Southern District of Georgia

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia man and his company have been charged with violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by selling a drug claiming to treat COVID-19.

Matthew Ryncarz, and his company, Fusion Health and Vitality, LLC d/b/a/ Pharm Origins, are accused of selling a misbranded drug called “Immune Shot” that they falsely claimed would lower consumer’s risk of contracting COVID-19 by nearly 50 percent, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

In March 2020, during the midst of the global COVID-19 public health crisis, Ryncarz, through his company, Pharm Origins, created a website and began selling “Immune Shot” for $19 a bottle. Among other things, the website represented that “YOU will learn in JUST MINUTES … how to LOWER your risk of COVID-19 by nearly 50%.”  Further, to sell “Immune Shot,” Ryncarz and Pharm Origins targeted individuals, ages 50 and older, with heavy-handed sales pitches, such as “The NEXT FIVE MINUTES could save your life,” “We are offering you the exclusive price of only $19 per bottle because we know that Immune Shot could be the most important formula in the WORLD right now due to the new pandemic,” “Immune Shot is Not a Luxury, It is a Necessity Right Now,” “Point Blank, if YOU Leave, YOU are at Risk,” and “Is Your Life Worth $19? Seriously, Is It?” 

Ryncarz and Pharm Origins sold “Immune Shot” to consumers in the Southern District of Georgia and outside of the state of Georgia. The defendants were charged by way of an Information, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. The Information alleges that “Immune Shot” was a misbranded drug within the meaning of 21 U.S.C. § 352(a)(1), in that it bore false and misleading labeling.

“Our office is committed to ensuring that businesses do not take advantage of a global health crisis and people’s fears in order to unlawfully make a buck,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make sure consumers are not exploited during these challenging times.”

U.S. Attorney Christine expressed appreciation to investigators in the U.S. Attorney's Office, and to David A. Frank, Senior Litigation Counsel with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, Lynn M. Marshall, Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement, Office of the Chief Counsel, FDA, and to the FBI for their assistance in this prosecution.

“Americans expect and deserve treatments that are safe, effective and meet appropriate standards. The FDA is actively monitoring the marketplace for misbranded products represented as preventing, curing, or treating COVID-19,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that we will take action against those who take advantage of a crisis by potentially jeopardizing the health of Americans.”

“The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not allow anyone to take advantage of our citizens’ fears during a pandemic like COVID-19,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It is especially concerning because this alleged scheme targeted citizens who are most vulnerable to the virus.” 

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

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Patrick J. Schwedler are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A St. Simons Island, Ga., man has been indicted in U.S. District Court on federal charges for allegedly threatening to blow up an IRS office in New York.

Benjamin Stasko, 32, is charged with Willful Threat to Kill Using Firearms or Explosives, and Interstate Transmission of a Threat to Injure, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Threats against the safety and security of our nation’s government offices and their personnel are deadly serious, and our office will work with our law enforcement partners to find and prevent such perpetrators from carrying out their threats,” said U.S. Attorney Christine.

A threat alleging that a pipe bomb had been planted in the Ted Weiss Federal Building in New York was found July 6, posted in a comment on a federal agency’s website and directed toward the Internal Revenue Service. Federal protective police officers with bomb sniffing dogs and officers from the New York Police Department searched the facility and found no explosives. Investigators later located and arrested Stasko in St. Simons.

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

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the New York Police Department and the Brunswick Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Bearden.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man has been indicted for pointing a powerful laser at a helicopter being used in a police search.

Antonio Rodrecus Johnson Sr., 45, of Savannah, is charged with one count of Aiming a Laser Pointer at an Aircraft, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.

Savannah Police Department officers identified and questioned Johnson on June 22 after the pilot of a Chatham County helicopter, which was being used to assist Savannah Police officers in the search for a fugitive, was repeatedly targeted from the ground by a powerful laser.

Similar lasers have been used during recent violent protests, resulting in eye damage to police officers.

“Interference with police operations is a serious crime, particularly when the consequences could cause debilitating injuries to the officers,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We are fortunate that Savannah Police were able to eliminate this threat without injury to either of the officers on board the helicopter.”

“When aimed at an aircraft, a beam of light from a handheld laser can illuminate a cockpit, disorienting and temporarily blinding the pilot or pilots of the craft,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It's not a game. It's a federal felony that the FBI and our law enforcement partners take very seriously.”

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

The case is being investigated by the Savannah Police Department with assistance from the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Nine defendants have been indicted by a U.S. District Court grand jury on federal charges including illegal possession of firearms.

All of the indictments target previously convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“Identifying and removing gun criminals from our communities is a key component of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice initiative to fight gun crime,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to target offenders who illegally possess and use firearms.”

Those named in the federal indictments include:

• Terry Key, 33, of Jesup, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Key was arrested in January after an investigation by the Jesup Police Department led to a search of his motel room in which drugs and firearms were found. The charges carry a possible penalty of up to life in prison.     
• Reginald Terry, a/k/a “Pete,” 37, of Jesup, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, MDMA and Cocaine; Distribution of Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Stolen Firearm; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Terry was arrested in November 2019 when Jesup Police searched his motel room and found drugs and firearms, including a pistol, an SKS rifle and an AR-15 rifle. The charges carry a possible penalty of up to life in prison.
• Khallid Marquese Wright, 24, of Augusta, charged with Possession of Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Wright, who was stopped in February by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies for questioning in an unrelated case, was found in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
• John Thomas Barnes III, 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Barnes was arrested in March when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
• Kinsey Lanier Jackson, 50, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jackson was charged in February after Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in his pocket during a traffic stop. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
• Shaquaries Alexis Kimble, 25, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Kimble was arrested in February after a he was found in possession of a pistol by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies investigating a report of a stolen weapon. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
• Zachary Brent Sadler, 27, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Sadler was charged by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in October 2019 after he pawned a handgun. When he later returned to repurchase the gun, the purchase was denied during a background check. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
• Damien Lamont Wimberly, 40, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Wimberly initially was found in possession of a firearm at a Richmond County Sheriff’s Office traffic checkpoint, and was later arrested when he was determined to be a convicted felon. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. 
• Larry Jackson III, 30, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jackson was arrested in July 2019 by Savannah Police officers investigating reports of gunshots found him in possession of a pistol. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison.   

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

“This inter-agency collaboration and the resulting indictments goes a long way towards addressing gun violence by removing from our streets firearms and those willing to obtain them illegally and potentially use them,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the ATF.

The cases are investigated under Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws, and the Prosecutor to Prosecutor Program (P3), in which federal and state prosecutors collaborate to determine the most appropriate venue for prosecuting crimes.

In addition to the ATF, agencies involved in investigation of the cases include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Jesup Police Department, the Savannah Police Department, and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

The cases are being investigated for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys including Project Guardian Coordinator Henry W. Syms; Alejandro V. Pascual IV; Joshua S. Bearden; Patricia G. Rhodes; and Frank M. Pennington II.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Georgia man who operated an industrial-scale illegal pill-manufacturing operation has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, representing the final sentence among the major members of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Walker Christian Forrester, 25, of Loganville, Ga., was sentenced to 240 months in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Forrester, who pled guilty to a charge of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances (Carfentanil, Alprazolam and marijuana), also must serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“The criminals in this drug trafficking conspiracy distributed massive amounts of dangerous illegal drugs, including deadly synthetic opioids, on the streets of Georgia and beyond through the Dark Web,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies did outstanding work in investigating and shutting down these manufacturers of misery and bringing them to justice.”

Other defendants in the conspiracy also pled guilty and have been sentenced:

• Kolbie Hadden Watters, 23, of Augusta, Ga., was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. He also must serve five years of supervised release after completion of his term.  
• Jonathan Britt Lester, 23, of Loganville, Ga.; was sentenced to 210 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances (Carfentanil, Alprazolam and marijuana), followed by five years of supervised release.
• Morgan McKenzie Slaton, 23, of Hoschton, Ga., was sentenced to three years’ probation for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Alprazolam), followed by years of supervised release.

Another defendant in the case, Armand Sananda Saedi, 28, of Atlanta, Ga., is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances (Alprazolam).

According to court documents and testimony, the co-defendants participated in a drug conspiracy dating back to 2016 that imported large amounts of drugs purchased with cryptocurrency on the Dark Web, used industrial-grade machinery to manufacture pills, and sold the drugs on the Dark Web and throughout Georgia. At its peak, the operation produced as many as 200,000 pills per month, yielding profits of up to $18,000 per month.

In addition to profiting from drug sales, Forrester testified that a Canadian drug trafficker paid him $10,000 per month to receive packages of Fentanyl shipped from China and then reship it to addresses in Canada and elsewhere. That trafficker is under federal indictment in the Northern District of Georgia. 

Forrester first came to the attention of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration around Sept. 2017 after he purchased an industrial-grade pill press. Two months later, Forrester, Watters and a juvenile were arrested on state charges in Harlem, Ga., in November 2017 after a traffic stop in which Harlem police officers found more than 5,200 counterfeit Xanax pills, marijuana and a sawed-off shotgun in the vehicle.

Watters and Lester also face state charges in Walton County of felony murder and aggravated assault in the death of Chase David Loffler, 25, whose body was found buried in the backyard of Lester’s Loganville home in April 2018. The two are accused of beating and suffocating Loffler, a suspected co-conspirator, and burying his body in a shallow grave.

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division stated, “Drug Trafficking knows no boundaries and is driven by greed and power. These guilty pleas should serve as a reminder to drug traffickers that DEA and its law enforcement partners will expend the necessary resources to dismantle, disrupt and destroy those who distribute poison throughout our communities. Many thanks to the collaboration of law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who made this investigation a success.”

“This sentencing ends an exhaustive investigation that stopped a conspiracy that compounded an epidemic that is killing our citizens,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The lengthy sentences received by Forrester and three other defendants in this case serve as an example of the FBI and our law enforcement partners commitment to end the opioid crisis.”

“These criminals’ days of selling poison, destroying lives and spreading violence are over,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners worked tirelessly to bring an end to this criminal organization that profited by flooding the community with dangerous drugs. “

 “The illegal manufacture and distribution of opioids can result in overdoses and deaths, fueling the national opioid crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “The FDA remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle illegal prescription drug manufacturing and distribution networks, including those that import illicit raw materials from overseas to make counterfeit drugs, and misuse the internet to distribute those drugs with reckless disregard of the risk to public health and safety.”

“This is yet another case of individuals distributing poison in our communities,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Illegal drug distribution continues to plague our communities, leaving catastrophic physical, emotional, and financial effects. IRS-Criminal Investigation will continue to follow the money trail and work with our law enforcement partners to eradicate illegal drug distribution operations and protect our communities, even if it leads to the Dark Web.”

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command (CID), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Harlem Department of Public Safety.

The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Rhodes. 

AUGUSTA, GA:  Two Grovetown men have been charged in separate federal indictments alleging possession of child pornography.

Jordan Logan, 35, and Johnathan Malone, 22, have been indicted by a U.S. District Court Grand Jury on one count each of Possession of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, followed by registration as a sex offender and a period of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Cyber exploitation of children is at epidemic levels, and we commend our law enforcement partners for their diligence in finding those who would engage in such abhorrent behavior,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We likewise will be diligent in prosecuting these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”

In both of these cases, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) received information that led to online investigations and subsequent searches that found illegal images on devices in possession of the defendants.

“This indictment illustrates the hard work of law enforcement to investigate crimes against children,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds. “The GBI is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure that child sexual exploitation cases are aggressively pursued. We are especially grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication to prosecute these cases.”

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

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  A former resident of Fort Stewart faces up to life in prison on charges of sexually abusing a child.

Meighan O’Donnell, 28, of Huntington, N.Y., was indicted by a U.S. District Court grand jury on one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 12, and Abusive Sexual Contact With a Child Under 12, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a potential penalty of up to life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Along with our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively pursue anyone who would exploit or endanger the most vulnerable members of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We commend the investigators and child advocates who help protect these young citizens from harm.”

