, 65, of Perkinsville, Vt.; and Carmen Trotta, 58, of New York, N.Y.

The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karl Knoche, E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Channell Singh, with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos. The investigation was conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man will spend nearly eight years in federal prison after admitting to a carjacking that left the vehicle crashed and the defendant in the hospital.

Jaquan Shakur Singleton, 26, of Savannah, was sentenced to 94 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Vehicle, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore also ordered Singleton to pay $9,652.82 in restitution, and to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Two of Jaquan Singleton’s siblings died as a result of gun violence, yet that knowledge didn’t deter him from committing violent gun crime on his own,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “The community will now be a safer place while he is behind bars, contemplating the bad choices that put him there.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Singleton pointed a handgun at a motorist in a Savannah parking lot in February 2018, stealing the victim’s car and driving away. A short time later, Singleton crashed the vehicle in Hardeeville, S.C., and after being treated at a hospital was taken into custody.

“This kind of threat to any citizen is unacceptable and will be investigated and prosecuted,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “With the help of the Savannah Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Georgia, Singleton will be punished to the fullest extent of our laws.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Columbus man who crisscrossed Georgia while committing a series of robberies has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

Lawrence Dominique Franklin, 37, of Columbus, Ga., was sentenced to 240 months in prison by U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. after pleading guilty to Armed Bank Robbery, Bank Robbery, and Interference with Commerce by Robbery, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Franklin will be required to serve five years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“A previously convicted armed robber, Lawrence Franklin had been out of prison for barely four months before he took up a weapon and threatened store clerks and bank employees in multiple violent robberies across Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners did an outstanding job in identifying Franklin and bringing him to justice, once again removing this menace from our streets.”

“In the course of a week, Lawrence Franklin charted a path of violence and mayhem from one end of Georgia to the other,” said Kurt R. Erskine, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “Thankfully, quick and collaborative action on the state and federal levels led to the defendant’s capture and has brought him to justice.”

“This violent criminal will be imprisoned for many years, without parole, where he will no longer be able to threaten our communities,” said Peter D. Leary, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “I commend our federal, state and local law enforcement officers for tracking this defendant across the state and bringing him to justice.”

As described in court, documents, and testimony, Franklin was released in July 2019 after serving more than 11 years in state prison for armed robbery. He then began a violent crime spree that started November 25, 2019, when he entered a Wells Fargo Bank in Columbus, Ga. wearing a construction worker vest, pointed a gun at the manager and threatened to “blast” several bank employees. Before departing, he stole thousands of dollars from multiple teller stations.

Three days later, again wearing a construction worker vest, he robbed a Dollar General store in Savannah, forced an employee to open the store safe, and fled with a large amount of cash. The next day, he robbed a Wells Fargo Bank in Newnan, Ga., again by revealing a gun from underneath a construction worker vest and threatening to shoot bank employees.

Franklin told law enforcement officials that, to facilitate his crimes, he kidnapped a woman and threatened to hurt her children unless she drove him from one robbery to the next and helped him escape.

Within three days of the Newnan robbery, Franklin was arrested in Atlanta. After grand juries returned separate federal indictments for the robberies, the cases were consolidated for plea and sentencing in the Southern District of Georgia.

“Franklin decided to continue his life of crime even after serving nearly a dozen years in prison,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “He clearly did not learn his lesson and continued to terrorize innocent civilians who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully, those victims are able to take some comfort in the fact that he is going back to prison and won't be a threat to them for a long time.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, Savannah Police Department, Columbus Police Department, Newnan Police Department, and Atlanta Police Department.  It is being prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia; by Northern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg; and by Middle District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Williams.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A former federal prison inmate has been sentenced to another prison term for helping destroy evidence in the murder of the wife of a Fort Stewart soldier.

Devin Ryan, 30, of Hardeeville, S.C., was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after pleading guilty to Use of Fire in Commission of a Federal Felony, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Ryan will be required to pay $26,475.16 in restitution, and after completion of his prison term, he must serve three years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Devin Ryan helped a cold-blooded murderer destroy evidence in a homicide investigation – and committed the heinous crime while on supervised release from a previous felony conviction,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our communities are safer with him and his co-defendant locked away.”

After months of lying to investigators in an attempt to hide his involvement in the case, Ryan eventually admitted that he assisted Stafon Jamar Davis, 28, of Savannah, in destroying a 2018 Honda Accord. The vehicle belonged to Abree Boykin, 24, a resident of post housing at Fort Stewart Army Reservation and the wife of a deployed U.S. Army soldier.

Davis, who is serving a 700-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to Premeditated Murder and to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, shot Boykin twice as she slept in her apartment on July 9, 2018. To destroy evidence in the case, he enlisted the help of Ryan, whom he had met months earlier while the two were serving prison terms. A few hours after the murder, the two doused the vehicle with gasoline and set it on fire in a remote area of Hardeeville, S.C. The car exploded, and the burned vehicle later was hauled to a salvage yard and ultimately scrapped before investigators could track it down.

“Ryan’s sentence brings to an end a tragic story of cold-blooded murder and an attempted cover-up of a crime by two convicted felons,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Ryan joins his partner in the crime back in prison thanks to a determined investigation by the FBI, Army Criminal Investigation Command and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Georgia.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard, and Middle District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Semales.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Three men face the possibility of substantial terms in federal prison after their indictments stemming from separate child exploitation investigations.

All three men are in custody pending trial following initial appearance hearings in U.S. Magistrate Court, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Those charged are:

• Jasiri Hutchison, 20, of Bulloch and Liberty counties, is charged with Production of Child Pornography; and, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity. The indictment alleges that in April 2019, in Bulloch and Liberty counties and in the state of Connecticut, Hutchison persuaded a minor victim “to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction.” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) leads the investigation in the case, and Hutchison also faces charges in the Middle District of Georgia for Possession of Child Pornography.  
• William Voss, 38, of Waynesboro, Ga., is charged with Possession of Child Pornography, a charge that upon conviction carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The indictment alleges that in May 2020 in Burke County, Voss possessed child pornography. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) leads the investigation in the case.
• Robert Paul Synenberg, 21, of Augusta, is charged with Possession of Child Pornography, a charge that carries upon conviction a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The FBI leads the investigation in the case, which came to agents’ attention after a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in November 2020.

“Our law enforcement partners will work relentlessly to protect our most vulnerable citizens from harm and exploitation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “These indictments demonstrate the continued success of those efforts.”

“It takes great partnerships from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, non-government organizations, and the public to make arrests like these,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will always make it a priority to protect children who can’t protect themselves against people who prey on them.”

“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds. We are grateful for the relationships we maintain with our federal partner agencies.”