Redmond, Ore., police contacted the FBI after a juvenile reported to a child advocate that sexual abuse had occurred when the juvenile was a resident of Fort Stewart. O’Donnell later was located and charged in New York.

“Ending child sexual abuse takes strong partnerships between law enforcement, child advocacy groups and citizens,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case is a perfect example of how that works. An arrest would not have been possible without the courage of a young child, the awareness of a child advocate, and the strong law enforcement partnerships that cross this country.”

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

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command (CID), and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Bearden.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Florida man arrested after a high-speed chase in Liberty County has been indicted on a federal drug charge. 

Sherick Sharari Leshane Brinson, 26, of Eatonville, Fla., is charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Because the amount of cocaine seized is alleged to be greater than 500 grams, the charge carries a possible sentence of life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

“We are grateful that our law enforcement partners safely brought the defendant into custody,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We applaud their vigilance in helping to keep illegal drugs out of our communities.”

Brinson was taken into custody after allegedly leading Georgia State Patrol troopers and Liberty County Sheriff’s deputies in a chase on Georgia highways 405 and 38 that reached speeds of up to 127 mph.

“Transporting illegal drugs leads to only one destination, prison,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “DEA, its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office stand united and will not allow traffickers to turn our roads into cocaine and meth highways.”

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

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Hephzibah man arrested at an Augusta motel when a 14-year-old boy signaled that he was in danger has been sentenced to federal prison for production of child pornography.

Richard Hunt Moore Jr., 49, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall to 264 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $1 million, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Moore will be required to serve 20 years on supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“This monstrous predation came to an end when a child in danger reached out to a motel worker, and that alert staff member quickly notified authorities,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “The act of seeing something and saying something allowed law enforcement to do something by shutting down Moore and his fellow predators before another child could be harmed.”

According to court documents and testimony, the investigation began when Moore was found with a minor at a motel in Augusta. After questioning Moore, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office investigators and the FBI discovered child pornography on electronic devices in Moore’s possession. Those images led to other defendants in the case, and to their indictment on federal charges.

Moore pled guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography, as did Charles Casey Garner, 40, of Brooklet, Ga., and Carl Scott Ruger, 40, of Guyton, Ga. Garner previously was sentenced to 15 years in prison, ordered to pay $1 million in restitution, and to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term, which is to run concurrently with any sentence for state charges he faces in Effingham County. Ruger is awaiting sentencing.

A fourth target in the investigation committed suicide in Illinois before questioning. Moore faces prosecution for additional charges in state court.

“Predators like Moore have no place in a civilized society. Their victims are re-victimized every time their images are shared or viewed,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains committed to protecting our young citizens and is thankful for the law enforcement partnerships that make it possible to stop people like Moore from victimizing any more children.”

“This case sends a message not just to those who look to prey on our children, but also reiterates ‘If You See Something, Say Something.’ In this case, an observant worker helped save a child from unimaginable evil,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “I am pleased by the results in this case as well as the great work that HSI and its partners are doing to protect our youth.”  

The cases were investigated by HSI and the FBI, along with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Lyons and Marcela C. Mateo.

AUGUSTA, Ga: A former official at Fort Gordon has been sentenced to federal prison for lying to investigators about his disclosure of confidential information used to award competitive bids.

Vaughn Moffett, 63, of Sharpsburg, Ga., was sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined $15,000 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to False Statement or Representation Made to a Department or Agency of the United States, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his sentence, Moffett will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.  

“Vaughn Moffett used insider information to steer business toward a specific, corrupt vendor,” said Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “Moffett and the other defendants disgraced their oaths to their country, and accordingly are being held accountable for their greed.”

According to information provided in court documents and proceedings, Moffett, as deputy director of the U.S. Army Signal Network Enterprise Center (NEC) at Fort Gordon, used his access to contract bid and proposal information to assist the Communications Research, Engineering and Consultants (CREC) Group with winning a contract for upgrading the Army’s communications infrastructure at Fort Gordon in 2014. When investigators later questioned Moffett, he falsely and fraudulently denied knowing how CREC was awarded the contract.

Moffett, who retired from the Army as a major in 1996, began federal service as a civilian employee in 2005.

Other defendants in the investigation each are serving federal sentences of 60 months in prison after entering guilty pleas in the investigation of bribery, bid-rigging and Small Business Administration fraud:

• Calvin Devear Lawyer, a retired U.S. Army colonel, owned the CREC Group, which had fraudulently received Small Business Administration (SBA) status as a small, disadvantaged business;
• Anthony R. Williams, while serving as a colonel in the U.S. Army, admitted he accepted bribes to steer federal procurement contracts to the CREC Group;
• Dwayne Oswald Fulton, then an employee of a defense contractor, joined Lawyer in securing small, disadvantaged status for the CREC Group.
• Anthony Roper, a former active duty U.S. Army colonel at Fort Gordon, was a co-conspirator with Lawyer. His wife, Audra Roper, was sentenced to probation for her role in the scheme. 

The cases were investigated by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Inspector General, and the United States Attorney’s Office.

“Today’s sentencing is a strong reminder that there is a price to pay for anyone who tries to defraud the government or lie to federal investigators,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Commands Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU). “It will not be tolerated, and we will work tirelessly with our legal and law enforcement partners to bring to justice anyone who violates the law.”

“Our office and its law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate false statements made in attempt to receive funds from SBA’s programs,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kupperbusch. “It is unconscionable to fraudulently attempt to gain access to SBA funds for personal gain and profit. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

“Government officials who use their positions for personal gain and undermine the public trust need to be held to the highest standards of justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, DCIS Southeast Field Office. “The sentencing of Vaughn Moffett sends a strong message to those who seek to undermine the Department of Defense procurement process.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Lyons prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Bryan County man admitted in federal court to attempting to persuade a minor to engage in sex.

Michael Wilson, 37, of Richmond Hill, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Attempted Coercion of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and a minimum of five years of supervised release after completion of the prison sentence.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Previously, Wilson’s wife, Lori Wilson, a/k/a “Loretta Lightningbolt,” 35, also of Richmond Hill, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Tampering with a Victim or Witness for attempting to persuade a victim to recant the accusations against Michael Wilson and withhold information from investigators. She awaits sentencing.

“The Wilsons represent a vile tag-team of abhorrent behavior that has no place in civilized society,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, we will work relentlessly to protect potential victims from predators and their enablers.”

According to court documents and testimony, Michael Wilson admitted attempting to coerce a minor victim to engage in sexual activity from 2017 through early 2019.  Michael Wilson, an active duty member of the military, also is charged with seven violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 120(b), Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child. These charges are pending and relate to multiple minor victims.

“No sentence for this man will wipe away the scars left on the child he victimized,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Wilson harmed a defenseless child for life. Our only hope is that his punishment will act as a deterrent to anyone who contemplates preying on our most vulnerable citizens.” 

The cases are being investigated by the FBI and by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katelyn Semales and Jennifer G. Solari.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Florida man who operated a durable medical equipment company has admitted participating in a Medicare kickback and telemedicine fraud scheme.

Patrick Wolfe, 48, of Belleair Beach, Fla., the operator of Wilmington Island Medical Inc., which does business as WI Medical Inc., a Georgia company, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court to one count of Conspiracy as charged in an Information, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Wolfe admits paying kickbacks in return for “leads,” which were in actuality signed orders from physicians and nurse practitioners, and then billing those orders to Medicare Part B and Medicare Part C using WI Medical.

The financial total for orders facilitated through this scheme is alleged to be in the millions of dollars. Medicare beneficiaries were located in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere.

The charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, plus substantial financial penalties and forfeitures, followed by three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“When the delivery of health care turns from providing comfort to patients to padding the pockets of greedy criminals, our office and those of our law enforcement partners will be there to protect our federal treasury,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. 

This prosecution, arising out of the related “Operation Brace Yourself” and “Operation Double Helix,” together with 25 other cases, involve the largest fraud operation in the history of the Southern District of Georgia. Those charged in this string of cases include eight physicians, two nurse practitioners, three operators of different telemedicine companies, three brokers of patient data, and several other owners of durable medical equipment companies.  The Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries whose identities were used as part of the scheme are located throughout the country, including throughout the Southern District of Georgia.

The combined $480 million in fraud charged in the Southern District of Georgia is part of nationwide operations by the Department of Justice that thus far has included allegations involving billions of fraudulent claims for genetic testing, orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items.

“Wolfe's admission of guilt is the first step in accountability for the damage he caused to Medicare and the tax payers of this country,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We must send the message that the FBI and our federal partners are dedicated to protecting the health care needs of deserving Americans that our government-subsidized programs provide.”

“It’s an outright crime when health care decisions are based on illegal kickbacks instead of what’s in the best interest of the patient,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard both the Medicare Trust Fund, as well as the health of our nation’s senior citizens.”

 “Our nation’s healthcare system cannot tolerate kickbacks to physicians and pharmacies while criminals line their pockets with taxpayer-funded healthcare dollars, particularly in light of our nation’s current struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler, U.S. Secret Service.  “Cases of this magnitude can only be tackled using a strategy that recognizes that the most effective way to fight these large criminal networks is by combining the strengths, resources, and expertise of our federal agencies.”

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.

This particular prosecution resulted from a joint investigation of multiple agencies and offices. U.S. Attorney Christine acclaimed the hard work of the investigatory team, led by FBI - Savannah, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan A. Porter are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man has been indicted for setting a May 3 fire that burned the city’s Code Enforcement Office.

Stephen Charles Setter, 18, of Savannah, was indicted on one count of Arson by a U.S. District Court grand jury, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a minimum possible sentence of five years in prison, up to 20 years, along with substantial financial fines and penalties and up to five years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Protection of life and property is paramount in our service to the community,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We are grateful that the exceptional efforts of the Savannah Fire Department safely secured the facility and surrounding structures from further harm, with no injuries to firefighters or other citizens.”

According to the indictment, on May 3, 2020, Setter is alleged to have “maliciously damaged and destroyed, by means of fire,” the City of Savannah Code Enforcement Office at 1700 Drayton Street.

“Through a collaborative effort with the ATF, we achieved a swift resolution to this devastating crime,” said Savannah Fire Department Chief Fire Investigator Fred Anderson.

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

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  Ten defendants were indicted this week on felony charges, including federal firearms violations, under the umbrella of the Department of Justice’s Project Guardian.

In addition to firearms charges, many of the 10 indictments charge a range of federal crimes including drug trafficking, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Most of the indictments target previously convicted felons, several of whom were on state parole or probation at the time of their indictment.

“As a key Department of Justice initiative, Project Guardian leverages the cooperative relationship between our office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to protect our communities by identifying and removing gun criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Together we will continue working to keep our communities safer by targeting repeat offenders who illegally possess and use firearms.”

Those named in the federal indictments include:

• John Wesley Boone, a/k/a “Boone,” a/k/a “J,” 33, of Brunswick, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Ecstasy and Crack Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
• Joseph Jay Gartrell III, 36, of Augusta, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. 
• Tron Smith, 33, of Savannah, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
• Dominique Johnson, 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of Cocaine and Marijuana.
• Courtney Spann, 28, of Statesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of Ammunition and Firearms by a Convicted Felon.
• Chance Derrell Christian, 41, of Kingstree, S.C., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Samuel Powell III, 37, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Arkeem Collins, 24, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Clifford Stone, 28, of Wrens, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Delvon Brown, 34, 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.

“ATF will continue to focus its resources on this results-driven initiative to curb firearms-related violent crime in the Southern District of Georgia,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF.

The cases are investigated under Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws, and the Prosecutor to Prosecutor Program (P3), which provides collaboration between federal and state prosecutors to determine the most appropriate venue for prosecuting crimes.

In addition to the ATF, agencies involved in investigation of the cases include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Georgia State Patrol, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Police Department, the Savannah Police Department, the Hinesville Police Department, the Glynn County Police Department, and the Statesboro Police Department.