“Protecting children from exploitation is one of our most important missions, and we will continue to pursue and arrest these violators to ensure their safety,”  said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

HSI, the FBI and GBI are investigating the cases, which are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Russian national and his engineering company have admitted to charges that they violated U.S. national security laws.

Oleg Vladislavovich Nikitin, general director of KS Engineering (KSE), a St. Petersburg, Russia-based energy company, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to evade U.S. export regulations and to defraud the United States, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge was brought in a third superseding indictment, USA v. World Mining and Oil Supply et. al, alleging Nikitin and his co-defendants conspired to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA).

As a result of the plea entered before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, Nikitin faces up to five years in federal prison and substantial fines and forfeitures, followed by up to three years of supervised release.

“Oleg Nikitin attempted to evade trade sanctions designed to protect the United States from illegal acquisition of industrial equipment by non-aligned powers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “We will maximize the use of our nation’s resources to vigorously defend against those who threaten our national security.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Nikitin and KSE admitted conspiring with others to evade U.S. trade sanctions that prohibited export of equipment that could make “a significant contribution to the military potential or nuclear proliferation of other nations, or that could be detrimental to the foreign police or national security of the United States.”

The conspiracy began when an unnamed Russian government-controlled business contracted with Nikitin and KSE to purchase a power turbine from a U.S.-based manufacturer for approximately $17.3 million. The Russian company intended to use the turbine on a Russian Arctic deepwater drilling platform, expressly prohibited by the U.S. Department of Commerce without first obtaining a license.

Nikitin admitted that he and another KSE employee, Anton Cheremukhin, conspired with Gabrielle Villone and his Italian-based company, GVA International Oil and Gas Services (GVA); and GVA employee Bruno Caparini, to obtain the turbine on their behalf. Villone, Caprini and GVA then employed the services of Dali Bagrou and World Mining and Oil Supply (WMO) of Dacula, Ga., to procure the turbine from a U.S.-based manufacturer and to have the turbine shipped overseas. The parties conspired to conceal the true end user of the turbine from both the U.S. manufacturer and the U.S. government by submitting false documentation that stated it would be used by a U.S. company in and around Atlanta.

Nikitin, Villone, and Bagrou were all arrested in Savannah, Ga., while attempting to complete the illegal transaction. Villone was sentenced in June 2020 to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to the conspiracy. Bagrou remains in custody pending further legal action, and is considered innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

“Special Agents of the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) are committed to bringing sanctions violators, who have willfully chosen to threaten our nation’s security, to justice,” said Ariel Joshua Leinwand, Special Agent in Charge of OEE’s Miami Field Office. “These guilty pleas represent the results of an intensive and collaborative approach with our law enforcement partners to vigorously enforce our nation’s export control laws.”

“The illegal export of technology poses a great danger to the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge, Cynthia A. Bruce, DCIS Southeast Field Office.  “DCIS and our investigative partners will aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who threaten our national security.”

“This was a methodical plan by Nikitin and his partners to undercut United States sanctions and put our goods in the hands of actors that are a direct threat to our national security,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.  “Today’s plea doesn’t mean our work is done. The FBI and our partners will always make threats to our national security a top priority.” 

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection takes great pride in working with our partner government agencies to vigorously enforce U.S. export control laws as part of our overall duties and responsibilities in protecting and preserving our national security,” said Henry DeBlock, Area Port Director for CBP Savannah.  

The Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, as well as the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case with assistance from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Steven H. Lee are prosecuting the case with Trial Attorney William A. Mackie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

STATESBORO, GA:  A Savannah man who concocted a schemed to enrich himself by repeatedly borrowing money against the same pieces of property will go to prison for fraud.

Christopher Grooms, 41, of Savannah, pled guilty to an Information charging him with Wire Fraud. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker sentenced Grooms to 33 months in federal prison, ordered him to pay $1,645,267.95 in restitution, and a forfeiture money judgment totaling $2,937,881.43, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Grooms must serve four years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Financial fraud temporarily enriches criminals at the long-term expense of legitimate businesses,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “As Christopher Grooms discovered, our law enforcement partners are adept at rooting out these schemes, and his ill-conceived investment in criminal activity is returning a dividend of time behind bars.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Grooms operated several real estate investment companies that acquired and resold real estate. From 2013 to 2018, Grooms devised a scheme in which one of his companies would purchase a property using borrowed funds, and he would then falsify documents to show that the lien against the property had been satisfied. He would then secure additional loans against the property, repeatedly filing fraudulent paperwork to show the property was unencumbered by liens.

Grooms used the scheme at least 24 times for nearly $3 million in fraudulent loans from multiple financial institutions. The properties used in the scheme were located in Georgia cities including Savannah, Hinesville, Glennville, Midway and Allenhurst.

“The Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) is committed to holding accountable those who waste, steal, or abuse the resources of the government-sponsored enterprises regulated by FHFA.  We are proud to have partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia in this case,” said Edwin S. Bonano, Special Agent-in-Charge, FHFA-OIG, Southeast Region.

“This sentence should serve as a stark reminder that such greed as seen in this case comes with a bigger cost,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI recognizes the impact on the banking institution and will continue to dedicate investigative resources to target fraud in its many forms.”

“Committing high-level fraud will not be tolerated in Georgia,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Director Vic Reynolds. “The GBI worked hard on this investigation with local and federal partners to bring this case to a successful prosecution.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, the GBI, and the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara M. Lyons and Asset Recovery Unit Chief Xavier A. Cunningham.

STATESBORO, GA:  Two former employees of a Statesboro pediatrics practice have been sentenced to federal prison for stealing money from the business.

Kristen Hart, 37, of Statesboro, and Alisa Brown, 44, of Statesboro, each pled guilty to an Information charging them with Theft or Embezzlement in Connection with Health Care, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall sentenced Hart to 16 months in prison and ordered her to pay $115,550.69 in restitution, and U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker sentenced Brown to 21 months in federal prison and ordered her to pay $239,626.86 in restitution and a fine of $1,000. Each must serve 3 years of supervised release after completion of their prison term, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a significant challenge for small businesses, including health care practices,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “It’s much more difficult when seemingly trustworthy employees treat their jobs as a license to steal.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Hart and Brown were employees of Bulloch Pediatrics Group who used a variety of methods to steal from their employer. Hart, the office manager, began to make personal purchases on the office’s bank cards in 2015 and eventually spent tens of thousands of dollars at various businesses, including Amazon. Brown, a nurse manager who began to steal from her employer in 2013, and Hart also both purchased thousands of dollars in postal money orders which they would then convert to their own use without their employer’s knowledge or consent.  When the thefts were uncovered in 2020, both employees were terminated and prosecuted. 

“As this case highlights, the United States Postal Inspection Service will assist its law enforcement partners and help bring individuals to justice who misuse the United States Postal Service or its services, to steal from victim businesses or individuals,” said Juan Vargas, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Miami Division.