The cases are being investigated for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys including Project Guardian Coordinator Henry W. Syms; Joshua Bearden; Jennifer Stanley; Jennifer Kirkland; John P. Harper III; and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edwin Caban and Noah Abrams.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia woman who operated a telemedicine network through two companies has admitted to participation in an ever-growing healthcare and telemedicine fraud scheme.

Charlene Frame, the operator of Royal Physician Network, LLC, and Envision It Perfect, LLC, both Georgia companies, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to a charge of Conspiracy for conspiring to pay medical providers, such as physicians and nurse practitioners, in exchange for obtaining orders for durable medical equipment (DME) that would then be sold to DME providers and, ultimately, billed to Medicare, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

The financial total for orders facilitated through this scheme is alleged in court documents to be in excess of $60 million for thousands of patient orders. Medicare beneficiaries were located in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere.

“Charlene Frame used her network of companies to blatantly defraud the government’s insurance safety net for seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We will not tolerate such greed-fueled theft from these programs, and will continue to root out these despicable frauds.”  

This prosecution, arising out of the related “Operation Brace Yourself” and “Operation Double Helix,” together with 25 other previously announced cases, involve the largest fraud operation in the history of the Southern District of Georgia. Those charged in this string of cases include eight physicians, two nurse practitioners, two other operators of different telemedicine companies, three brokers of patient data, and several owners of durable medical equipment companies.  The Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries whose identities were used as part of the scheme are located throughout the country, including throughout the Southern District of Georgia.

The combined $480 million in fraud charged in the Southern District of Georgia is part of nationwide operations by the Department of Justice that thus far has included allegations involving billions of fraudulent claims for genetic testing, orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items.

“Frame’s fraud scheme of $60-million has put tremendous strain on our federally-subsidized health care programs and it is only a small part of a much larger operation,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “She will be held accountable for her greed and the affect it has had on our tax paying citizens, especially those who need government assistance for their health care needs.”

“Paying kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals is a dangerous and illegal practice,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “The OIG, in concert with our law enforcement partners, is dedicated to ensuring that patient referrals are based on sound medical advice and not financial remuneration.”  

“This type of corruption involving health care fraud against Medicare has managed to defraud American taxpayers of millions upon millions of dollars,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service. “The U.S. Secret Service and our partners are always willing to take prompt and coordinated actions to hold these telemarketers and medical professionals responsible for placing personal greed above the good of the public, particularly in light of our nation’s current struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

This investigation is ongoing. As telemedicine becomes an increasing part of our healthcare system, 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.

This particular prosecution resulted from a joint investigation of multiple agencies and offices. U.S. Attorney Christine acclaimed the hard work of the investigatory team, led by FBI - Savannah, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Porter is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

STATESBORO, GA:  A former Bulloch County sheriff’s deputy has pled guilty in U.S. District Court to possession of child pornography.

Travis Tuenge, 44, of Statesboro, entered the plea before U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall to one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a substantial fine, followed by a period of supervised release and registration as a sex offender.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Exploitation of children through child pornography is a despicable crime that we will not tolerate in the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Travis Tuenge violated innocent children through his deviant behavior, but also violated the trust of his community and his oath of office as a law enforcement officer.”

According to court documents and testimony, Tuenge – who served as a Superior Court security officer – came under investigation after the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office received a report of suspicious text messages from Tuenge regarding alleged victimization of children. With assistance from the GBI, investigators discovered images of child pornography on Tuenge’s cell phone.

“It is of utmost importance that public officials, especially sworn law enforcement officers, committing crimes be held accountable for their actions,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). “The GBI remains committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure that these type cases are aggressively investigated and prosecuted in order to maintain the faith and trust of the public.”  

The case was investigated by the GBI and the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua S. Bearden and Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Three men were sentenced to federal prison in separate cases adjudicated today (June 29, 2020) in the Southern District of Georgia.

In sessions in U.S. District Court in Savannah and Augusta, each of the defendants who previously pled guilty to felony charges received sentences including federal prison terms followed by periods of supervised release, said, Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Those sentenced Monday include:

• Rashad Stanford, 37, of Savannah, sentenced to 92 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood. Stanford, with five previous felony convictions for entering automobiles, pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He was arrested by Savannah Police in January 2019 after brandishing a firearm – later determined to have been stolen in a previous vehicle break-in – when a victim found Stanford rummaging through his car. 
• Vodie Nathaniel Bell Jr., 30, of Savannah, sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release by Judge Wood. Bell, who has three prior felony convictions, pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Bell was carrying a pistol in his pocket when he was arrested by Savannah Police in May 2018 on an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault.
• John Russell Dixon, 40, of Waynesboro, sentenced to 80 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall. Dixon pled guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine and Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Drug User. Dixon was arrested by Burke County and Richmond County sheriff’s deputies after an October 2018 traffic stop in which significant amounts of drugs, cash and two firearms were found in his vehicle.

The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua S. Bearden, Henry W. Syms Jr., Joseph McCool and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Semales. 

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A gang member and convicted felon will spend the next decade in federal prison after sentencing in U.S. District Court.

Wilbert Lee Stephens Jr., a/k/a “Lil Bill,” a/k/a “Wild Bill,” 28, of Morrow, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 120 months in prison – the maximum for the offense, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Stephens pled guilty to an Information charging him with Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. After completion of his incarceration, Stephens will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“As a convicted felon with a long history of violent offenses, Wilbert Stephens was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “His history of sociopathic behavior amply demonstrates that he shouldn’t be anywhere near firearms – or free society.”

According to court documents and testimony, Stephens was pulled over for speeding in excess of 100 mph by a Georgia State Patrol trooper who smelled the odor of marijuana in the vehicle. A subsequent search discovered nearly a pound of marijuana, an Ak-47 rifle on the back seat, and ammunition in Stephens’ pocket.

Stephens, who was on state probation, was arrested and later indicted related to a criminal drug trafficking conspiracy. During the investigation he was determined to be a member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang.

“Stephens had a chance to turn his life around while on probation but instead chose to commit further crimes, proving that he has not learned from his prior convictions,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “He will now go back to prison where he can no longer be a threat to society.”

This investigation took place under the umbrella of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Georgia State Patrol and the Glynn County Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kirkland.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  Five Floridians are each facing substantial federal prison sentences after admitting they brought stolen firearms into south Georgia.

Cleveland Williams Jr., 58; Demetris Williams, 26, Julius Williams, 31, Isaiah Hicks, 65, and Megan Robinson, 27, all of Leesburg, Florida, each pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Conspiracy to Transport Stolen Firearms, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Citizens of the Southern District rightfully deserve law enforcement to cooperatively target violent offenders through state, local, and federal partnerships,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “I commend our state and local agencies and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their tremendous efforts to make our district safer.”

According to evidence presented, on the afternoon of June 16, 2018, the co-conspirators shared an unlawful plan to obtain and possess multiple stolen firearms, including a Bersa Thunder .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Mossberg Model 930 12-guage shotgun. The group then brought the firearms from Lakeland County, Florida, to Wayne, Brantley, and Charlton counties in Georgia.

The case is one of many developed through the Prosecutor-to-Prosecutor Program (P3) established by U.S. Attorney Christine. P3’s mission is to create a mechanism by which state and federal prosecutors share case information to determine if federal prosecution is appropriate due to complex or novel issues.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Jesup Police Department, the Folkston Police Department, the Charlton County Sheriff’s Department and the Georgia State Patrol. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant United States Attorneys John Harper and Joshua Bearden.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A pharmacist who owned and operated Fulghum Pharmacy in Baxley, Ga. was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy that involved health care fraud and illegal distribution of opioids.

Ray Ashley Dixon, R.Ph., 42, of Baxley, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to conspiracy, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In addition, Dixon will be on supervised release for three years following completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Pharmacists are entrusted with significant responsibility in our healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Illegally distributing drugs is a major violation of that trust, and pharmacists who do so will find, like Ray Dixon, that there is no tolerance for such crimes in the Southern District.”

According to court documents and information presented during the sentencing hearing, Dixon distributed opioids, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, to several individuals without a legitimate prescription issued by a physician in the usual course of professional practice. Upon inspection by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Fulghum Pharmacy could not account for more than 10,000 units controlled substances. Dixon, through his pharmacy, also was a major source of opioids for patients of notorious convicted pill-mill operator Dr. Frank Bynes, Jr., distributing in excess of 110,000 units of opioids and other controlled substances during a 15-month period.

In addition to his drug distribution, Dixon created fake prescriptions for expensive medications and then billed insurance programs, including Medicare Part D plans and Medicaid, for those medications, despite the fact that the medications were neither prescribed nor dispensed. According to information presented during the sentencing hearing, Ray Dixon’s fraud amounted to more than $1.8 million over four years, which he will be required to pay back as restitution. Ray Dixon also agreed to forfeit cash, vehicles, and investment accounts as part of his agreement with the government.

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented, “This pharmacist spun a web of deception by illegally distributing prescriptions opioids and other controlled substances. Such careless behavior allows for substances to be diverted and sold on the black market with no true measure of accountability. This sentencing will discourage other negligent healthcare providers from engaging in unlawful criminal behavior.”  

“Creating fake prescriptions for expensive medications and then fraudulently billing them to Medicare and Medicaid is an appalling act,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta.  “Today’s sentencing should act as a fair warning to anyone who might be contemplating similarly illegal conduct.”

“A primary means of addressing opioid-addiction in this country is to ensure that only those with legitimate medical needs receive such drugs in the first place,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Mr. Dixon ignored his important gatekeeping function and did so for his own benefit. We commend U.S. Attorney Christine’s Office and believe that the sentence Mr. Dixon received sends a strong message that this will not be tolerated.”

“Like so many other communities, Appling County has been overcome with the struggles associated with drug abuse,” said Appling County Sheriff Mark Melton. “Specifically, the illicit pill market has hit us hard, causing many of our citizens to follow a path of destruction in which they will never return. In the law enforcement arena, we expect to deal with these problems from the corrupt drug cartels and their networks. However, we never expect it to come from our professional providers such as Mr. Dixon, who became greedy and took advantage of the system and caused many to be affected and destroyed by his unacceptable behavior.”

Patients can be the first line of defense in stopping health care fraud. If you receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) with medications or services that you did not receive, please contact the healthcare fraud hotline maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/.

Ray Dixon was investigated by a team comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Christine lauded the cooperation by the investigative team, which was comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Georgia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Appling County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and J. Thomas Clarkson prosecuted Dixon, with significant assistance by Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier A. Cunningham on asset recovery issues and Georgia Assistant Attorney General Jim Mooney on Medicaid fraud issues.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Five Augusta-area men are headed to federal prison after being sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in separate cases involving firearms.

The five men, each facing U.S. District Court Chief Judge J.Randal Hall, were sentenced to federal prison terms to be followed by a period of supervised release, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“A cornerstone of our office’s prosecutions is the Prosecutor to Prosecutor Program, in which we collaborate with local district attorneys to determine the best venue for cases,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “As these sentences demonstrate, federal court often is the best option for prosecuting violent criminals with illegally carried firearms, because substantial prison time awaits – with no parole.”

Sentenced in the cases are:

• Darryl Kennedy Daggett, 30, of Augusta, to 188 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Daggett pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine and Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Daggett, who has a history of convictions on state narcotics charges, was arrested in December 2018 by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies after a search of his vehicle revealed substantial amounts of illegal drugs and a stolen firearm. He was adjudicated as a career offender.
• Steven Williams, 31, of Hephzibah, to 188 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Williams, arrested in June 2019 by Richmond County Sheriff’s investigators, pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Because of his substantial criminal record including state convictions for burglary, narcotics and firearms, Williams was adjudicated as an armed career criminal.
• Terry Benjamin Jr. 45, of Augusta, to 48 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Benjamin pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Benjamin, who was found in possession of a pistol in April 2019 after a disturbance at an Augusta hotel, has an extensive record of criminal convictions including crimes involving violence, firearms and drugs.
• Larry Meminger Jr., 34, of Augusta, to 60 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Meminger pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He was charged after a May 2018 report by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies who responded to a call in which Meminger, claiming a home invasion, had suffered a minor gunshot wound. The investigation determined the wound was accidentally self-inflicted. Meminger, who had outstanding warrants at the time, was located and arrested six months later. Meminger has a substantial criminal record that includes multiple state convictions related to illegal drugs.
• Jerry Kemp Jr., 41, of Wrens, Ga., to 77 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Kemp pled guilty to an Information charging him with Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. He was arrested by the Wrens Police Department in October 2018 after officers responded to reports of a man pointing a firearm. Kemp has a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions for violence and firearms-related charges.