“Greed is not good,” said U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven Baisel. “Those who chase its allure, particularly at the expense of those who trust them, will most often find themselves trapped. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice.”

The U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, which was prosecuted on behalf of the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

STATESBORO, GA:  An Emanuel County woman has admitted creating a fake business and using it to receive funding from a federal COVID-19 small business relief program.

Tracy Kirkland, 40, of Swainsboro, pled guilty to an Information charging her with Wire Fraud, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. As a result of the plea, Kirkland agrees to repay $66,400 and will forfeit a 2019 Dodge Charger and $16,250. After any prison term, Kirkland could be required to spend up to three years on supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Congress provided funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Security (CARES) Act specifically to help financially struggling businesses during the pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Tracy Kirkland stole from those funds, and she is being held accountable for that theft.”

As described in court documents and testimony, in August 2020 Kirkland received a federally guaranteed loan for $66,400 under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program comprised of funds appropriated by the CARES Act. In applying for the funding, Kirkland falsely claimed to own a business in Swainsboro with three employees, “Kirklands Hair N Beauty,” that had suffered economic harm because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Soon after receiving the SBA loan proceeds into her personal account, Kirkland, a previously convicted felon, used the funds to purchase a 2019 Dodge Charger R/T; made large cash withdrawals from her bank account; and made other non-business-related purchases. 

SBA’s General Counsel Peggy Delinois Hamilton stated, “We commend the work of the U.S. Attorney in prosecuting this case, involving SBA’s EIDL Program, which is designed to provide much-needed economic relief to  small businesses that are greatly affected by the current pandemic. Such fraud hurts legitimate small businesses that need financial assistance. We appreciate the work of our Inspector General and other law enforcement partners to uncover and prosecute individuals who commit fraud in the CARES Act loan programs.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General is investigating the case with assistance from the Swainsboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with prosecution for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Lee and Asset Recovery Unit Chief Xavier A. Cunningham.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man who admitted to distributing cocaine and marijuana faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Okemi Mon Lawton, 45, of Savannah, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Lawton forfeited $19,640.31 seized during the investigation, and the charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Supervised release is designed to allow convicted felons a controlled opportunity to reintegrate into society after completion of a prison sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Okemi Lawton instead reverted to criminal behavior, and now faces the prospect of more hard time in prison.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Lawton was on supervised release following a prison sentence for a federal firearms charge in August 2018 when the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team began investigating suspected drug distribution activity from Lawton’s Savannah residence. With assistance from the FBI, agents documented Lawton’s sale of cocaine, and a subsequent search of the residence discovered drugs, drug manufacturing and packaging materials, nearly $20,000 in cash, and a semi-automatic pistol.  

Lawton remains in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

“After getting a chance to change his criminal behavior, Okemi Mon Lawton chose to continue his life of crime by spreading drugs in our community,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Now he faces more severe prison time to think about his future, and hopefully doesn’t waste another opportunity to change.”

The case is being investigated by CNT and the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and Noah J. Abrams.

STATESBORO, GA:  A Screven County man faces a minimum of five years in federal prison after admitting that he distributed child pornography.

Daniel Boulineau, 34, of Sylvania, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a statutory maximum of up to 20 years, along with substantial financial penalties, registration as a sex offender, and a period of supervised release following incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The resolution of this case once again serves notice that we and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue predators who prey upon vulnerable children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “As a result of this investigation, Daniel Boulineau will be held accountable for his crime.”

As outlined in court documents and testimony, in early August 2020, Boulineau admitted that he electronically distributed images and videos of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. An investigation by the FBI and the Child Exploitation Task Force into online activity led to Boulineau’s arrest on Sept. 1, 2020.

A sentencing date has not yet been set.

“The distribution of child pornography is an attack against the most vulnerable members of society,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “No sentence for this man will remove the scars left on the children victimized by his crimes, but hopefully it will serve as a warning that the FBI will use any resources necessary to apprehend anyone who carries out these appalling crimes.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Two Waynesboro, Ga., men and a Greenwood, S.C., man have admitted to federal charges for participating in a longtime illegal gambling operation.

Grady Brandon Mobley, 44, and Daniel Cates, 50, both of Waynesboro, Ga., and  Joel Rees, 59, of Greenwood, S.C, entered guilty pleas to Informations charging each of them with Prohibition of an Illegal Gambling Business, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Mobley also pled guilty to Fraud and False Statements.

In accordance with the plea agreement, Mobley faces a negotiated sentence of 12 months plus one day in federal prison, and has forfeited $340,084. He also agrees to pay $207,716 in restitution to the IRS and Georgia Department of Revenue, and a fine of $2,000. Cates agreed to the forfeiture of $100,000.

After plea hearings before U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall, each of the three men were released on bond pending sentencing and formal acceptance of the plea agreement at a later date.

“These men participated in an illegal gambling operation for at least a decade in the Waynesboro area, eventually funneling business through a foreign-based website,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “But even that offshore venture wouldn’t keep them out of the reach of diligent law enforcement professionals who turned the tables on this illicit operation.” 

As described in court documents and testimony, Mobley operated as a “bookie” for an illegal sports betting operation for at least the past 10 years in Burke County, at first collecting bets and paying out winnings himself, and later through a sports betting website operated from Costa Rica.

In 2015, Mobley merged his operation and began splitting his profits with a smaller gambling ring operated by Jones. From 2015 to 2017, Mobley cashed bettor’s checks totaling approximately $220,000 at his parent’s check cashing business which operated out of the Mobley Package Shop in Girard, Ga. To help conceal the growing amount of cash involved in the transactions, Mobley enlisted the assistance of Cates, who admitted that he funneled approximately $250,000 in gambling proceeds through his Waynesboro tire store, Cates Firestone, in return for money and favors from Mobley.

During this period, Mobley admitted filing false information on his income tax returns to conceal the amount of proceeds from the illegal gambling operation.

“No matter how hard these defendants tried to hide their illegal operation, their greed ultimately caught up with them,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “FBI agents will pursue criminal activity that violates our Constitution, no matter where an investigation takes them, and along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold them accountable.”

“Schemes concealing funds in order to evade income tax, such as those utilized by Mobley, are unfair to every taxpayer who obeys the law and pays their fair share,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “The public should know that IRS-Criminal Investigation will do everything we can to hold individuals accountable for their actions.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara M. Lyons and Asset Recovery Unit Chief Xavier A. Cunningham.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Two Florida residents have admitted they colluded in a scheme to steal pandemic unemployment funds.

Tamesha Lashelle Brown, 41, of Dade City, Fla., and Malik Abdul McCaully, 43, of Tampa, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Informations charging each of them with conspiring to commit various offenses, including mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, disaster relief fraud, and access device fraud, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in federal prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“COVID-19 relief funds approved by Congress were intended specifically to help unemployed citizens struggling financially during the pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “These defendants created a scheme to steal those funds for their own enrichment – but that scheme came to an end in Georgia.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Brown and McCaully were both convicted felons who obtained personal identifying information of other individuals, without those individuals’ knowledge or consent, and then used that information to file fraudulent applications for unemployment assistance, including with the State of Pennsylvania. The two posed as the applicants when communicating with banks distributing the payments. After fraudulently obtaining bank cards preloaded with more than $100,000 in unemployment insurance funds, Brown and McCaully travelled to various ATMs in Pennsylvania, withdrawing thousands of dollars.

The two came to the attention of law enforcement in the early morning hours of Oct. 3, 2020, when a vehicle driven by McCaully sped from an attempted traffic stop by Jasper County, S.C., sheriff’s deputies on Interstate 95.  McCaully eventually crashed the vehicle in Pooler, Georgia, and he — and his passenger, Brown — were taken into custody. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement recovered more than $20,000 in cash, dozens of prepaid debit cards issued by states’ unemployment insurance funds in the names of others, as well as several false identifications that the two had used. 

“It is disheartening to see the willingness of some individuals to take advantage of people in need during a national and world crisis,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Their personal greed affects every taxpaying citizen, in particular those who need help most. The FBI will make every effort to make sure federal funds are used as intended.”

The FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Pooler Police Department, Port Wentworth Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol investigated the case. It was prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

Please report COVID-19 fraud, hoarding or price-gouging to the National Center for Disaster Fraud’s National Hotline at (866) 720-5721, or go to justice.gov/disastercomplaintform.

SAVANNAH, GA:  An Iraqi national has appeared in U.S. District Court in Savannah after his indictment on charges related to the attempted smuggling of firearms to Iraq.

Nihad Al Jaberi, 41, a Clarkston, Ga., resident, is charged with Smuggling, Failure to Notify a Common Carrier, and Submitting False or Misleading Export Information, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The smuggling charge carries upon conviction a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and substantial financial penalties. There is no parole in the federal system.

Al Jaberi, an Iraqi citizen and legal permanent resident of the United States, was arraigned Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher L. Ray. Al Jaberi previously was ordered detained after a hearing in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Georgia. 

“The Port of Savannah is exceptionally valuable to the coastal region, and the high volume of traffic presents an ongoing challenge to law enforcement agencies enforcing import-export laws,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Customs and Border Protection officers perform outstanding work in interdicting illegal shipments and maintaining border security.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Al Jaberi is charged with attempting in August 2020 to export three handguns and six .308-caliber long-range rifles in a shipment in which the contents were listed as “71 Pieces of Spare Auto Parts with No License Required.” The firearms, which were discovered disassembled along with used auto parts in a container at the Port of Savannah, had been obtained through straw purchases at various Atlanta-area sporting goods stores.

“This weapons seizure clearly illustrates how closely Customs and Border Protection inspects export manifests and identifies anomalies that could potentially harm others,” said Henry DeBlock, Area Port Director for CBP Savannah.  

“Special Agents of The Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement will aggressively investigate and disrupt the illicit smuggling of controlled commodities in violation of U.S. export laws,” said Ariel Joshua Leinwand, acting Special Agent in Charge Miami Field Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement (OEE). “Working cooperatively with our law enforcement partners, OEE Special Agents are committed to preventing firearms, firearms parts, and ammunition from potentially falling into the wrong hands overseas.”

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security and by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard, and by Northern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.

A photo introduced as evidence in the detention hearing for Nihad Al Jaberi includes nine firearms from a shipment interdicted in the Port of Savannah and reassembled, along with other firearms removed during a search of the defendant’s residence.

 

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after admitting his participation in a scheme to steal hospitality services by claiming to be part of a famed rap group.

Aaron Barnes-Burpo, 29, of Crestview, Fla., was sentenced to 84 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Barnes also was ordered to pay nearly $300,000 to 19 businesses defrauded in the scheme, and must serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Barnes-Burpo’s co-defendant, Walker Washington, 52, of Augusta, awaits sentencing in the case after also pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.

“For several weeks, these men defrauded multiple businesses by posing as famous musical artists and their retinue,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to an alert hotel clerk, their phony hit parade came to an abrupt halt.”   

In court documents and testimony, Barnes-Burpo and Washington admitted that they falsely portrayed themselves as affiliated with the Roc Nation production company and the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan as early as September 2019, and used those fictitious representations along with fraudulent and stolen credit cards to rent luxury limousines and defraud hotels, caterers and production studios of thousands of dollars in goods and services in multiple cities, primarily in the Southeast.

The scam unraveled Nov. 21, 2019, when staff at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Augusta became suspicious and alerted the FBI and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

“Hopefully, some of the businesses that were defrauded by this scam will be able to recoup some of their losses as a result of this sentence,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This is what happens when you seek a fleeting moment of fame at the expense of others. Neither law enforcement nor the community will tolerate it.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI and other state and local authorities, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes.

AUGUSTA, GA:  An Augusta woman has been charged with sex trafficking in a newly unsealed federal indictment that files additional charges against the man to whom she was married at the time of the alleged offenses.

The superseding federal indictment unsealed this week charges Amanda Gunn, 34, of Augusta, with Sex Trafficking Conspiracy and Obstruction of a Child Sex Trafficking Investigation, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The conspiracy charge carries a penalty upon conviction of a minimum of 15 years in prison, up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Brian K. Epps ordered Gunn to remain in jail pending further proceedings after a lengthy detention hearing Thursday.  

“This investigation is an exemplary demonstration of the relentless pursuit of our law enforcement partners in their work to protect vulnerable children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “The FBI continues to find disturbing new information as the threads of this complex case unwind.”

Gunn’s then-husband, Michael Gunn, 36, of Evans, initially was indicted by a U.S. District Court Grand Jury one year ago, in March 2020, on four counts of Production of Child Pornography and one count of Possession of Child Pornography. The superseding indictment additionally charges Michael Gunn with Sex Trafficking Conspiracy; Sex Trafficking of a Child; Coercion and Enticement of a Child to Engage in Sexual Activity; and Obstruction of a Child Sex Trafficking Investigation. He remains in custody pending further court proceedings.

According to court documents and testimony, an FBI investigation in another state led agents to Michael Gunn as a source of child pornography, resulting in the discovery of child pornography on electronic devices in his home.

In a related case, Jonathan Eugene Grantham, 45, of Graniteville, S.C., is named in a four-count federal indictment charging him with Sex Trafficking of a Minor; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct; and Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. FBI agents initiated the investigation of Grantham with information derived from the Gunn investigation.

“As our investigation of this case unfolded it became more and more disturbing as charges are now filed against both a husband and wife,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We must protect our children by identifying and apprehending accused predators who take advantage of their innocence to commit such atrocious acts.”