“These defendants 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “These arrests have made the Southern District of Georgia a safer place.

This investigations took place under the umbrella of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.

The cases were investigated by the ATF, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Wrens Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro V. Pascual IV, Henry W. Syms Jr., and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Marchman Jr.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Augusta University Medical Center, Inc. (AUMC) has agreed to a settlement with the United States, the State of Georgia, and the State of South Carolina to resolve allegations that AUMC submitted false claims to several government-funded healthcare programs. 

The government contended that AUMC violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to federal healthcare programs for a procedure that was not covered by Medicare and Medicaid. The investigation involved these medically unreasonable and unnecessary “procedures,” which was referred to as a “Belsey Collis” and billed as a covered procedure, as well as post-surgical follow-up care. From the early stages of the government’s investigation, AUMC actively cooperated and fully committed to both monetary and non-monetary corrective actions for the alleged misconduct.

“Our office is committed to ensuring providers billing federal health care programs do so properly and that the medical care provided is appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “AUMC should be commended for its response to the government’s investigation. From the outset, AUMC was cooperative with the government’s investigation and took proactive remedial steps.”

“Every precaution must be taken to ensure that items and services billed to publicly-funded healthcare programs are necessary and comply with program guidelines,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “When missteps occur, we appreciate the efforts of institutions like AUMC that seek to remedy the past and improve moving forward.”

 “In concert with our partners, our office is committed to safeguarding our nation’s federally and state-funded health care programs,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “We appreciate AUMC’s willingness to cooperate with the investigation and quickly right this wrong.”   

“It is vitally important that we protect our government funded health care programs against fraud of any kind,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case is an example of the cooperative investigative efforts of federal and state partners to make sure monies from these important programs are directed only to legitimate claims.”

“This settlement agreement typifies the efforts of DCIS to protect the integrity of the DoD health care program (TRICARE) from fraud and abuse,” said Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, DCIS Southeast Field Office.  “DoD Tricare providers need to be held to the highest standards of care that is deserving of the warfighters they serve.”

“Medicaid is a system of trust, and anytime someone commits healthcare fraud it drives up the cost of care for everyone. This is a case where AUMC worked with state and federal prosecutors and investigators to restore that trust, and I would like to thank those involved in reaching this positive resolution,” said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.       

The claims resolved by this settlement agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

U.S. Attorney Christine and Attorneys General Carr and Wilson lauded the diligent work of the investigatory team, led by Special Agent David J. Graupner of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Special Agent Jonathan Escobar of the FBI, Special Agent Derek Ranger of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Chief Nurse Investigator Judy Cooper and Investigative Auditor Phoenecia Hunt of the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Patrick J. Schwedler. The state of Georgia was represented by Assistant Attorney General James Mooney. Assistance was provided by the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The Department of Justice‘s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced nearly $42 million in funding to support state-level law enforcement agencies in combating the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil and prescription opioids. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will receive $2,474,918 in funding to support investigations into trafficking in heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.

“The GBI is a steadfast law enforcement partner in combating the scourge of drug trafficking in the Southern District,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “This funding is a welcome boost for our work to seek and destroy the poison piped into our communities.”

“The GBI is honored to receive these grant funds from the Justice Department to enhance our current drug strategy to combat illegal and harmful opioids. Having this additional support from our federal partners will help us in our effort to keep Georgia communities healthy and safe,” said Vic Reynolds, GBI Director.

“The scourge of opioid and methamphetamine use continues to take a devastating toll on our nation’s communities,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “By providing these resources to law enforcement to help combat the further spread, the COPS Office is demonstrating our commitment to this Administration’s priority of reducing drug use and protecting our citizens from this public health and safety crisis.”

“Georgia will benefit greatly from this federal support backing our state’s fight against illegal drug trafficking,” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “The professionals at GBI are heroically engaged in combatting the manufacture and sale of deadly drugs in communities across the Middle District of Georgia. We are all grateful for their relentless effort in this battle.”

“The GBI is a great partner in our efforts to address the heroin and opioid problem in the Northern District through Operation SCOPE (Strategically Combatting Opioids through Prosecution and Enforcement). This grant award will give the State of Georgia much-needed resources to continue our efforts to prosecute drug dealers and doctors who are illegally prescribing and distributing opioids,” said Byung J. “BJay” Pak, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. 

Drug overdose deaths and opioid-involved deaths continue to increase in the United States.  Deaths from drug overdose are up among both men and women, all races, and adults of nearly all ages, with more than three out of five drug overdose deaths involving an opioid. More than 130 people die every day in the United States after overdosing on opioids, while methamphetamine continues to be one of the most commonly misused stimulant drugs in the world and is the drug that most contributes to violent crime.

The COPS Office is awarding more than $29.7 million in grant funding to 14 state law enforcement agency task forces through the Anti-Heroin Task Force Program (AHTF), of which the GBI is a recipient. AHTF provides three years of funding directly to state-level law enforcement agencies with multijurisdictional reach and interdisciplinary team (e.g., task force) structures, in states with high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions for heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil and other opioids. This funding will support the location or investigation of illicit activities through statewide collaboration related to the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.

Through the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP), the COPS Office is also awarding $12 million to 12 state law enforcement agencies.  These state agencies have demonstrated numerous seizures of precursor chemicals, finished methamphetamine, laboratories, and laboratory dump seizures. State agencies are being awarded three years of funding through CAMP to support the location or investigation of illicit activities related to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, including precursor diversion, laboratories, or methamphetamine trafficking.

The AHTF and CAMP funding has a tremendous impact on state investigative and seizure work.  During the five month period between October 2019 and February 2020, current AHTF grantees reported the seizure of over $4 million in cash and 1,213 firearms.  Similarly, for CAMP, grantees reported seizures of more than $7 million in cash and 1,577 firearms.

The complete list of Anti-Heroin Task Force Program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here:  https://cops.usdoj.gov/ahtf-award

The complete list of COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here:  https://cops.usdoj.gov/camp-award

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 135,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Two major federal prosecutions in the Southern District of Georgia have shut down animal fighting operations and resulted in felony and misdemeanor charges. The investigations involve more than 200 potential defendants.

An arrest warrant was unsealed today – June 22 – in U.S. District Court in Statesboro for a raid Saturday at in Midville, Ga., near Swainsboro, in which law enforcement officers from at least nine federal and state agencies shut down a cockfighting event in progress with 178 individuals in attendance, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Also today, a federal indictment was unsealed naming 38 individuals charged in the Dec. 14, 2019, raid of a cockfight in progress in Lincoln County, Ga. Nearly all of the 38 defendants were from outside Lincoln County.

“Most people in our community rightly would be shocked to learn that the barbaric bloodsport of cockfighting still exists, is happening right in their midst, and may involve numerous other types of criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “But thanks to the outstanding cooperation and work of our law enforcement partners, these cruel activities and a potential bevy of other criminal activities have been dealt a significant blow in the Southern District of Georgia.” 

Saturday’s raid, dubbed Operation Sunrise, began with information developed by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety Immigration Enforcement Unit (SCDPS-IEU), leading to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG). That investigation identified a cockfighting operation at a facility south of Midville, Ga., that already had staged several events this year in an indoor arena outfitted with a fighting ring, management office, concessions stand, and stadium bleachers for spectators.

In addition to the SCDPS-IEU and USDA-OIG, federal and state agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) SWAT Team, and the Georgia Department of Corrections, with coordination from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, conducted Saturday’s raid coinciding with a reported cockfighting tournament in progress.

The raid resulted in 178 individuals in attendance processed for possible federal and state charges including those related to animal fighting and gambling, and the seizure of nearly 800 roosters and cockfighting paraphernalia, tens of thousands of dollars in gambling proceeds, firearms and illegal drugs.

The owner of the property, William Shannon Scott, 48, of Midville, is charged in a federal complaint unsealed today with Sponsoring or Exhibiting an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture. Additional charges are pending, and felony and misdemeanor charges are possible against the other individuals processed during Saturday’s operation.

“The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, actively investigates allegations of animal abuse and gambling activities in conjunction with that abuse,” said USDA-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Jason Williams. “This agency has made animal fighting a high priority in order to demonstrate that these blatant acts of cruelty to animals will no longer be tolerated.  We would like to thank United States Attorney’s Office for aggressively prosecuting perpetrators of animal fighting and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for assisting in enforcing these federal statutes.”

Also unsealed today in U.S. District Court is the indictment of 38 individuals on federal felony and misdemeanor charges for the Dec. 14, 2019, raid of a cockfighting tournament in Lincoln County, Ga, by officers from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia DNR.

In the indictment, the property’s owner, Lanier Augustus Hightower Jr., 64, of Lincolnton, is charged along with six other defendants with Sponsoring or Exhibiting and Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture, and Possession and Transport of an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture. All 38 defendants are charged with Attending an Animal Fighting Venture, a misdemeanor. Hightower also is charged with Conducting an Illegal Gambling Business.

Both investigations are continuing.

Complaints and indictments are only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro V. Pascual IV, Jennifer G. Solari and Xavier A. Cunningham, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Edwin Caban.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Florida man has been arraigned in U.S. District Court on charges related to his alleged attempts to coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Gordon T. Cooper, 46, of Clermont, Fla., appeared in a virtual hearing before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps regarding his indictment on charges of Attempted Coercion and Enticement, and Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The maximum penalty for the charges are up to life in prison and substantial fines and penalties, followed by a registration as a sex offender and a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our law enforcement partners remain vigilant in monitoring cyber traffic for predators targeting vulnerable citizens, especially children,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Likewise, our office continues to be aggressive in prosecuting those found responsible for illegal online activities.”

According to court documents and testimony, the investigation began when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about online traffic targeting a minor who resides in Columbia County. The messages were attempting to induce the minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and shared obscene material with the minor. GBI investigators monitoring the messages identified and arrested Cooper.

“This indictment illustrates the great work of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes against children,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “The GBI is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure that child sexual exploitation cases are aggressively pursued.”

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

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood (PSC). The case is being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and PSC Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

SAVANNAH, GA:  An Italian national has been sentenced to federal prison after his conviction for violating national security laws.

Gabriele Villone of Italy was sentenced to 28 months in prison for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA), said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. 

“The defendant tried to obtain industrial equipment from the United States on behalf of a Russian energy company in violation of U.S. sanctions,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who threaten our national security.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Villone, along with two Russian nationals, an Italian national, a U.S. citizen and various companies, conspired to obtain a power turbine from the United States without a license on behalf of a Russian energy company based in St. Petersburg. Villone and some of his co-defendants were arrested in Savannah, Ga., while attempting to complete the illegal transaction.

According to the indictment, the conspiracy began when an unnamed Russian government-controlled business contracted with Oleg Nikitin, a Russian national, and KS Engineering (“KSE”), the Russian-based energy company, to purchase a power turbine from a U.S.-based manufacturer for approximately $17.3 million. Evidence in the case established the intent of the Russian company to use the turbine on a Russian Arctic deepwater drilling platform. For reasons of national security, the U.S. Department of Commerce expressly prohibited any unlicensed shipment or transfer of the turbine to the Russian company for that purpose.

The indictment further alleged that Nikitin, KSE, and another KSE employee, Anton Cheremukhin, hired Villone, Bruno Caparini and GVA International 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. 

“The illegal transfer of technology that allows our adversaries to gain a military advantage will never be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Cyndy Bruce, DCIS Southeast Field Office. “The United States will continue to conduct investigations to ensure our critical technologies are secure and those who seek to infiltrate our defense systems are brought to justice.”

 “This defendant was part of a bold, shameless scheme to undermine United States sanctions,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This direct threat to national security was upended because of a collaborative investigation by federal law enforcement partners and now justice is being served to those involved in it.”

“The export and cargo environment examinations are a critical component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s trade enforcement and border security missions,” said Donald F. Yando, Director of CBP Field Operations Atlanta. “CBP remains committed to working with our partners and enforcing the laws and regulations that are in place to protect the American public.”  

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 investigated 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.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Chatham County has been added to the Atlanta-Carolinas Region High Intensity Drug Trafficking area (HIDTA) in an effort to assist in the community’s fight against drug trafficking.

The designation, by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), means Chatham County will gain access to additional federal resources to coordinate local efforts to fight drug trafficking and abuse, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Chatham is the first county in Georgia outside the metro Atlanta area to be included in an HIDTA.

“Being named as part of HIDTA will provide a significant boost to law enforcement in combatting deadly drugs such as opioids and methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “These additional resources will be used to disrupt the flow of drugs in the greater Savannah area, and hold accountable those who would distribute poison in our communities.”

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Chatham joins the Atlanta/Carolinas HIDTA, which includes multiple counties in the Atlanta area, and in South and North Carolina. The grant program is administered by the ONDCP, with significant support from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“This additional HIDTA designation will create a focus on new areas affected by drug trafficking. Through the HIDTA program, law enforcement officials enhance collaboration and engage in a coordinated drug enforcement effort that exploits drug-related crimes.” ONDCP Director Jim Carroll said. “As President Trump and First Lady Trump have made clear, we cannot stand for the flow of deadly drugs coming into our communities, which often leads to substance use disorder and violence. It’s imperative that we continue to support and enable communities to be safe and healthy.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division stated, “The HIDTA program will advance Chatham County’s efforts to reduce the influence of drug distribution organizations on the community, therefore reducing other violent crimes. The goal is simply to diminish the illegal drug market by dismantling violent drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, through law enforcement coordination.”  

Funding for new HIDTAs currently is being finalized for congressional appropriation.  

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Bryan County woman admitted in federal court to attempting to persuade a victim to recant allegations that the woman’s husband had coerced a minor for sex.

Lori Wilson, a/k/a “Loretta Lightningbolt,” 35, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Tampering with a Victim or Witness, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, followed by up to five years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“The facts in this case are disturbing, especially when you consider the defendant relentlessly worked to persuade a minor victim to recant serious allegations of sexual misconduct by an adult,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “But we will be even more relentless in pursuing justice for vulnerable victims of child predators.”

Wilson’s husband, Michael Wilson, 37, is charged in the Southern District of Georgia with one count each of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and currently is awaiting trial. According to court documents and testimony, Michael Wilson is accused of attempting to coerce a minor victim to engage in sexual activity from 2017 through early 2019.  Additionally, Michael Wilson is charged with seven violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 120(b), Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child. These charges relate to multiple minor victims.

After the minors reported the information to authorities, Lori Wilson admitted intimidating and persuading one of the victims to withhold information from authorities, trying to persuade the victim that the minor’s experiences were “psychic visions” or “dreams,” and to communicate false information to agents of the Army Criminal Investigation Command, among others.

“This defendant tried to manipulate a child from telling the truth about being sexually victimized by another adult,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “No sentence can wipe away the scars those actions left on this child, but hopefully it will send a message to anyone who contemplates preying on our most vulnerable citizens.”

The cases are being investigated by the FBI and by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Semales and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A sex offender previously convicted in state courts has been has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison after being captured in a nationwide sting while attempting to commit additional crimes against children.

Benjamin Ray, 40, of Honea Path, S.C., was sentenced to 258 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. after pleading guilty to Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity for incidents that occurred in Chatham County, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In addition, Ray must serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“There will be no more opportunities for this criminal to prey on children,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Thanks to the outstanding effort of our law enforcement partners, his days of catch and release in the system of another state are over.”

According to information presented during his sentencing hearing, Ray has a more than 20-year history as a child predator, starting at age 17 when he was convicted of molesting an 8-year-old girl. After a brief prison term he was convicted at age 22 of molesting an 11-year-old girl. After release from custody, Ray repeatedly was convicted of failing to register as a sex offender.

Ray was arrested in 2019 as part of Operation Broken Heart, a nationwide operation conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces, after Ray held a vulgar online conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer whom Ray believed to be a child. During the subsequent investigation, officers found evidence that Ray was committing crimes with a real child and seeking 14-year-old victims.

“This criminal will be spending more than a year in jail for every year of his life that he has been molesting and preying on children,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Unfortunately, even a 21-and-a-half-year sentence will not restore the innocence of all the children who have fallen victim to this predator.”

Operation Broken Heart led to the arrest of nearly 1,700 suspected online child sex offenders, including two in the Southern District of Georgia. The task forces identified 308 offenders who either produced child pornography or committed child sexual abuse, and identified 357 children who suffered recent, ongoing or historical sexual

During the course of the operation, the task forces investigated more than 18,500 complaints of technology-facilitated crimes targeting children and delivered more than 2,150 presentations on internet safety to over 201,000 youth and adults.

The other Southern District defendant in the operation, Steven Andrew Ross, 30, of Savannah, was sentenced in February to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor. 

The ICAC Program is funded through the Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). For more information, visit the ICAC Task Force webpage at www.icactaskforce.org.

The cases in the Southern District of Georgia were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Savannah Police Department, in conjunction with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Groover.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Florida man who supplied Medicare patient information to his co-conspirators to ultimately bill Medicare for durable medical equipment claims has been charged for his alleged participation in a kickback and telemedicine fraud scheme. 

Daniel Craig Hallam, a/k/a Daniel Craig, 41, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is accused of conspiring to pay kickbacks for “leads,” or patient identifications and insurance information, of persons who may need durable medical equipment, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. According to court filings, Craig then received a percentage of the profit from a durable medical equipment company – which billed Medicare for the durable medical equipment – in exchange for supplying leads.

The financial total for orders facilitated through this scheme is alleged to be more than $6 million. Medicare beneficiaries whose patient data was brokered were located in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere. Hallam was charged by way of an Information, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

“As the number of defendants identified through this white-collar fraud investigation in the Southern District continue to grow, taxpayers should be aware that it is a priority of this office to work with our dedicated law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who would illegally exploit government safety-net programs for personal enrichment,” said U.S. Attorney Christine.

This prosecution, arising out of the related “Operation Brace Yourself” and “Operation Double Helix,” together with those previously announced, continue to add to the largest fraud operation prosecuted in the history of the Southern District of Georgia. Previous charges in this string of cases include eight physicians, two nurse practitioners, three operators of different telemedicine companies, two other brokers of patient data, and several owners of durable medical equipment companies. The Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries whose identities were used as part of the scheme are located throughout the country, including in the Southern District of Georgia.

The combined total of more than $480 million in fraud charged in the Southern District of Georgia is part of nationwide operations by the Department of Justice that thus far has included allegations involving billions of dollars in fraudulent claims for genetic testing, orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items.

“The FBI is determined to protect all tax paying citizens who are affected by these kickback schemes, especially those who need government assistance for their health care needs," said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. This case is just a small piece of a much larger operation that has put tremendous pressure on those seeking to take advantage of our federally subsidized health care programs.”

“Now more than ever, it’s vitally important that the health care our Medicare beneficiaries seek is based on sound medical advice, not monetary kickbacks,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue in the fight to ensure that government programs are only used for legitimate purposes.”    

“Cases of this magnitude can only be tackled using a strategy that recognizes that the most effective way to fight these large criminal networks is by combining the strengths, resources, and expertise of our federal agencies,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service. “Our nation’s healthcare system cannot tolerate kickbacks to physicians and pharmacies while criminals line their pockets with taxpayer funded healthcare dollars.”

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

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, please call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

This particular prosecution resulted from a joint investigation of multiple agencies and offices. U.S. Attorney Christine acclaimed the hard work of the investigatory team, led by FBI - Savannah, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan A. Porter are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States.

BRUNSWICK, GA: The first of seven defendants in the April 2018 illegal entry and vandalism of Submarine Base Kings Bay was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court.

Elizabeth McAlister, 80, of New London, Conn., was sentenced to time served – 17 months since her April 2018 arrest – on charges of Conspiracy, Destruction of Property on a Naval Installation, Depredation of Government Property, and Trespass by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. She also was ordered to pay $33,500 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release.

McAlister and the other six defendants were found guilty on all charges after a four-day jury trial in October 2019.

“In recent weeks there have been dozens of peaceful protests held throughout the Southern District of Georgia as citizens exercised their constitutional right to peacefully assemble,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “In contrast, the protesters at Kings Bay broke into a nuclear submarine base where they damaged and vandalized government property. Such violent, illegal behavior will not be tolerated.”

As admitted by the defendants during the trial, with their own videos of the activities shown to jurors, the seven entered an outer security fence at the naval installation after cutting a padlock from a gate during the late hours of April 4, 2018. Once inside, the group damaged and vandalized property inside the facility before being taken into custody by naval security personnel.

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. Special Agents Thomas Kenney and Barry Clinedinst led the investigation for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chicago woman pled guilty today in U.S. District Court for conspiring to steal the identities of three Savannah residents and a checking account of a Savannah-area corporation.

Ayondela Moore, 45, of Chicago, previously indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Bank, Mail and Wire Fraud, admitted to fraudulently obtaining debit and credit cards in the names of Savannah residents, and using those cards to make various purchases, including a roundtrip flight to Jamaica, purchases at an amusement park, and purchases at clothing, hardware and drug stores, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Moore also admitted using a Savannah resident’s bank account to make a car insurance payment for Moore’s Mercedes-Benz SUV.

“This prosecution sends the message that people – no matter where they are located – will not defraud residents of South Georgia and get away with it,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Identity theft is a serious crime with disastrous consequences for its victims, and I will continue to ensure that these crimes are prosecuted.”

“This case confirms that anyone who preys on citizens’ identification for financial gain and to further their criminal activity will be held accountable,” said Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler. “Our success in this case and other similar investigations is a result of the extraordinary work of our agents and our close relationship with our network of law enforcement partners.”

“This case highlights the cooperative spirit of the Inspection Service that spanned from the Chicago Division to the Miami Division,” said Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Miami Division. “The Postal Inspection Service stands ready to assist its local, state and Federal partners in the investigation of suspects who misuse the United States Mail to victimize individuals.”

This investigation began with a report by one of the victims to the Savannah Office of the U.S. Secret Service. Victims of identity theft are encouraged to reach out to the Secret Service so that the perpetrators can be investigated and prosecuted.

This investigation was led by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Porter

BRUNSWICK, GA:  Nearly two dozen federal prison inmates are facing new charges for continued illegal behavior while incarcerated, potentially adding more time to their sentences.

A total of 20 inmates, all incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution-Jesup in Jesup, Ga., have been charged in fiscal year 2020, with seven recently charged via Informations, said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. The charges range from assault on prison guards or other inmates, public indecency, and possession of contraband in the form of cell phones and narcotics. Two other defendants are charged with providing contraband to inmates.

“Corrections officers have a difficult, stressful job in protecting the health and safety of those incarcerated in federal prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We hold seriously our duty to provide assistance by prosecuting those inmates who continue to violate the law while behind bars.”

Those charged, their charges, include:

Possessing Contraband in Prison (Cell Phones)

• Jared Thomas Bowers, 32, of Anchorage, Alaska. Bowers is incarcerated for drug trafficking, with a scheduled release of October 2023.
• Sean Butler, 40, of Bradenton, Fla. Butler is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of February 2023.
• Darrell Lee Byrd, Jr., 32, of Austin, Texas. Byrd is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of January 2026.
• Leroy Chappell, Jr., 43, of Macon, Ga. Chappell is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of June 2022.
• Reynaldo Diaz, 42, of Miami, Fla. Diaz is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a scheduled release date of September 2021.
• Yancey Garringer, 41, of Miramar Beach, Fla. Garringer  is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of September 2021.
• Clarence Goree, 45, of Chicago. Goree is incarcerated for conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of March 2029.
• Walter Johnson, 46, of Fort Walton, Fla. Johnson is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of December 2023.
• David Muniz, 36, of Covington, Ky. Muniz is incarcerated for conspiracy to distribute heroin, with a scheduled release date of April 2020.
• David Needom, 43, of Cartersville, Ga. Needom is incarcerated for possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, with a scheduled release date of March 2021.
• Robert White, 37, of Manning, S.C. White is incarcerated for conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of October 2028.
• Durrell Williams, 34, of Queens, N.Y. Williams is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of April 2024.
• Miguel Lopez, 33, of Miami, Fla. Lopez is incarcerated for possession of a machine gun, with a scheduled release date of February 2021.
• Christopher Woods, 41, of Washington, D.C. Woods is incarcerated for armed robbery, with a scheduled release date of September 2023.

Possessing/Providing Contraband in Prison (Narcotics)

• Jamohl Swann, 39, of Indian Head, Md. Swann is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of June 2023.
• Julio Lopez, 46, of Miami, Fla. Lopez is incarcerated for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a scheduled release date of October 2027.
• Angela Satterwhite, 43, of Indian Head, Md., is charged with providing contraband in prison. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to five years in federal prison.
• Margie Izquierdo, 45, of Hialeah, Fla., is charged with providing contraband in prison. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to five years in federal prison.

Assault

• Dennis Ogburn, 50, of Chicago. Ogburn is incarcerated for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, with a scheduled release date of November 2025.

Public Indecency

• Berry Green, 26, Miami, Fla. Green is incarcerated for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a scheduled release date of October 2033.
• Stephon Greene, 27, Manassas, Va. Greene is incarcerated for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of February 2026.
• Duwayne Jones, 44, Lake Worth, Fla. Jones is incarcerated for distribution of heroin, with a scheduled release date of March 2029.

The additional charges could add as much as five years to incarcerated defendants’ current sentences.

“We cannot let prisoners get the upper hand on corrections officers, putting their lives and the lives of other inmates in danger,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI wants to thank our partners, the Bureau of Prisons FCI-Jesup investigators, whose hard work was integral in making these charges possible.”

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

The cases are being investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services at FCI-Jesup, and are being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Bearden.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Three Florida men have been charged in a conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine after authorities discovered and seized a shipment with nearly $2 million worth of cocaine.

Juan De Jesus Gutierrez, 45, Jonathan Mejia, 41, and Ricardo Sanchez Ortiz, 46, all of Kissimmee, Fla., are charged in a criminal complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court with Attempt to Possess Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“We applaud the hard work of the law enforcement agencies tasked with interdicting the illegal shipments that traffickers attempt to hide within the massive amounts of vital commercial material,” said U.S. Attorney Christine.

An investigation into contraband shipped from the Dominican Republic led investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection and local law enforcement agencies to a shipping container on May 26. A subsequent search discovered approximately 50 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside the walls of cardboard boxes containing fresh oranges.

The street value of the seized drugs is estimated to be $1.75 million.

With the cocaine removed from the shipment, investigators maintained surveillance of the container when it later was picked up and delivered May 29 to a rented warehouse nearby. Gutierrez, Meija and Ortiz were taken into custody when they arrived at the site, opened the container and began unloading the boxes.

The investigation is continuing. 

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented, “Whether it’s on the ground, in the air or by sea (as was the case in this investigation), DEA’s commitment to protecting its citizens from the dangers of drugs is unwavering.”

“As the Port of Savannah continues to see growth in volume of cargo processed each year, criminal organizations will continue to try and smuggle their poison into the U.S.,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Today’s arrests should serve as a warning to those organizations that law enforcement in Savannah will defend our ports and protect our communities.”

 “Despite the ongoing health pandemic, our officers have heightened their enforcement efforts for these high-risk commodities, successfully disrupting the flow of deadly narcotics from entering our country,” said Christopher Kennally, Savannah CBP Area Port Director.

“Interdiction efforts such as this play a key role in preventing the entry of illicit drugs into the country,” said Kevin Doyle, Georgia Ports Authority senior director of protective services. “Our Port Police investigators are honored to work with our federal partners to help ensure the safety of our communities and our global logistics network.”

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

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the Savannah-Chatham Counter-Narcotics Task Force, the Georgia Ports Authority Police Department, the Savannah Police Department, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcela C. Mateo and Frank Pennington II.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The Department of Justice today announced nearly $400 million in grant funding through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP), with more than $4.5 million going to agencies in the Southern District of Georgia.

The Attorney General announced the awards to 596 law enforcement agencies across the nation, which allows those agencies to hire 2,732 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. 

“The Department of Justice is committed to providing the police chiefs and sheriffs of our great nation with needed resources, tools, and support.  The funding announced today will bolster their ranks and contribute to expanding community policing efforts nationwide,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “A law enforcement agency’s most valuable assets are the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in the name of protecting and serving their communities.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud of our partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies in the Southern District, and we know these grants will provide valuable funding to help these agencies protect and serve their communities,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Of 11 grants awarded in Georgia, six of them are to agencies in the Southern District, including:

• The city of Savannah, receiving $1.875 million to hire 15 additional officers;
• Glynn County, receiving $1,402,620 to hire eight additional officers;
• The Burke County Sheriff’s Office, receiving $649,679 to hire six additional officers;
• The Dublin Police Department, receiving $375,000 to hire three officers;
• The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, receiving $110,888 to hire one officer; and,
• The Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office, receiving $92,682 to hire one officer.

The COPS Hiring Program is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. In addition to providing financial support for hiring, CHP provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement to enhance local community policing strategies and tactics. In a changing economic climate, CHP funding helps law enforcement agencies maintain sufficient sworn personnel levels to promote safe communities. Funding through this program had been on hold since the spring of 2018 due to a nationwide injunction that was lifted earlier this year.

CHP applicants were required to identify a specific crime and disorder problem focus area and explain how the funding will be used to implement community policing approaches to that problem focus area.  Forty-three percent of the awards announced today will focus on violent crime, while the remainder of the awards will focus on a variety of issues including school-based policing to fund school resource officer positions, building trust and respect, and opioid education, prevention, and intervention. The COPS Office received nearly 1,100 applications requesting more than 4,000 law enforcement positions. 

The complete list of COPS grant awards can be found here: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2020AwardDocs/chp/Award_List.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery. To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

SAVANNAH, GA: Attorney General William P. Barr has directed federal law enforcement actions aimed apprehending and charging the violent criminal agitators who have taken over peaceful protests and are engaging in violations of federal law.  The U.S. Attorneys from the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Georgia, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are employing the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) to identify criminal organizers and instigators, coordinating federal resources with state and local partners, and seeking federal prosecutions where applicable.       

“Peaceful demonstrations throughout the Southern District in recent weeks have been a model for appropriate exercises of citizens’ constitutional right to express their grief and concerns,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “If anyone, whether locals or outside individuals, escalates to unlawful behavior and disrupts our communities, we stand ready to assist local law enforcement with federal resources to safeguard the lives and property of our citizens.”

“The Attorney General has made it clear that those who instigate or carryout violence will be arrested and prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “Americans enjoy the right to peacefully assemble and protest.  However, when it turns violent and destructive, a line has been crossed.  We are employing every federal asset our districts have to assist our state and local partners as they work to maintain order and public safety.” 

“The right to peaceful protest is protected by the First Amendment, but there is no cover for the violent, needless destruction of personal property, and the chaos we have witnessed across the country over the past several days. Let me be clear: anyone who chooses that criminal path will be aggressively prosecuted by our office,” said Charlie Peeler, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “I want to thank our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, and Georgia’s National Guard, who are on the ground protecting our lawful right of expression, as well as our property and safety.”

“The FBI is dedicated to protecting our citizens and upholding the Constitution,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The Constitution gives every citizen the right to protest peacefully, but when a few people abuse the rights of the many peaceful protesters by stoking violence and destroying property, we must enforce the law. Federal prosecutions are a tool we will use to assist our state and local law enforcement partners who are on the front lines trying to maintain order.”

Attorney General Barr’s statement is available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-s-statement-death-george-floyd-and-riots

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. 

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia man has been charged with attempting to sell 50 million non-existent facemasks to a foreign government.

Paul Penn, together with others, is accused of attempting to defraud a foreign government in connection with an attempted sale of 50 million 3M Model 1860 Respirator Masks, which he and his associates did not actually possess, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Penn, through his company, Spectrum Global Holdings, LLC, agreed to act as a middleman in exchange for a cut of the $317 million sales price. The negotiated sales price for these masks was more than 500 percent higher than the previous normal market value for N-95 masks. Penn falsely represented that the N-95 Masks were owned by a group in which he was associated. Based on representations from Penn and others, the buyer, a foreign government, wired the funds to complete the purchase, which was disrupted by the U.S. Secret Service just before the transaction could be completed. The defendant was charged by way of an Information, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

“Using a worldwide pandemic as an opportunity to take advantage of those searching for badly needed personal protective equipment is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office, together with our colleagues at the COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force and our law enforcement partners, will aggressively seek out any fraudsters who exploit this crisis as a way to make a quick buck.”

“This case should serve as a strong deterrent to those considering exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to enrich themselves through fraud.  The nation’s citizens, businesses and our international partners are counting on the U.S. Secret Service and its federal law enforcement and private sector partners to safeguard it and maintain the public trust,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the Secret Service Savannah Office. “Tackling the threat of cyber-enabled COVID-19 scams requires an immediate response to safeguard our nation during these unprecedented times.”

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

Attorney General William P. Barr created the COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force, led by Craig Carpenito, United States Attorney for District of New Jersey, who is coordinating efforts with the Antitrust Division and U.S. Attorneys across the country wherever illegal activity involving protective personal equipment occurs.  The Secretary of Health and Human Services has issued a Notice designating categories of health and medical supplies that must not be hoarded or sold for exorbitant prices. 

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.

U.S. Attorney Christine acclaimed the hard work of the investigatory team, led by the U.S. Secret Service, for disrupting the scheme.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Patrick J. Schwedler are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Five Savannah-area residents are charged in a seven-count federal indictment handed down by a U.S. District Court grand jury meeting in virtual session in accordance with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The four men and one woman named in the indictment face charges with possible penalties of up to life in prison, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal system.

The Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation leading to the arrests and indictments in the case, seizing thousands of methamphetamine-laced pills and their raw materials, along with industrial pill presses, stamps with logos including cartoon characters and the Facebook logo, substantial amounts of cash and a firearm.

“The dangerous mix of contraband narcotics and illegally possessed weapons continues to be a primary target of law enforcement operations in the Southern District,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our efforts to infiltrate, disrupt and dismantle these activities will continue relentlessly as we seek to bring safety and security to our communities.”

Those charged in the indictment are:

• Kyrell Benton, 33, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture, Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Eutylone; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Eutylone; and two counts of Use of a Drug-Involved Premises;
• Jamall Brown, 34, of Richmond Hill, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture, Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Eutylone; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Eutylone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Use of a Drug-Involved Premises;
• Antwan Benton, 29, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture, Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Eutylone; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana;
• Stacy Benton, 45, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture, Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Eutylone; and,
• Tina Lipsey, 42, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture, Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Eutylone; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Eutylone; and Use of a Drug-Involved Premises.

The investigation into the operation continues.

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said “The distribution of dangerous drugs (in this case methamphetamine-laced pills), coupled with the possession of illegal weapons, are a recipe for disaster. Drug traffickers who peddle this poison are a menace to society. Because of the dedicated efforts between DEA, its law enforcement counterparts and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this case is a shining example of what can be achieved when multi-level law enforcement agencies work collaboratively to protect their citizens.”

“CNT will continue to focus its resources on individuals who manufacture illegal drugs and work to stop the distribution of these toxic substances in to our community,” said Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team Director Dwane Ragan.  “I want to thank our Federal, State, and Local law enforcement partners, as well as the United States Attorney's Office, and applaud their continued cooperation with CNT's efforts to keep our community safe.”  

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

The case was investigated by the DEA and CNT, with assistance from the Savannah Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics Team, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Pennington and John P. Harper III.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia couple has been indicted on multiple child pornography charges in a virtual U.S. District Court grand jury session necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

John Paul Joseph Keegan, 29, of Midway, Ga., is charged with three counts of Production of Child Pornography, and one count each of Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography, while Sharon Elizabeth Keegan, 28, of Midway, Ga., is charged with one count each of Production of Child Pornography, Distribution of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The most serious charges carry a penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties followed by a period of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“This case represents a substantial cooperative effort between local and federal law enforcement agencies in investigating and bringing charges,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Together with our law enforcement partners we are shining our light in the dark corners where vulnerable victims need our help most.”

Undercover agents monitoring messaging applications were alerted to images of child pornography and notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), leading law enforcement agencies to the Keegans’ residence and the subsequent discovery of images exploiting two minor victims on electronic devices in possession of the Keegans.

“The production of child pornography and the associated victimization of the child in producing such material tears at the heart of every parent out there,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and all of its partners will continue to prioritize production investigations as there is always a child in the shadows crying out for help to escape.”

“This indictment shows the dedicated work of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes against children,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation.”

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

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Richmond Hill Police Department. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A U.S. Navy petty officer stationed at Submarine Base Kings Bay has been indicted on child pornography charges by a U.S. District Court grand jury meeting in virtual session due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anthony Gabriel Ortiz, 21, of Kings Bay, appeared in U.S. District Court on Friday before Magistrate Judge Benjamin W. Cheesbro, where he was denied bond and detained pending trial on charges of Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a penalty of up to 30 years in federal prison plus substantial financial penalties, followed by a period of supervised release and registration as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

“As our world becomes increasingly connected through cyberspace, there will always be those who would attempt to use these connections for illegal or exploitative purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We are grateful for the vigilance of our law enforcement partners in this country and beyond in preventing and interdicting those who would target our most vulnerable citizens.”

Ortiz is a petty officer third class in the U.S. Navy assigned to Submarine Base Kings Bay. Investigators with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police found images of child pornography shared via a messaging application and referred them to the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center, and HSI alerted the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Ortiz was later taken into custody.

“It is disheartening to see the victimization of children,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI will continue to prioritize working with its partners to bring these perpetrators to justice and protect the children of this community.”

“NCIS is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue the creators and distributors of child pornography, in hopes of preventing the victimization of young children, many of whom who are scarred for life by the predatory actions of these perpetrators,” said Thomas Cannizzo, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. “NCIS is dedicated to combating child sexual crimes that endanger Department of the Navy families and children everywhere.”

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

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

AUGUSTA, GA:  An Evans man has been indicted for possessing child pornography during a virtual session of the U.S. District Court grand jury necessitated by precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oludare Oluwabusi, 43, of Evans, was indicted on one count of Possession of Child Pornography, a charge that carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal system.

During a recent detention hearing, Oluwabusi appeared by video before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps, who agreed to the prosecutor’s motion for Oluwabusi to remain in federal custody after hearing an FBI agent’s graphic description of child pornography found on at least three devices seized from Oluwabusi’s Riverwood Plantation home.

Oluwabusi was taken into custody in April after FBI agents searched his residence based on a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“Working with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue those who would take advantage of our most vulnerable citizens – no matter whether that victimization occurs through a cyber connection or face-to-face,” said U.S. Attorney Christine.

“Even though we have had to make many adjustments during the COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment to pursue anyone who violates our laws and harms any of our citizens, particularly children, has not changed,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.

Criminal indictments contain only charges. Defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  More than a dozen people across the Southern District of Georgia have been indicted for felony crimes, including federal firearms violations, during an unprecedented virtual grand jury session necessitated by COVID-19 precautions.

In addition to firearms charges, the 13 indictments span a range of federal charges including drug trafficking and immigration violations, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Most of the indictments target previously convicted felons, several of whom are members of criminal street gangs, and some of the defendants were on state parole or probation at the time of their indictment.

All of the cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Guardian, in coordination with multiple local law enforcement agencies across the Southern District – many of them in smaller communities in the district.

The charges carry penalties of up to life in federal prison.

“A hallmark of Project Guardian is the cooperative relationship between our office and the ATF to protect our communities by identifying and removing gun criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “By working with state prosecutors through our Prosecutor to Prosecutor (P3) network in bringing these cases to federal court, we ensure meaningful sentences that provide long-term safety on our streets.”

Those named in the federal indictments include:

• Cedric Lee Ramsey, 28, of Brunswick, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Oxycodone, Alprazolam, Cocaine and Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Brunswick Police officers responding to a report of a domestic disturbance in May 2019 found Ramsey sitting in a vehicle outside his residence, and a subsequent search discovered large amounts of drugs along with an AR-15 rifle with a 45-round magazine, an AK-47 rifle with a 30-round magazine, and a .40-caliber handgun, all fully loaded. Ramsey previously has been convicted of felonies including armed robbery and firearms charges.
• Demetrius Brown, a/k/a “Jersey,” 42, of Douglas, Ga., charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Brown previously has been convicted of felonies including assault on a law enforcement officer and drug distribution on school property.
• Marvin Lowe, 43, of Savannah, charged with three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Synthetic Cannabinoid; Possession with Intent to Distribute Synthetic Cathinone; Possession of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
• Shamall Green, 34, of Hilton Head, S.C., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Heroin; Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of Counterfeit Currency. Green previously was convicted of felony drug possession.
• Robert Triveil Turner, a/k/a “Veil,” a/k/a “V,” 40, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and Transfer of a Firearm to a Prohibited Person;
• Kelvin Laron Howard, 64, of Augusta, charged with Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Previously convicted of human trafficking, Howard was arrested while on state parole for a 1992 armed robbery conviction and currently is incarcerated in Wheeler State Prison.
• Khari Courtney Osborne, 26, of Hephzibah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. An admitted member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang, Osborne was on state probation for a prior felony conviction at the time of his arrest.
• Silvano Marroquin-Bravo, 49, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien and Reentry after Removal/Deportation. A citizen of Mexico, Marroquin-Bravo has been deported from the United States three previous times and was arrested in Garden City, Ga., after a traffic stop in March 2020.
• Devonte Lamar Brown, 27, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brown has multiple prior convictions for firearms-related felonies.
• Jamol Marquise Cuyler, 32, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Cuyler previously was convicted of a firearms-related felony.  
• Okoye West, 23, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. West previously was convicted of firearms-related charges.
• David McCain III, 33, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Pernell D. Scott, 32, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Additional defendants charged with gun crimes were indicted under seal during the virtual session of the grand jury. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“During these unprecedented times, ATF remains vigilant in removing violent offenders from our communities,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF. “As a result of our partnerships with state and local law enforcement in the Southern District of Georgia, and the innovative methods the U.S. Attorney's Office employed, Project Guardian is being successfully carried out.”    

The cases are investigated under Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws, and the Prosecutor to Prosecutor (P3) program, which provides collaboration between federal and state prosecutors to determine the most appropriate venue for prosecuting crimes.

In addition to the ATF, agencies involved in investigation of the cases include Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Police Department, the Douglas-Coffee County Drug Unit, the Savannah Police Department, the Twin City Police Department, the Garden City Police Department, and the Pooler Police Department.

The cases are being investigated for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys including Project Guardian Coordinator Hank Syms; Deputy Criminal Division Director Patricia G. Rhodes; Josh Bearden; Alejandro V. Pascual IV; Steven H. Lee; and John P. Harper III.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A North Carolina man who took part in a conspiracy to steal design information from aircraft companies faces additional prison time after his indictment for lying to the court while being sentenced and for lying to the FBI.

Craig German, 59, of Kernersville, N.C., was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court on charges of Perjury and False Statements to a Government Agency, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. If found guilty, the charges could add up to five years to German’s current sentence of 70 months in federal prison, handed down in February after his guilty plea on a charge of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets.

“It’s against the law for any person to lie while under oath, but it’s even more disturbing when that person lies after promising to cooperate in an investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Christine.  

According to court documents and testimony, German admitted that he and his co-conspirators agreed to steal trade secrets from aircraft companies in order to assist a competitor company in developing their own anti-ice aircraft technology. After pleading guilty, German voluntarily met with the FBI in an effort to cooperate, but falsely denied copying, taking or otherwise transferring numerous trade secret documents. At the sentencing hearing, testimony showed that German had, in fact, copied the trade secret documents onto a removable USB drive.  German elected to testify at the hearing and falsely testified that he was directed by a supervisor to copy and move the trade secret files.

“It is alleged that this defendant promised to fully cooperate truthfully, but instead chose to lie about his involvement in a conspiracy to steal trade secrets,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “That type of behavior will not deter us from pursuing the truth and seeking justice for our citizens.” 

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

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Steven H. Lee. 

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Florida man who operated a durable medical equipment company has been charged for his alleged participation in a Medicare kickback and telemedicine fraud scheme.

Patrick Wolfe, 48, of Belleair Beach, Fla., the operator of Wilmington Island Medical Inc., which does business as WI Medical Inc., a Georgia company, is accused of conspiring to pay kickbacks for “leads,” which were in actuality signed orders from physicians and nurse practitioners, and then billing those orders to Medicare Part B and Medicare Part C using WI Medical, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The financial total for orders facilitated through this scheme is alleged to be in the millions of dollars. Medicare beneficiaries were located in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere. The defendant was charged by way of an Information, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

“White collar crime – and particularly health care fraud – continues to be a priority for this office and we are proud to work with our dedicated law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who illegally exploit government safety-net programs for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. 

This prosecution, arising out of the related “Operation Brace Yourself” and “Operation Double Helix,” together with those previously announced, continue to add to the largest fraud operation prosecuted in the history of the Southern District of Georgia. Previous charges in this string of cases include eight physicians, two nurse practitioners, three operators of different telemedicine companies, two brokers of patient data, and several owners of durable medical equipment companies. The Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries whose identities were used as part of the scheme are located throughout the country, including throughout the Southern District of Georgia.

The combined total of more than $475 million in fraud charged in the Southern District of Georgia is part of nationwide operations by the Department of Justice that thus far has included allegations involving billions of dollars in fraudulent claims for genetic testing, orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items.

“This is another in a long line of charges in a continuous investigation into fraud that hurts every taxpayer and steals money earmarked for those who need it to meet their healthcare issues,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our fellow federal partners will not rest until everyone involved in wrongdoing is brought to justice.”

“Now more than ever, it’s paramount that we safeguard the Medicare trust fund,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “We continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold responsible providers who perpetrate telemedicine fraud schemes.”    

“This type of corruption involving health care fraud against Medicare and Medicaid has managed to defraud American taxpayers of millions upon millions of dollars,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service. “The U.S. Secret Service and our partners are always willing to take prompt and coordinated actions to hold these telemarketers and medical professionals responsible for placing personal greed above the good of the public, particularly in light of our nation’s current struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Indictments or criminal informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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.

This particular prosecution resulted from a joint investigation of multiple agencies and offices. U.S. Attorney Christine acclaimed the hard work of the investigatory team, led by FBI - Savannah, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan A. Porter are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States.

The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (PAC), the overarching judicial branch government agency charged with assisting State of Georgia prosecuting attorneys in their efforts against criminal activity, has joined forces with the Governor’s Office, U.S. Attorneys and Georgia’s Attorney General as the newest member of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fraud Task Force.

“Our law enforcement efforts are strongest when the ‘good guys’ coordinate their efforts against ‘bad guys,’ including scam artists,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We’re proud to partner with PAC as we protect Georgia’s citizens.”

The Executive Director of PAC, Pete Skadalakis, will serve on the task force alongside Georgia’s three U.S. Attorneys, the Attorney General of Georgia and the Executive Counsel for the Governor’s Office.

“When we announced the COVID-19 Fraud Task Force in early April, we made it clear that any attempts to take advantage of Georgians as we continue to navigate this public health crisis would not be tolerated,” said Gov. Brian P. Kemp. “Today, that commitment remains the same. I am grateful Pete Skandalakis and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council are joining the task force. I know they will be a great help as we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of all Georgians.”

“The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia is proud to join in this effort,” said Pete Skandalakis, PAC Executive Director. “Sadly, it is all too common for bad actors to prey on our most vulnerable citizens, especially during times of crisis. We must all work together to protect unsuspecting Georgians against criminal acts of fraud.”

“Our office is proud to partner with all three of our U.S. Attorneys, the Governor’s Office and now the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia. Given the extremely high volume of activity in these unprecedented times, this network will allow us to leverage our unique assets and ensure that price gougers and fraudsters are held accountable,” said Attorney General Chris Carr.

“Because our state has begun the process of re-opening does not mean scammers are going to stop,” said Byung J. “BJay” Pak, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “We will deploy all available enforcement tools against anyone who tries to take advantage of people during this pandemic.  District Attorney’s from across the state are joining the Task Force and providing us even stronger prosecution partnerships.”

“I want our citizens to know that prosecutors at every level in our state are committed to enforcing the laws that protect Georgians, and we will not tolerate fraudsters using this deadly pandemic for their own personal gain,” said Charlie Peeler, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “We are thankful to have the state’s prosecuting attorneys represented on the COVID-19 Task Force, which serves to further strengthen our collective efforts to track down and punish fraudsters.”

Georgia’s COVID-19 Task Force is warning the public to be on the lookout for potential increased criminal activity related to federal stimulus checks, fake COVID-19 cures, personal protective equipment (PPE) price-gouging and fair housing violations. To date, the Consumer Protection Division (CPD) of the Office of the Attorney General of Georgia has received nearly 1,000 reports of price gouging or scams related to COVID-19, the majority regarding food, toilet paper, water, and hand sanitizer.

The public can report potential scams to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling 1-866-720-5721 or at justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm, or file complaints with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office by calling 800-869-1123 (toll-free) or at consumer.ga.gov.

Formed in April 2020, Georgia’s COVID-19 Fraud Task Force is aimed at better protecting the citizens of Georgia from criminal fraud arising from the pandemic. The task force enhances communication between partner agencies to more rapidly share information about COVID-19 fraud, while ensuring each fraud complaint is reported to the appropriate prosecuting agency. Task force member agencies include the Office of the Governor of Georgia, the Office of the Attorney General of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A convicted child molester is going to federal prison after being sentenced for possession of child pornography.

Claude Martin Johnson IV, 22, of Augusta, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Johnson also is required to pay $3,000 in restitution to one victim, and after completion of the prison term, Johnson will be required to serve 20 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“We in the Southern District do not tolerate those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Claude Johnson, previously convicted in state court of child molestation, has now earned a decade in federal prison.”

According to court documents and testimony, Johnson was sentenced in 2015 to seven years of probation after a state court conviction for child molestation. On May 1, 2019, officers from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision conducted a search at Johnson’s home in accordance with the conditions of his probation. During the search, the officers found multiple images of child pornography on two cell phones belonging to Johnson, and took him into custody for violation of his probation.

 “This sentence should send a clear message to anyone who would try to take advantage of innocent children,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Johnson’s 10 years in prison will give him plenty of time to think about his unacceptable behavior. But more importantly, while in prison, he won't be able to do harm to any more children.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S Attorney Tara Lyons.

AUGUSTA, GA:  An Evans man was charged in U.S. District Court with possession of child pornography.

Oludare Oluwabusi, 43, of Evans, was taken into custody after FBI agents searched his residence based on a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Oluwabusi appeared by video before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps Wednesday in an initial appearance hearing, at which Judge Epps agreed to the prosecutor’s request that Oluwabusi remain in custody pending further court appearances.

“The criminal element thinks the national pause brought on by COVID-19 has limited law enforcement activity. Quite the opposite has occurred in the Southern District of Georgia where law enforcement never sleeps, as the good people in Columbia County witnessed last evening when they saw the vigilance of the FBI on display,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners are using the lowered guard of bad guys as a way to get in their flank and disrupt their enterprises all over south Georgia at this very minute.”

“Every time an individual possesses pornographic images of children and views them for personal gratification, the children in those images are victimized again and again,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will always make it a priority to protect our most vulnerable citizens, our children.”

Criminal complaints contain only charges. Defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia woman who operated a telemedicine network through two companies has been charged for her alleged participation in an ever-growing healthcare and telemedicine fraud scheme.

Charlene Frame, the operator of Royal Physician Network, LLC and Envision It Perfect, LLC, both Georgia companies, is accused of conspiring to pay medical providers, like physicians and nurse practitioners, in exchange for obtaining orders for durable medical equipment (DME) that would then be sold to DME providers and, ultimately, billed to Medicare. The financial total for orders facilitated through this scheme is alleged to be in excess of $60 million for thousands of patient orders. Medicare beneficiaries were located in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere. The defendant was charged by way of an Information, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

“Our prosecutors and law enforcement partners will continue to use all available resources to dismantle networks engaging in unlawful schemes that place profit over legitimate medical treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. 

This prosecution, arising out of the related “Operation Brace Yourself” and “Operation Double Helix,” together with those previously announced, involve the largest fraud operation in the history of the Southern District of Georgia. Previously charged in this string of cases include eight physicians, two nurse practitioners, two operators of different telemedicine companies, two brokers of patient data, and several owners of durable medical equipment companies.  The Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries whose identities were used as part of the scheme are located throughout the country, including throughout the Southern District of Georgia.

The combined $470 million in fraud charged in the Southern District of Georgia is part of nationwide operations by the Department of Justice that thus far has included allegations involving billions of fraudulent claims for genetic testing, orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items.

“This $60-million fraud scheme is one small piece of a much larger operation that has put tremendous strain on our federally-subsidized healthcare programs,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We will always protect our tax paying citizens, who are all victims of greedy providers, especially those who need government assistance for their health care needs.” 

“Let this criminal charge be a warning to anyone who feels the need to fraudulently enrich themselves at the expense of our nation’s Medicare beneficiaries,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “HHS/OIG, along with our partners, vows to continue the fight against such fraudulent schemes.” 

 “Cases of this magnitude can only be tackled using a strategy that recognizes that the most effective way to fight these large criminal networks is by combining the strengths, resources, and expertise of our federal agencies,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service. “Our nation’s healthcare system cannot tolerate kickbacks to physicians and pharmacies while criminals line their pockets with taxpayer-funded healthcare dollars.”

Indictments or criminal informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This investigation is ongoing. As telemedicine becomes an increasing part of our healthcare system, 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.

This particular prosecution resulted from a joint investigation of multiple agencies and offices. U.S. Attorney Christine acclaimed the hard work of the investigatory team, led by FBI - Savannah, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan A. Porter are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A California man who operated a durable medical equipment (DME) company has been charged for his alleged participation in a massive healthcare fraud scheme. The defendant is the 22nd charged in the Southern District of Georgia as part of an investigation that uncovered more than $410 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, the largest fraud case in the history of the Southern District of Georgia.

Scott M. Hirsch, the operator of JI Medical, Inc., a California company, is accused of conspiring to pay kickbacks in exchange for obtaining orders for DME that JI Medical, Inc. would then bill to Medicare. Those Medicare beneficiaries were located in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere. As part of this scheme, the physicians receiving the kickbacks from JI Medical, Inc. knowingly signed false medical records describing “consultations” of Medicare patients. The operator of JI Medical, Inc. was charged by way of an Information, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

“Telemedicine is an important tool for legitimate providers – but paying kickbacks is not part of telemedicine and will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “While many of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners may be working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, this office continues to work day and night to bring bad actors to justice.” 

The healthcare fraud scheme charged is the largest in the history of the Southern District of Georgia. Previous charges in this string of cases include eight physicians, two nurse practitioners, two operators of telemedicine companies, and two brokers of patient data. The Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries whose identities were used as part of the scheme are located throughout the Southern District of Georgia, including the Augusta, Brunswick, Dublin, Savannah, Statesboro, and Waycross Divisions, as well as elsewhere in the United States.

The $410 million fraud scheme charged in the Southern District of Georgia is part of nationwide operations by the Department of Justice that thus far has halted a multi-billion dollar fraud network involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items.

“The growing number of medical providers and equipment providers alleged to have been involved in this ongoing scheme is disheartening,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our federal partners will continue to root out such deceitful practices and protect taxpayers and the citizens who deserve the benefits from programs like Medicare, even as telemedicine becomes more common.” 

 “This investigation is a stellar example of inter-agency cooperation and working together to bring those who defraud the health care system to justice,” said FBI Birmingham Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. “The public can be assured that the FBI and our partners will continue to seek to identify and pursue investigations against such egregious offenders.”

“In these trying times, it’s more important than ever that we safeguard the Medicare trust fund,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “HHS/OIG, along with our partners, will vigorously pursue any provider who puts their own financial gain above that of their patients.”

“Cases of this magnitude can only be tackled using a strategy that recognizes that the most effective way to fight these large criminal networks is by combining the strengths, resources, and expertise of our federal agencies,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service. “Our nation’s healthcare system cannot tolerate kickbacks to physicians and pharmacies while criminals line their pockets with taxpayer funded healthcare dollars.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service aggressively conducts investigations of those who fraudulently use the U.S. Mail to facilitate complex fraud schemes,” said Inspector in Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division.  “We will continue to support and work with our federal law enforcement partners to stop those who are engaged in these types of fraudulent activities and defend the U.S. Mail from criminal misuse.”

“The defendant in this case used the U.S. Mail to facilitate his elaborate criminal scheme. Postal Inspectors partnered with other agencies to quickly identify the scheme and worked aggressively with the U.S. Attorney's Office to dismantle this criminal enterprise. Through cases like these, the Postal Inspection Service upholds its longstanding mission of protecting the public and preventing criminal misuse of the U.S. Mail,” said Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Miami Division.

Indictments or criminal informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This investigation is ongoing. As telemedicine becomes an increasing part of our healthcare system, 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.

This particular prosecution resulted from a joint investigation of multiple agencies and offices.  U.S. Attorney Christine acclaimed the hard work of the investigatory team, led by FBI - Savannah, FBI - Birmingham, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the United States Secret Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan A. Porter are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA: The state of Georgia has been awarded $15,840,333 in Department of Justice grants to respond to the public safety challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.

The grant, announced by Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine, was awarded to the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent $850 million stimulus legislation signed by President Trump. Additional funds have been allocated for local jurisdictions in Georgia, including $750,000 targeted to agencies in the Southern District. The Justice Department is moving quickly to award grants on a rolling basis with the aim of having funds available for drawdown as soon as possible after receiving applications.

“This infusion of funding will enhance the ability of our state and local first responders amid the challenges created by the novel coronavirus pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We welcome the opportunity to assist these hard-working front-line public safety partners.”

“The outbreak of COVID-19 and the public health emergency it created are sobering    reminders that even the most routine duties performed by our nation’s public safety officials carry potentially grave risks,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “These funds will provide hard-hit communities with critical resources to help mitigate the impact of this crisis and give added protection to the brave professionals charged with keeping citizens safe.”

The law gives jurisdictions considerable latitude in the use of these funds for dealing with COVID-19. Potential uses include hiring personnel, paying overtime, purchasing protective equipment, distributing resources to hard-hit areas and addressing inmates’ medical needs.

Southern District communities targeted for the grants can find more information at https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/bja-2020-18553.pdf.
Any Georgia cities or counties not specifically listed can find updated information from the CJCC at https://cjcc.georgia.gov/grants/covid-19-resources/federal-coronavirus-emergency-supplemental-funding-program

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.