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated under the Department of Justice Project Safe Childhood by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tania M. Groover and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

Miami, Florida – Federal prosecutors have charged 43-year-old Christopher C. Pinkston of Miami with robbing two banks in South Florida last month.   

According to allegations in the criminal complaint affidavit, at about 1:30 p.m. on February 11, 2020, Pinkston entered the Chase Bank located at 13745 S.W. 152nd Street in Miami, approached a teller window, and handed the teller a note saying: "I need 30,000 Dollars or everybodys [sic] Dead." The victim teller gave Pinkston $1,000 in cash, after which Pinkston exited the bank, leaving the demand note behind, says the affidavit.

The complaint charges Pinkston with robbing a second bank at about 1:30 p.m. on February 19, 2020.  On that day, according to the affidavit, Pinkston entered the City National Bank located at 13780 S.W. 88th St. in Miami, approached a teller window, and handed the teller a note saying: "Goodmorning this is a robbery Handover $30,000 you have less than one min no ink bombs or trackers Thank you [sic]." The victim teller handed Pinkston $5,100 in cash, after which Pinkston exited the bank, leaving the demand note behind, according to the affidavit.  

Following an investigation, law enforcement arrested Pinkston on March 11, 2021. He will make his initial appearance today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan, who sits in Miami.  

U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida and FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro made the announcement. 

FBI Miami investigated this case, with cooperation and assistance from Miami Dade Police Department and City of Miami Police Department, Special Investigations Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Egozi is prosecuting this case.

Each bank robbery charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. 

You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-mj-20462.

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WAYCROSS, GA:  A Coffee County man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after admitting to trafficking methamphetamine.

Israel Moreno, 56, of Wray, Ga., was sentenced to 70 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Substance Containing Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Moreno will be required to serve four years of supervised release and will be referred for deportation proceedings. There is no parole in the federal system.

“As these meth merchants continue to earn hard time in federal prison, they should be getting an unmistakable warning,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “With the relentless efforts of our law enforcement partners, we will track down and remove drug traffickers like Israel Moreno from our communities.”

As described in court documents and testimony, investigators with the Coffee County Drug Unit and the South-Central Drug Task Force in June 2019 identified Moreno as a major drug distributor in the Coffee County area.

“Methamphetamine is not only toxic, but it destroys families, communities and lives,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Field Division. “Because of spirited law enforcement cooperation, this defendant will no longer be able to distribute this poison and will spend well-deserved time in prison.”

“This is just the latest in what will, undoubtedly, continue to be a very long string of convictions and long prison sentences for meth pushers in Coffee County,” said Coffee County Sheriff Doyle Wooten. “We are extremely grateful, as always, for the assistance from other local, state, and federal agencies who work alongside us to rid our area of this epidemic.”

The case was investigated by the DEA, the Coffee County Drug Unit, and the South-Central Drug Task Force, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Ten defendants face federal felony firearms charges after indictment by a U.S. District Court grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia. 

All of those charged are prohibited from possessing firearms. The cases are being investigated under the Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal firearms, and in coordination with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and local law enforcement agencies.

“A fundamental requirement for safe streets is keeping guns out of the hands of individuals who are prohibited from possessing them,” said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We applaud our collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and our state and local law enforcement partners in enforcing laws to remove illegally possessed firearms from our communities.”

In the past three years, more than 660 defendants were federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for carrying a firearm after having been convicted of a previous felony. The charge carries a penalty upon conviction of up to 10 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“ATF will continue to dedicate federal resources in conjunction with those crucial law enforcement contributions of local agencies to target defendants that have no business carrying firearms, given their previous criminal conduct,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF.

Those named in federal indictments from the March 2021 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Malcolm Robinson Brown, 38, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person, referring to a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence;
• Matthew Kearse, 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; 
• Brandon Demarcus Reedy, 34, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;  
• Kijordan Markel Ceaser, 21, of Thomson, Ga., charged with Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment;  
• Timetrius Dontrel Neal, 23, of Thomson, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, referring to a prior conviction on a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; Possession of a Firearm by an Unlawful Drug User; and Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment;
• Telly Green, 33, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Marcus Rashad Allen, 33, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Dameon Duncan, 21, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Darius Edwards, 33, of Pembroke, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• John Calvin Young Jr., 35, of Rincon, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. 

 

The charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person carries a possible penalty upon conviction of up to 10 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

These cases also are investigated under the Prosecutor to Prosecutor Program (P3), in which federal and state prosecutors collaborate to determine the most appropriate venue for adjudication of alleged crimes.

In addition to these cases, at least three defendants recently have appeared in U.S. District Court on federal firearms charges, including:

• Courtney Raynard Spann, 29, of Statesboro, sentenced to 96 months in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;
• Onesimo Ochoa-Santos, 35, of Brunswick, sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to serve one year of supervised release upon completion of his prison term after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien.
• Alexander Wallace, 36, of Savannah, sentenced to 95 months in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

 

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF; Savannah Police Department; the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office; the Rincon Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; and the Port Wentworth Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Project Guardian Coordinator Henry W. Syms; Jennifer Stanley; Tara M. Lyons; Alejandro V. Pascual IV; Joshua S. Bearden; Tania D. Groover; Jennifer Kirkland; Edwin Caban; Joseph McCool; Marcela C. Mateo; John P. Harper III; and Noah Abrams.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A California man has been sentenced to probation for illegally possessing explosive materials on a Savannah movie set.

Robert Christopher Bailey, 51, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 30 months of probation by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after pleading guilty to Possession of Explosive Materials as a Prohibited Person, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Bailey also was ordered to pay a fine of $5,500.

“The film industry is a robust and growing part of the economy in Savannah and in Georgia, and we welcome those who come to the state to work in movie production,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “However, we will fully enforce the law so that dangerous explosives are not in the hands of those who are prohibited from handling them.”

As described in court documents and testimony, on or about July 9, 2018, Bailey was working as a special effects and pyrotechnics coordinator on the Savannah movie set for The Poison Rose starring John Travolta and Morgan Freeman. After an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Bailey admitted in court that he was prohibited from possessing explosive materials because of a prior criminal conviction.

“ATF is tasked with regulating the explosives industry and to promote public safety in the Southern District of Georgia,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF. “The defendant had no business possessing explosives, given his previous criminal conduct.”

This case was investigated by Special Agent Lee Hoover of the ATF, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Bearden and Frank Pennington.

AUGUSTA, GA:  An Augusta man has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in federal prison for a scheme that distributed methamphetamine in the Augusta area.

Christopher Allen Marshall, 34, of Augusta, was sentenced to 118 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Marshall must serve three years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system. 

“Christopher Marshall’s sentence wraps up the investigation and disruption of a meth-distribution ring that spread this deadly poison throughout the Augusta area,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “The community is now safer with him and his cohorts behind bars.”

Marshall was among four defendants named in an eight-count indictment returned by a U.S. District Court grand jury in January 2020, identifying a conspiracy dating back at least to February 2018 that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine throughout the Augusta area.

The investigation, which included controlled purchases and federal search warrants, seized large quantities of methamphetamine, 15 firearms and more than $44,000 in cash.

“The sentencing of the final defendant in this investigation closes the door on this organization who peddled large quantities of ‘meth’ on the streets in the Augusta area,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “This case is a prime example of how DEA works with its law enforcement partners to confront, engage and eliminate drug trafficking and is committed to protecting the community from the perils of drug abuse.”

“Methamphetamine trafficking is a real scourge to the Augusta-Richmond County community,” said Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree. “Methamphetamine has ruined a lot of lives and continues to be a high threat drug. These prosecutions with our federal partners strengthen our enforcement efforts and send a clear message methamphetamine trafficking will not be tolerated.”

Marshall’s co-defendants all have been sentenced after entering guilty pleas. Bjorn Michael Wiley, 42, of Martinez, is serving 168 months in prison; Bridget Lydell Biggam, 36, of Appling, Ga., is serving 98 months in prison; and John Tillman Durst, 29, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to time served.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man who admitted deliberately setting the May 3, 2020, fire that destroyed the city of Savannah’s Code Enforcement Office has been sentenced to federal prison.

Stephen Charles Setter, 19, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after pleading guilty to one count of Arson, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Judge Baker also ordered Setter to pay restitution totaling $1,277,647.66, and to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“By deliberately setting this fire, Stephen Setter senselessly destroyed a significant Savannah government building and as a result has well-earned his sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “It’s fortunate that none of the Savannah firefighters were hurt while fighting this massive blaze.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Setter admitted starting the fire at the Code Enforcement Office at 1700 Drayton Street in downtown Savannah shortly after 3 a.m. on May 3, 2020. The fire quickly spread into the attic and roof of the building, causing damage estimated at nearly $1 million and rendering it a total loss.

Setter told investigators that he activated a fire alarm at the Landings marina that same night, requiring the Chatham County Fire Department to respond, and while the station was unoccupied he then stole a fire department radio so he could listen to fire department communications. 

“This is another example of how ATF has partnered with our state and local agencies to investigate the crime of arson,” said Lenwood S. Reeves, Resident Agent in Charge of the Savannah Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Not only does arson destroy millions of dollars’ worth of property each year, it endangers the lives of our first responders and the citizens of the community.”

“We are pleased with the outcome of this case,” said Fred Anderson, Chief Fire Investigator for the Savannah Fire Department. “This is a prime example of the benefit that comes from the strong relationship between the Savannah Fire Department and our federal partners at the ATF and U.S Attorney’s Office.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Savannah Fire Department Arson Unit, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania D. Groover.

STATESBORO, GA:  A Statesboro man arrested after a shooting on a residential street has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison while still facing state charges.

Courtney Raynard Spann, 29, of Statesboro, was sentenced to 96 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Spann also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Previously convicted felons are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition - period,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Courtney Spann’s record makes it abundantly clear why these laws are in place, and our office will relentlessly enforce these laws to keep firearms out of the hands of violent criminals.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Spann came to the attention of officers from the Statesboro Police Department who were investigating reports of gunfire in a high-density residential area on Jan. 25, 2020, that resulted in damage to multiple homes and vehicles. Spann was located and later arrested, and officers found four firearms, including assault-style weapons, along with multiple rounds of ammunition, extended magazines and drum magazines in his vehicle.

Investigators also determined that Spann is a member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang, with a criminal history that includes a felony conviction for drug trafficking. He faces additional state charges related to the incident that led to his arrest. 

“Keeping guns out of the hands of repeat felony offenders is a priority for the FBI because of offenders like Spann,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “But we couldn't do it without the partnerships with our fellow local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, in particular in this case, the Statesboro Police Department.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Statesboro Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Stanley and Tara M. Lyons.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A federal grand jury has indicted a Graniteville, S.C. teacher on additional federal charges related to the initial allegation that charged him with transporting a minor across state lines for sex.

Jonathan Eugene Grantham, 45, of Graniteville, S.C., is named in a four-count indictment charging him with Sex Trafficking of a Minor; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct; and Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The sex trafficking charge carries a minimum penalty upon conviction of 15 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The protection of innocent and vulnerable children is of paramount importance to our office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “We applaud the hard work of the FBI agents in diligently investigating these difficult cases.”

At the time of his arrest in February, Grantham was employed as a teacher at Ridge Spring-Monetta High School in Ridge Spring, S.C. A U.S. District Court grand jury returned the indictment with the additional charges this week.

Grantham is accused of knowingly picking up a minor in Columbia County on or about July 20, 2019, and taking the minor across state lines to engage in prostitution. The indictment alleges that Grantham “recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, maintained, patronized, and solicited, by any means, in and affecting interstate commerce, Minor Victim 1, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that Minor Victim 1 had not attained the age of 18 years and that Minor Victim 1 would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.”

Grantham remains in federal custody.

“It is extremely disheartening that these charges are against a teacher who parents trusted to have the best interests of their children at heart,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These additional charges are the result of hard-working FBI investigators dedicated to protecting our children.” 

An indictment contains only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tania G. Groover and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Burke County man has admitted taking part in an operation that distributed methamphetamine after investigators discovered the scheme through delivery of a commercial pill press.

Telly Savalas Carswell, 47, of Midville, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our law enforcement partners, particularly the investigators from the Drug Enforcement administration, did an outstanding job in discovering and shutting down this meth-trafficking operation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Whether it’s in the larger cities or smaller towns of the Southern District, we are determined to eradicate this poison from our communities.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began the investigation in January 2020 while investigating the delivery of a commercial pill press to the home Savalas shared with a co-defendant. In conjunction with the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, DEA agents conducted a search on May 7, 2020 of the residence and found a pill press, along with methamphetamine, heroin and other drugs; nearly $9,000 in cash; and paraphernalia related to drug trafficking.

“Criminals like Mr. Carswell rely on pill presses to create dangerous counterfeit medications which contain toxic substances such as methamphetamine, as was the case in this investigation,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe from dangerous drugs.”

The case is being investigated by the DEA and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Josephson. 

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man who participated in the March 2019 robbery of a bar during which a U.S. Army serviceman was wounded has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison.

Justin Alexander Campbell, 21, was sentenced to 121 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Campbell also must serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Campbell’s co-defendant in the robbery, Anthony Curtis Raife, 24, of Savannah, is serving a 120-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to Possessing a Short-Barreled Shotgun in Furtherance of a Violent Crime. The two also are required to pay $35,523.83 in restitution to the victims in the case.

“This violent robbery by two criminals forever changed the lives of several victims, including the badly wounded soldier and the innocent business owners, and patrons,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Justin Campbell and Anthony Raife are justly locked away for their well-deserved punishment, and for our community’s protection.” 

According to court documents and testimony, Campbell and Raife entered the rear door of Brewer’s Sports Pub and Grill on Ogeechee Road on March 24, 2019. Both carried firearms and pointed the weapons at patrons and threatened them during the robbery. One of the customers, an active-duty U.S. Army serviceman, witnessed the robbery and helped other patrons escape. The soldier then went unarmed to the rear of the bar and was shot after he punched Raife in the face. Both robbers then fled. The soldier was treated for a bullet wound to the chest and has since recovered.

Raife was located and arrested in Savannah in September 2019, while Campbell was taken into custody in Virginia and returned to Georgia for prosecution in March 2020.

“This sentence completes the judicial process for two men who left permanent scars, both physical and mental, on several innocent victims, including a heroic soldier,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The victims will never fully overcome the trauma those scars remind them of, but hopefully the fact that these two criminals can’t harm them or any others for a long time, brings them some sort of comfort.”

“This is a powerful example of the determination and professionalism that our officers and detectives bring to every crime investigation,” said Chatham County Police Chief Jeffrey M. Hadley. “They followed every lead and did not rest until the two perpetrators were behind bars, and the victims and community had some resolution in this case.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Chatham County Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Petersburg (VA) Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  An inmate at the Camden County Detention Facility has admitted providing the drugs resulting in another inmate’s death by overdose.

Joshua Swing, 36, of Woodbine, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Distribution of Fentanyl, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to 20 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“The law enforcement and medical community face an unprecedented fight against the epidemic of opioid abuse, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl add fuel to that raging inferno,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “The corrupting influence of illegal narcotics distribution makes it especially disturbing that this deadly poison was provided to a jail inmate by another inmate.”

The investigation began May 17, 2020, when an inmate at the Camden County Detention Facility, identified in court documents as J.D., was found unresponsive in his cell. J.D. later died, and a subsequent autopsy found that his cause of death was acute fentanyl toxicity. Swing admitted he provided the fentanyl J.D. consumed.

Swing previously was convicted in April 2018 in state court in Nassau County, Fla., for sale of methamphetamine. 

“I was honored that our agency was able to investigate this case and bring it to conclusion on behalf of the people of Camden County and Sheriff Jim Proctor, and perhaps bring a sense of closure for the people involved,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.

The case is being investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office at the request of the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Josephson and E. Greg Gilluly Jr.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Charlton County man who admitted trafficking methamphetamine in south Georgia has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison.

Phillip Yarbrough, 39, of Folkston, Ga., was sentenced to 264 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Yarbrough will be required to serve four years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“As methamphetamine abuse continues to threaten the security and health of citizens throughout the Southern District, our law enforcement partners are relentless in identifying and shutting down suppliers of this illegal narcotic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Phillip Yarbrough now faces stiff consequences for spreading this poison in our communities.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Yarbrough was arrested after a traffic stop in March 2018 when Willacoochee, Ga., Police officers found two large bags of methamphetamine hidden in Yarbrough’s vehicle.

Yarbrough, a member of the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang with a documented history of drug distribution and domestic violence, admitted acting as a drug courier and dealer, transporting large quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs from an Atlanta supplier into communities in south Georgia.

“The manufacture of methamphetamine poses an imminent danger to everyone,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Field Division. “The precursor chemicals used to manufacture ‘meth’ are toxic and can be extremely volatile.  This Ghost Face Gangster can no longer feed the addicts who craved this addictive substance. This case is a great example of how spirited law enforcement collaboration keeps our communities safe from ‘meth’ dealers  who seek to do harm by distributing this poison.”

“This sentence is the direct result of the effective partnership between our local, state, and federal agencies,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will work tirelessly together to hold accountable gang members and drug dealers who terrorize our neighborhoods. The GBI is dedicated to thoroughly investigate violent offenses to lead to successful prosecution.”

The case was investigated by the DEA, the GBI, the Willacoochee Police Department and the Charlton County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Coffee County man faces up to 20 years in federal prison after admitting to distribution of methamphetamine.

Demetrius Brown, a/k/a “Jersey,” 42, of Douglas, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Brunswick before Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to one count of Distribution of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Brown’s admission to the charge carries a possible penalty of up to 20 years in prison, followed by at least three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our law enforcement partners did outstanding work in uncovering and shutting down Demetrius Brown’s poison pill factory,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “We applaud their work in eradicating the illegal drug trade in our community.”  

Brown previously has been convicted of multiple felonies, including assault on a law enforcement officer and drug distribution on school property – all occurring in New Jersey prior to his relocation to south Georgia.

The investigation of Brown began in 2019 when the Coffee County Drug Unit determined Brown was selling pills purportedly containing ecstasy. Law enforcement conducted two controlled purchases before executing a search warrant at Brown’s home, discovering a pill press, other materials used for manufacturing methamphetamine pills, and four firearms.

“We hope the conviction of Demetrius Brown will serve as a major wake-up call to those attempting to manufacture and distribute illegal drugs in Coffee County,” Sheriff Doyle Wooten stated. “We are actively partnering with state and federal officials and law enforcement agencies to aggressively target the sources of drug distribution in our area, and we will prosecute these cases to the fullest extent the law allows.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Coffee County Drug Unit, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Harper III.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Rincon man who portrayed himself as a whistleblower while falsely accusing a former acquaintance of violating patient privacy has been sentenced to federal prison.

Jeffrey Parker, 44, of Rincon, Ga., was sentenced to six months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to one count of False Statements, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Parker also was fined $1,200 and after completion of his prison term must serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to protect the community by solving real crimes, and cases like this only divert time and resources from critical tasks,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Jeffrey Parker’s fake complaint needlessly alarmed the victim and health care workers, but his scheme ultimately unraveled under the questioning of a perceptive FBI agent.”

As outlined in court documents and testimony, Parker admitted that he “engaged in an intricate scheme” in October 2019 when he contacted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to claim that a former acquaintance had violated privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Parker created email addresses using the names of real individuals and pretended to be these individuals to make it appear as if the acquaintance committed a crime.  He sent the emails to the hospital where the acquaintance worked, to the DOJ, and to the FBI, and then claimed to have received threatening messages in retaliation for acting as a whistleblower. FBI agents quickly responded by acting to ensure Parker’s safety and investigate his allegations, and under subsequent questioning, Parker admitted concocting the scheme in an attempt to harm the former acquaintance. 

“Many hours of investigation and resources were wasted determining that Parker's whistleblower complaints were fake, meant to do harm to another citizen,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Before he could do more damage, his elaborate scheme was uncovered by a perceptive agent and now he will serve time for his deliberate transgression.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Schwedler.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  An Atlanta man born and raised in Savannah who led a drug trafficking organization that transported and distributed cocaine and other drugs into the coastal Georgia area has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

Omar Griffin, 41, of Atlanta, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Griffin also must serve 10 years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Omar Griffin was a major importer of cocaine and other drugs into the Savannah area, a wholesaler who delivered illegal drugs for widespread distribution in the coastal area,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend the tireless investigation and relentless pursuit by the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies in Operation Snowplow, who identified, pursued, and captured Griffin and his co-conspirators, shutting down their organization.”

Twelve other defendants in the investigation have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 240 months after all pleading guilty to related charges. Two other defendants are fugitives.  

Operation Snowplow was the largest single seizure of cocaine to date by the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT). According to court documents and testimony, Griffin, who has several prior Chatham County convictions for drug trafficking, managed an organization that trafficked more than 35 kilograms of cocaine and other drugs from Texas and California destined for the Savannah area, from as early as February 2014 until his capture in March 2020.  Some of the drugs were packaged in children’s toys and DVD players, concealed in cargo vans and truck trailers for shipment to Savannah, and distributed to mid-level dealers operating from several Savannah-area residences.

On March 5, 2018, law enforcement officers intercepted a shipment of 25 kilograms of cocaine that had been driven from Texas to a hotel in Richmond Hill, Ga., concealed inside a cargo trailer. Officers also seized more than $387,000 in cash that had been exchanged for the cocaine. Griffin evaded capture by stealing, and then crashing, a police car.

Following his escape, Griffin fled to Texas where he continued to traffic significant quantities of narcotics.  In January 2020, he attempted to transport approximately four kilograms of cocaine in a commercial flight from Texas to Georgia.  On March 31, 2020, law enforcement arrested Griffin in Houston and seized nearly seven kilograms of cocaine and more than a kilogram of ecstasy (MDMA) in connection with arrest. 

In total in this investigation, investigators seized approximately 35 kilograms of cocaine, more than 30 pounds of marijuana, nearly 2 kilograms of MDMA, approximately $900,000 in cash, nearly two dozen firearms – including semi-automatic rifles – and other narcotics. 

“Drug traffickers who distribute illegal and dangerous drugs are a menace to society,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “The cocaine distributor in this case has been removed from the streets and will now serve well-deserved time in prison. The success of this investigation hinged upon the collaborative efforts between all law enforcement agencies involved. The citizens of the Savannah area can rest better at night knowing that this criminal is headed to federal prison.”

Two defendants indicted in the conspiracy are still being sought: Kia Hickman, 49, of Savannah, and Jamaal Singleton, 42, of Savannah. Individuals with information on their whereabouts can anonymously contact the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) at 912-652-3900, or Savannah Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020.

The case was investigated as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach, and conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, Savannah Police Department, Chatham County Police Department, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit and the Chatham County Aviation Unit, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Brunswick woman who continued to receive her grandmother’s Social Security payments for 18 years after the relative’s death has been sentenced in U.S. District Court.

Stephanie Taylor, 60, of Brunswick, Ga., was sentenced to five months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to one count of Theft of Government Property, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Taylor must repay $146,342 to account for proceeds illegally obtained from October 1998 to October 2016, and was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term.

The excess payments were discovered during a routine review by the Office of Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and charged and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S Attorney Steven H. Lee.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Michigan man has admitted producing child pornography while previously residing in Savannah.

Bobby Fields, 40, of Lansing, Mich., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Production of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, registration as a sex offender, and a period of supervised release after completion of the prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Bobby Fields eluded justice for nearly three years, but his crimes have found him out thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “The significant prison sentence that awaits should serve as a stark warning to anyone who would exploit vulnerable children.”

Fields was indicted in July 2020 after an FBI investigation into child pornography discovered on a laptop linked him to the illegal material’s creation through images that captured distinctive tattoos on Field’s arm.  

A date for Field’s sentencing has not yet been set.

“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We are grateful for the partnerships we maintain with our local and federal agencies to bring these predators to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Savannah Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

SAVANNAH, GA:  One of the leaders of a conspiracy that imported large amounts of cocaine and marijuana into Georgia has been sentenced to nearly 25 years in federal prison.

Karteau Omar Jenkins, a/k/a “Yay,” 43, of Stone Mountain, Ga., was sentenced to 290 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A jury in 2019 convicted Jenkins for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine and 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, and Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine.

After completion of his prison term, Jenkins will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“From investigation, to trial, to conviction, our law enforcement partners worked tirelessly to produce a case that provided our prosecutors with the essential tools and evidence to put Jenkins and his co-conspirators behind bars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “This relentless pursuit in Operation Five Hole makes the community safer by removing these importers of poison from our community.”

Eugene Markeith Allen, a/k/a “Poncho,” 43, a former Savannah resident convicted of leading the drug trafficking conspiracy, awaits sentencing after a jury also convicted him in 2019 of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine and 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana.  

Allen, a leader in the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang, was serving a life sentence at Autry State Prison for a 2006 murder conviction when he used smuggled contraband phones to direct Jenkins and other members of the extensive drug trafficking conspiracy that imported marijuana and cocaine from California into Atlanta and throughout the Savannah area.

Jenkins and Allen were among 20 defendants indicted in August 2017 in Operation Five Hole, a multi-agency investigation targeting the drug trafficking organization that hid cash proceeds from drug sales in cotton candy machines for shipment by U.S. Mail and in vehicles with hidden compartments. The operation netted the seizure of pounds of marijuana and kilos of cocaine, along with nearly $400,000 in cash and multiple firearms.

Of the other 18 defendants indicted in the conspiracy, 16 have pled guilty and have been sentenced or await sentencing, with cases dismissed against two defendants. Twelve other defendants pled guilty to federal charges related to the operation and have been sentenced.

“Not only did this extensive investigation and prosecution shut down major cocaine distributors across the state of Georgia, but it now has put one of the conspiracy leaders behind bars for a substantial amount of time,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This successful sentence could not have been achieved without the hard work and cooperation of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, a part of the Southeast Georgia Violent Crimes Task Force.”  

“Using the collective resources of local, state, and federal agencies is critical to targeting criminal organizations trafficking drugs across the country and into our community.  The multi-agency cooperation throughout the investigation and prosecution of this case was essential to its success,” Director Michael G. Sarhatt of the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team said. “CNT is proud to be a part of this joint operation which shows the strength of the law enforcement partnerships in the Chatham County area.” 

The case was investigated as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Chatham County Narcotics Unit (CNT), the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham and Effingham County Sheriffs’ Offices, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The cases were prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Abrams and Frank Pennington, with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos.