District of Massachusetts

BOSTON –  A California woman became the 11th parent to be sentenced in the college admissions case.

Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three weeks in prison, one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000. In May 2019, Buckingham pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of six months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $40,000.

Beginning in 2018, Buckingham agreed with William “Rick” Singer and others to pay $50,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her son. As part of the scheme, Buckingham made arrangements for her son to take the ACT at a test center in Houston, Texas, that Singer “controlled” through a corrupt test administrator, and for his answers to be corrected by co-conspirator Mark Riddell, who would purport to proctor the exam. Two days prior to the scheduled exam date, a physician advised Buckingham that her son could not fly to Houston due to a medical condition. Buckingham, in turn, asked Singer if it would be possible for Riddell simply to take the test in his place while she administered a fake exam to her son at her home in Los Angeles.

On July 14, 2018, Riddell completed the ACT exam by himself in a Houston hotel room. Three days later, Buckingham make a purported charitable donation of $35,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the fraud, and advised Singer that she intended to have her former husband pay the remaining $15,000. In October 2018, Buckingham told Singer that she wanted to pursue the scheme again for her daughter. Ultimately, Buckingham was arrested before she had the opportunity to engage in the fraud a second time.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Dorchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for selling counterfeit bills.

Franklin Perry, 53, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 15 months in prison, two years of supervised release and forfeiture. In April 2019, Perry pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in counterfeit currency and two counts of passing and uttering counterfeit obligations of the United States. Perry was arrested in August 2018 during a law enforcement sweep targeting federal drug, firearms and counterfeiting offenses.

On June 27, 2018, Perry sold 10 counterfeit $100 bills to an individual who was working with federal law enforcement officers. On July 25, 2018, Perry purchased items from a retail store in Westwood, including an ink jet printer, with $500 in counterfeit $100 bills. That same day, he also purchased items at another retail store in Walpole with $500 in counterfeit bills. All of the counterfeit bills were manufactured using an inkjet printer on real currency that had been bleached first.

On Aug. 23, 2018, five inkjet printers, cleaning solution, bleach, counterfeit currency and real currency were found during a search of Perry’s residence.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. William Abely of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to heroin and fentanyl trafficking charges.

Anderson Daniel Jorge Cruz, 21, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and fentanyl and other drug trafficking offenses. Cruz has been in custody since his arrest on Jan. 23, 2019, along with co-defendant Joshua Ramos-Rios. Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young on Jan. 14, 2020. 

On Jan. 23, 2019, law enforcement seized over one kilogram of suspected heroin and fentanyl from Cruz’s apartment in Lowell after an undercover operation. At the time, Cruz had an outstanding warrant for homicide in Allentown, Pa.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years of supervised release and a fine of $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division; Lowell Police Superintendent Raymond Kelly Richardson; and Colonel Kerry Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BOSTON – A federal grand jury in the District of Massachusetts returned a superseding indictment bringing additional charges against seven university athletic officials and others previously charged in the college admissions case today.  

Gordon Ernst, Donna Heinel, Jorge Salcedo, Mikaela Sanford, Jovan Vavic, Niki Williams and William Ferguson have been charged with conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, and honest services mail and wire fraud, in connection with the previously charged scheme to accept bribes and engage in other forms of fraud to facilitate cheating on standardized admissions tests and to secure the admission of students to elite universities by designating them as purported athletic recruits or members of other favored admissions categories. Six of the defendants—Ernst, Heinel, Salcedo, Sanford, Vavic and Williams—also face substantive wire and honest services wire fraud charges in connection with the scheme.

In addition, three defendants, Ernst, Heinel, and Salcedo, face new charges of conspiring to commit federal programs bribery by soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate the admission of students to the universities where they worked: Georgetown University, the University of Southern California, and The University of California – Los Angeles. Ernst is also charged with substantive counts of federal programs bribery and money laundering.

The defendants, who were arrested in March 2018, were previously charged with racketeering conspiracy in connection with the scheme. 

Arraignment dates have not yet been scheduled. Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater and restitution. The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater and restitution. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The Department of Education, Office of Inspector General provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A grand jury in the District of Massachusetts has returned additional charges against 11 of the 15 parents charged in the college admissions case.

The new charges in the third superseding indictment allege that 11 defendants – Gamal Abdelaziz, Diane Blake, Todd Blake, Mossimo Giannulli, Elisabeth Kimmell, Lori Loughlin, William McGlashan, Jr., Marci Palatella, John Wilson, Homayoun Zadeh, and Robert Zangrillo – conspired to commit federal program bribery by bribing employees of the University of Southern California (USC) to facilitate their children’s admission. In exchange for the bribes, employees of the university allegedly designated the defendants’ children as athletic recruits – with little or no regard for their athletic abilities – or as members of other favored admissions categories.

In addition to the conspiracy count, one defendant, John Wilson of Lynnfield, Mass., is charged with two counts of substantive federal programs bribery in connection with his efforts to use bribes to secure his children’s admission to Harvard University and Stanford University. As alleged in the indictment, USC, Harvard and Stanford all receive more than $10,000 annually in grants, subsidies or other forms of federal assistance.

Today’s indictment also includes additional charges of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud against four defendants—Joey Chen, William McGlashan, Jr., John Wilson and Robert Zangrillo—in connection with the previously charged scheme to use bribery and other forms of fraud to obtain falsified standardized test scores and admission to elite colleges and universities as purported athletic recruits or members of other favored admissions categories.

The defendants, all of whom were arrested in March 2019, were previously charged with conspiring with William “Rick” Singer and others, to bribe SAT and ACT exam administrators to allow a test taker to secretly take college entrance exams in place of their children, or to correct the children’s answers after they had taken the exams. The defendants were also previously charged with conspiring to launder the bribes and other payments in furtherance of the fraud by funneling them through Singer’s purported charity and his for-profit corporation, as well as by transferring money into the United States, from outside the United States, for the purpose of promoting the fraud scheme.

Arraignment dates have not yet been scheduled. Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering. The charge of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The Department of Education, Office of Inspector General provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A South Yarmouth man was arrested on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, and charged with fentanyl possession. 

Roosevelt Wilkins, 33, was charged by indictment on one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Wilkins was detained pending a probable cause and detention hearing set for Oct. 25, 2019.

As alleged in the indictment, on April 1, 2019, Wilkins possessed and intended to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl in Brockton.

The charging statute provides for a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, four years to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today.

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

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A California husband and wife charged in the college admissions scandal pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston.

Manuel Henriquez, 55, the founder of Hercules Capital, and his wife, Elizabeth Henriquez, 56, both of Atherton, Calif. pleaded guilty today to an indictment charging one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 5 and Feb. 7, 2020, respectively.

Beginning in 2015, the Henriquezes conspired with Rick Singer, and others, to have their daughters’ college entrance exams corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating their scores; Elizabeth Henriquez agreed with Singer to facilitate the admission of her older daughter to Georgetown University as a purported athletic recruit.

In October 2015, co-conspirator Mark Riddell purported to proctor the SAT exam for the Henriquezes’ older daughter, but in actuality, Riddell provided her with the answers. Soon after, the Henriquezes wired $15,000 to Singer’s personal bank account and $10,000 to Singer’s for-profit college counseling business. Singer used some of that money to pay Riddell. Beginning in 2015, Elizabeth Henriquez agreed to pay Singer an amount, ultimately totaling $400,000, to facilitate their older daughter’s admission to Georgetown as a purported tennis recruit. After their daughter was admitted to Georgetown in the spring of 2016, the Henriquezes made a $400,000 donation to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the fraud, and Singer, in turn, made payments to Ernst personally.  

In 2016 and 2017, the Henriquezes participated in the ACT and SAT cheating scheme on multiple occasions for their younger daughter in exchange for payments funneled through KWF.  

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A California woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to paying $300,000 to participate in both the college entrance exam cheating scheme and athletic recruitment scheme.

Michelle Janavs, 48, of Newport Coast, Calif., pleaded guilty to an indictment charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 25, 2020.

Beginning in 2017, Janavs conspired with Rick Singer and others to secure her children’s admission to selective colleges and universities through bribery and fraud. On Oct. 28, 2017, Janavs’ older daughter took the ACT exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through a corrupt test proctor, Mark Riddell, who reviewed and corrected her answers. In November 2017, Janavs sent a $50,000 check to KWF to pay for the fraud. In February 2019, Janavs older daughter again took the ACT at the West Hollywood Test Center, and Riddell corrected her answers. Later that month, Janavs wired $25,000 to KWF and mailed a $25,000 check to KWF. Singer, in turn, passed bribes to Riddell and to Igor Dvorskiy, the administrator of the test center.

Beginning in 2018, Janavs agreed to with Singer to facilitate her older daughter’s admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as a purported volleyball recruit. In August 2018, Janavs emailed Singer photos of her daughter playing volleyball. In October 2018, a USC athletics administrator, Donna Heinel, secured approval to admit Janavs’ daughter from the USC subcommittee for athletic admissions based on the falsified athletic credentials. Later that month, Janavs mailed Heinel a $50,000 check made payable to USC Women’s Athletic Fund. Janavs was arrested before her older daughter received her formal admission to USC and, accordingly, did not pay the remaining $150,000 of the initially agreed upon amount.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Martin Fox, the former president of a private tennis academy in Texas, will plead guilty in connection with his involvement in a scheme to use bribery to facilitate the admission of applicants to selective colleges and universities.

Fox, 62, of Houston, Texas, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the sentencing guidelines, one year of supervised release, a fine and restitution.

In 2015, Fox introduced co-conspirator William “Rick” Singer to a tennis coach at the University of Texas (U-Texas), who facilitated the admission of a student to U-Texas as a purported athletic recruit in exchange for a bribe. In return for assisting with the bribe transaction, Singer paid Fox $100,000. Fox arranged additional similar bribes, on two occasions, with a varsity sports coach at the University of San Diego (USD). Specifically, in exchange for a bribe paid through Fox, the USD coach designated the son of one of Singer’s clients, who did not play the sport, as an athletic recruit for the team, thereby facilitating his admission to USD. Singer paid Fox $100,000 for arranging the bribe. In 2017, in exchange for the promise of another bribe, the varsity coach designated another student as a recruit to manage the coach’s team, thereby facilitating her admission to USD. Although the student ultimately decided not to attend USD, Singer paid the varsity coach $10,000 for his help.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The former executive assistant of a Waltham-based technology company pleaded guilty today in connection with a fraud and embezzlement scheme that netted over $3 million.

Shivani Patel, 38, of Vineyard Haven, pleaded guilty to one count each of bank fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2020. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of 57 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine between $20,000 and $200,000, restitution and forfeiture. 

As an executive assistant to the chief financial officer, Patel’s duties included retrieving incoming mail containing customer checks made payable to her employer, recording the checks into the payment system and depositing the checks into her employer’s bank account. 

From at least February 2012 through July 2017, Patel embezzled approximately $3,076,369 from her then employer for her personal use. Specifically, in February 2012, Patel created a company with a name nearly identical to that of her then employer —  using her employer’s name but just adding an “s” to the end — and opened a business banking account in the sham company’s name. Thereafter, Patel took customer checks payable to her employer from the mail, deposited those checks into the sham company’s bank account, and concealed her embezzlement by making false entries in her employer’s billing system. To disguise and conceal the nature of these funds, Patel funneled this money through multiple bank accounts.

In addition, Patel filed income tax returns for the tax years 2012 through 2016 in which she intentionally underreported her income by failing to disclose the money she had stolen from her employer. 

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $1 million, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $100,000, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin D. O’Connell of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to using bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate his children’s admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as purported athletic recruits.

Douglas Hodge, 61, of Laguna Beach, Calif., the former CEO of Pimco, pleaded guilty today to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Jan. 22, 2020.

Beginning in 2012, Hodge conspired with Rick Singer and others to pay a total of $525,000 to facilitate his younger daughter’s admission to USC as a purported soccer recruit and his son’s admission to USC as a purported football recruit. In September 2012, Singer sent high school transcripts for Hodge’s younger daughter to Laura Janke and Ali Khosroshahin, the coaches of the USC women’s soccer team. They fabricated a soccer profile for Hodge’s younger daughter, which was then submitted as part of her application to USC. In February 2013, a senior athletics administrator at USC, Donna Heinel, allegedly presented Hodge’s younger daughter to the USC subcommittee for athletic admissions – and based on the falsified soccer credentials – secured her admission to the university as a purported soccer recruit. On April 9, 2013, after Hodge’s younger daughter received a formal acceptance letter from USC, Hodge wired $150,000 to Singer’s for-profit college counseling business and $50,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the bribery scheme. 

In January 2015, Singer e-mailed two falsified athletic profiles of Hodge’s son created by Janke—one relating for football, the other for tennis—to Hodge and instructed Hodge to e-mail them to the senior athletic director at USC. In February 2015, Hodge’s son was approved by the USC subcommittee for athletic admissions based on the falsified football credentials after being presented by the senior athletic director. In March 2015, Hodge mailed the athletic director a $75,000 check made payable to USC “Womens Athletic Board,” a fund she controlled, after Hodge’s son was formally accepted to USC. In April 2015, Hodge wired $125,000 to Singer’s business and $125,000 to Singer’s sham charity to pay for the bribery scheme.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in federal court in Boston for heroin trafficking.

Ozair Pereira, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2019, Pereira pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

During an investigation in the fall of 2018, agents intercepted telephone calls between Djuna Goncalves and multiple individuals, including Pereira, which revealed that Goncalves allegedly worked with others to distribute large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana from a base of operations at 12 Addison Avenue in Brockton. During the intercepted calls, Pereira ordered heroin from Goncalves, and agents observed Goncalves deliver the drugs to Pereira in Brockton. 

Periera was indicted, along with Goncalves, and eight other defendants on Dec. 12, 2018, in a wide ranging drug conspiracy. Periera is the second defendant in this case to be sentenced.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintended of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief John Crowley; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Alathea Porter of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON –  A California real estate developer became the tenth parent to be sentenced in connection with the college admissions case.

Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one month in prison, one year of supervised release, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $50,000. In May 2019, Flaxman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $40,000.

Beginning in the 2016, Flaxman conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s ACT exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. As part of the scheme, Flaxman took steps to secure extended time for his daughter to take the ACT and to take the exam at a test center in Houston, Texas, that Singer “controlled” through a corrupt test administrator. On Oct. 22, 2016, Flaxman’s daughter and the child of another client of Singer both took the ACT with the assistance of co-conspirator Mark Riddell. Riddell assisted in answering exam questions and instructed the students to answer different questions incorrectly so that the ACT would not suspect cheating. As a result of the cheating scheme, Flaxman’s daughter received a score of 28 out of 36 on the exam.

Two days prior to the exam, Flaxman made a purported charitable donation of $75,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the fraud. Thereafter, Flaxman deducted the bribe payment from his income taxes, thereby defrauding the IRS.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Provincetown man was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston with receipt and possession of child pornography.

Kerry Adams, 59, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Adams was held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Oct. 22, 2019, before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley.

According to court documents, a federal search warrant was executed on Oct. 17, 2019 at Adams’s residence in Provincetown were multiple devices, including laptops, thumb drives and SD cards were located. During an initial on-scene forensic review of a laptop, hundreds of files in the computer’s peer-to-peer software program were located. At least a dozen of these files were found to contain child pornography, and three of the files contained videos depicting pre-pubescent boys engaging in sexual acts. During a consensual interview, Adams initially denied downloading child pornography onto his computer, but eventually admitted that he had searched the term “teen boy,” in the past.  It is alleged that Adams initially denied that there would be pornography of 10-14 year-old-boys on his computer, but later admitted that 13-15 year-old-boys were once of sexual interest to him, but are not anymore.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Stephen Marks, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Secret Service in Boston; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Provincetown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns, or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274. 

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Chelsea woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with using her position as an airline gate agent to convert low cost flights to more expensive flights and destinations for friends, family and acquaintances. 

Tiffany Jenkins, 31, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. She was arrested and charged in November 2018. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Jan. 21, 2019.

As a gate agent, Jenkins had access to the airline’s computer reservation database and had the ability to use a special code, referred to as an involuntary exchange or “INVOL,” to change flights for customers at no additional cost. This code enables agents to change flights for customers who miss their flights or experience a death in the family. 

During a 15-month period, from approximately July 1, 2016, through Sept. 27, 2017, Jenkins executed approximately 505 involuntary ticket exchanges for more than 100 different passengers. Many of those exchanges occurred after the passenger was first booked on domestic flights at one of the airline company’s lowest available fares—often, roundtrip flights between Las Vegas, Nev., and Long Beach, Calif. A short time later, Jenkins exchanged those tickets for a completely different city pair, generally involving much more expensive international locations, for friends, family and acquaintances.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross loss or gain, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Mark Balthazard of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case. 

BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to fentanyl trafficking and using the Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to obtain a driver’s license. 

Santo Patricio Lugo Santos, 42, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of false representation of a Social Security number, and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Jan. 21, 2020. Lugo Santos has been in custody since his arrest on Feb. 14, 2019. 

According to charging documents, Lugo Santos made two sales of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in October 2016 and January 2017. Additionally, in July 2018, he used the Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license.

The charges of distribution of over 40 grams of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, at least one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.  Lugo Santos will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the OCDETF Strike Force, which consists of members of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Reading, Watertown, Braintree, Peabody, Waltham, Woburn, and Concord Police Departments. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the Boston Police Department also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. 

BOSTON – A Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to distribute crack cocaine on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus in Bedford.

Michael Sexton, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Douglas P. Woodlock to time served (approximately two months) and two years of supervised release. In October 2018, Sexton pleaded guilty to distributing crack cocaine and was subsequently accepted into the Massachusetts District Court sponsored RISE Program.

In January 2017, a cooperating witness reported to law enforcement that Sexton was selling crack cocaine to residents of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford. Law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of crack cocaine between Sexton and the cooperating witness on June 29, Aug. 10, Sept. 5 and Sep. 27, 2017.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Sean J. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Shawn Kelly, Chief of Police of the Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service, Bedford VA Medical Center, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A New York man was indicted in federal court in Boston with the Aug. 19, 2019, armed robbery of a branch of the Bank of America in Revere.

David J. Hattersley, 45, was indicted on one count of armed bank robbery. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 27, 2019.

According to the charging documents, on Aug. 19, 2019, at approximately 1:30 p.m., an individual entered a branch of the Bank of America in Revere. The individual approached a teller’s station, passed a threatening demand note, and pointed what appeared to be a black semi-automatic pistol at the teller. The teller handed the individual cash from her drawer and the individual exited the bank. Bank surveillance cameras captured images of the bank robber as a 6’ tall, heavily tattooed, white male, wearing a white tank top, and pointing a black semi-automatic handgun at the teller. A post-robbery audit revealed that the individual stole over $13,000 during the robbery.

Police who interviewed the bank employees, learned that the individual had escaped the area on an MBTA bus. A short time later, a person matching the individual’s description was located in a residential neighborhood.  The individual, later determined to be Hattersley, was allegedly in possession of a large sum of cash and a black pistol, which was later determined to be a BB gun. Hattersley was arrested without incident. Police also discovered that Hattersley was the subject of outstanding warrants in New York.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Revere Police Chief James Guido made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A former Narraganset Regional High School math teacher was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for receipt and possession of child pornography.

Warren Anderson, 27, of Lowell and Harvard, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 45 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In July 2019, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography.  

As part of an investigation into the online trade of child pornography through the use of Kik messenger, Anderson was interviewed in August 2018 and admitted accessing sites on the dark web to obtain child pornography.  Forensic analysis of his computers revealed that he had thousands of files of child pornography, and that he had used both Kik and a dark web-based messaging platform to discuss and trade child pornography.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Harvard and Templeton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

BOSTON – A Charlestown man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing fentanyl out of a Chelsea apartment. 

Cruz Villar, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three years in prison and five years of supervised release. In June 2019, Villar pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

On June 22, 2018, Villar was observed by law enforcement in a hand-to-hand sale of fentanyl to a customer in a parking lot in Dorchester. After the sale, agents recovered approximately 11 grams of fentanyl from the customer and approximately $1,446 in cash from Villar. A subsequent search of an apartment in Chelsea that Villar had been renting—but in which he had not been residing— resulted in the recovery of approximately 87.4 additional grams of fentanyl, along with components of a drug press, a digital scale, two blenders, bottles of a cutting agent, and packaging materials, including plastic wrap and plastic baggies. In addition, Villar made regular trips from the Chelsea apartment to an address in Mashpee in a manner consistent with the distribution of narcotics.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez‑Daple of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man affiliated with the Junior Kaos gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Dwayne Leaston-Brown, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2020. Leaston-Brown was arrested and charged in November 2018 and has been in custody since.

On Sept. 8, 2018, a Boston police officer encountered Leaston-Brown with a loaded firearm on his person near the corner of Fairway Street and Blue Hill Avenue in the Mattapan Square area of Boston. Federal law prohibits Leaston-Brown from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of a prior felony conviction. Leaston-Brown was previously convicted in federal court in November 2014 of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BOSTON – Three members of a violent Brockton drug crew were arrested and charged in connection with operating a fentanyl delivery service. One member of the drug crew remains at large.

Placido Armando Pereira, 33; Natalio Miranda, 28; andDjoy Defrancesco, 23, all of Brockton, were arrested this morning and charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. The defendants were detained following an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley. A fourth defendant, Jason Miranda, 24, of Taunton, remains at large.

As alleged in charging documents, law enforcement began investigating a violent Brockton-area drug crew that distributed large quantities of fentanyl throughout southeastern Massachusetts. The drug crew, which refers to itself as “HSM,” for “Head Shot Mafia,” ran a fentanyl delivery service that encompassed all of Brockton as well as neighboring cities. Specifically, it is alleged that drug users/customers placed orders for fentanyl by contacting a cellphone maintained and shared by HSM crew members, and that HSM members worked together to deliver the fentanyl order. Beginning in September 2019, agents succeeded in introducing an undercover law enforcement officer to HSM, who made six purchases of fentanyl from members of the crew.

According to the criminal complaint and court records, the defendants have criminal records. In 2017, Pereira was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to three years in prison. In 2010, Pereira was arrested on drug trafficking charges at Logan Airport as he returned to the U.S. from Cape Verde, and later sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Feb. 20, 2014, Pereira was the target of an assassination attempt in Brockton. 

According to court documents, Natalio Miranda sold fentanyl to the undercover officer while on probation for a state drug trafficking offense. Furthermore, Defrancesco sold fentanyl to the undercover officer while on pre-trial release from a Plymouth Superior Court indictment charging him with trafficking in fentanyl, possession of a firearm, and possession of a high capacity feeding device, among other offenses.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief John Crowley; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Whitman and Bridgewater State University Police Departments as well as the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to distributing cocaine.

Samuel Diaz, a/k/a “Sammy,” 36, pleaded guilty to distributing approximately 50 grams of cocaine to a cooperating witness on March 24, 2015. Diaz also sold a firearm and ammunition to the cooperating witness on the same day.

U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 23, 2020.

The charge of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine A. Wagner of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON—John H. Nardozzi, the certified public accountant for former State Senator Brian Joyce, was convicted today by a federal jury for conspiring with the late senator to defraud the IRS from 2011 through 2014.

Nardozzi, 67, of Waltham, was convicted after a seven-day trial of defrauding the IRS of approximately $600,000 by manipulating income that should have been reported on Joyce’s corporate tax return and by applying it to Joyce’s personal tax return. Nardozzi was also convicted of falsely creating a single-employment pension (SEP) fund for Joyce and his wife, to which they were not otherwise entitled. In doing so, Nardozzi enabled Joyce and his wife to defer taxes on approximately $400,000 of income. Nardozzi also assisted Joyce in an illegal rollover of Joyce’s SEP account to purchase stock in a private company without following the IRA rollover rules. In addition, Nardozzi attributed income from Joyce’s law firm to Joyce’s wife even though she never worked for the law firm.

U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2020.

The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aiding and assisting in filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and Evan Gotlob of Lelling’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON –  A California woman became the ninth parent to be sentenced in connection with the college admissions case.

Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three weeks in prison, one year of supervised release, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $9,500. In May 2019, Klapper pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of four months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $20,000.

“This defendant paid $15,000 to arrange for her son to cheat on the ACT and then falsely claimed on his college applications that he was Black or Latino,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Ms. Klapper thereby not only corrupted the standardized testing system, but also specifically victimized the real minority applicants already fighting for admission to elite schools. We respectfully disagree that a three-week sentence is a sufficient sanction for this misconduct.”

Beginning in the 2017, Klapper conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have her son’s ACT exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. As part of the scheme, Klapper took steps to secure extended time for her son to take the ACT and to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator, Igor Dvorskiy. After Klapper’s son completed the exam on Oct. 28, 2017, co-conspirator Mark Riddell corrected his answers. As a result of the cheating scheme, Klapper’s son received a score of 30 out of 36 on the exam. In November 2017, Klapper made a purported charitable donation of $15,000 to Singer’s sham charity, Key Worldwide Foundation to pay for the fraud.

In addition, Klapper conspired with Singer to falsify her son’s college applications by claiming that he was African-American and of Hispanic/Latino origin in an attempt to further improve his odds of admission by claiming minority status. Klapper also falsely represented that neither she nor her husband had attended college in order to bolster her son’s college prospects.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Two Dominican nationals were indicted today in federal court in Boston with distributing fentanyl.

Jose Guerrero-Soto, 25, and Yokasta Aybar-Soto, 26, both of the Dominican Republic, were indicted on distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as on conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams of more of fentanyl. Guerrero-Soto and and Aybar-Soto were initially charged by criminal complaint and have been in custody since Sept. 12, 2019.

The indictments allege that Guerrero-Soto and Aybar-Soto sold over 40 grams of fentanyl to an undercover officer in Lawrence on Sept. 12, 2019. 

The charging statutes provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Two Chinese nationals were charged today for their alleged participation in a complex market manipulation conspiracy. 

Xiaosong Wang, 31, and Jiali Wang, 41, both of the People’s Republic of China, were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.  Jiali Wang was arrested yesterday evening at Logan International Airport as he was boarding a flight to Beijing.  Xiaosong Wang was arrested at a home he owns in Upton, Mass.  Both defendants will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston today at 3:00 p.m.  

According to the criminal complaint, Xiaosong Wang, Jiali Wang, and others conspired and engaged in a coordinated stock manipulation scheme that artificially influenced the prices of publicly traded securities by making others in the market believe that there was trading interest and activity in particular stocks.  In reality, no such interest or trading activity existed, and the defendants profited from the price movements they caused. 

The alleged scheme targeted “thinly-traded” securities, which are securities with a low trading volume that are volatile and highly responsive to buying/selling activity.  The defendants are alleged to have placed (or coordinated the placement of) thousands of non-bona fide purchase/sell orders in order to move stock prices up or down.  After the prices moved and the defendants purchased/sold the securities at the artificially higher/lower prices, the initial orders were cancelled.  Defendants and their co-conspirators are alleged to have profited millions of dollars as a result of the stock price spoofing scheme.  

The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordi de Llano, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Securities & Financial Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney David D’Addio of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit are prosecuting the case.  

The details contained in charging documents are allegations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Virginia Beach area woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for sex trafficking.

Claire Poole, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 125 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sex trafficking. Poole was arrested on July 7, 2017, and has been detained since that time.

Poole moved to the Springfield area in early 2017 and began helping co-defendant Walter Brown have sex with a teenage girl. Brown induced the girl to provide pornographic videos and to have sex with him on two occasions by paying her money. Poole acted as a go-between, first by conveying Brown’s initial offer to the girl and then by relaying Brown’s messages to the victim, which included negotiations about what Brown would pay. Poole also provided a cell phone to produce the pornographic videos, and Poole transported the minor to Brown’s house in Ware for sex on two occasions.

Brown is scheduled to plead guilty on Oct. 18, 2019.

United States Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Ware Police Chief Shawn Crevier; Monson Police Chief Stephen Kozloski; and Amherst Police Chief Scott Livingstone made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A North Dartmouth woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with her role in obtaining cocaine from Puerto Rico through the mail.

Cristina Lopez, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Jan. 8, 2020. 

Between March 2017 and August 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified more than 40 suspicious parcels that had been sent through the mail from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Massachusetts, including residences in Quincy, North Dartmouth, Weymouth, and New Bedford. The suspicious parcels were often sent on the same day from Puerto Rico to two or more different addresses in Massachusetts. Agents executed search warrants on two of the parcels and seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine hidden in sealed coffee cans. Through surveillance, it was determined that Lopez and John Tavares, 31, of Weymouth, were receiving the majority of the parcels. It was also determined that Lopez and Tavares had been flying regularly from Massachusetts to Puerto Rico for trips lasting only 30 to 72 hours, and that the parcels suspected of containing cocaine were then typically sent to Massachusetts within one to three days after their return.

Multiple search warrants were executed on Aug. 18, 2018, including at three different residences in Weymouth, North Dartmouth and Boston. During those searches, more than three kilograms of cocaine, in excess of $100,000 in U.S. currency, two firearms and various drug paraphernalia was seized.

Tavares has pleaded not guilty and set to stand trial on Oct. 28, 2019. The details contained in the charging documents with respect to Tavares are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn, III; and Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson made the announcement today.  Police Departments in Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, North Dartmouth and Boston also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Nadine Pellegrini of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON –  A California man became the eighth parent to be sentenced today in connection with the college admissions case.

Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one year of probation, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $9,500. In May 2019, Sartorio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of one month in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $9,500.

Beginning in the spring of 2017, Sartorio conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s ACT exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. As part of the scheme, Sartorio took steps to secure extended time for his daughter to take the ACT, which allowed her to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator, Igor Dvorskiy. After Sartorio’s daughter completed the exam on June 10, 2017, without using the extra time she had been allotted, co-conspirator Mark Riddell corrected her answers. As a result of the cheating scheme, Sartorio’s daughter received a score of 27 out of 36 on the exam, which placed her in the 86th percentile. Sartorio paid Singer $15,000 in cash, structuring the cash withdrawals in three smaller increments over several days to avoid bank reporting requirements.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.          

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Framingham man was indicted today in federal court in Boston with producing a false identification document, aiding and abetting and Social Security card fraud.

Cristiano Ribeiro De Moura, 32, was indicted on one count of producing an identification document, authentication feature, or false identification document; aiding and abetting; and one count of Social Security card fraud.

According to the charging documents, Ribeiro De Moura sold four counterfeit Lawful Permanent Resident cards and four counterfeit Social Security cards in July and August 2019.  Ribeiro De Moura charged $350 for a set of fake documents, which included one Lawful Permanent Resident card and one Social Security card. The buyers provided their name and date of birth, and Ribeiro De Moura provided the Social Security number.

The charge of producing a false identification document provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of Social Security card fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for identity theft.

Maissel Avalo-Mejia, 30, a Dominican national residing in Foxboro, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 27 months in prison. He will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In May 2019, Avalo-Mejia pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Avalo-Mejia used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a Puerto Rican man, who is presently a Specialist in the U.S. Army, to obtain several Massachusetts driver’s licenses, the most recent issued on April 10, 2014. Avalo-Mejia was identified, among other things, from a fingerprint match with a Dominican Republic identification document issued to him and bearing his photo.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Dominican national was indicted today for making false statements in an immigration document and aggravated identity theft.

Teodoro Tejada Rivas, 63, a Dominican national who resided in Lawrence until recently, was indicted on one count of making false statements in an immigration document and one count of aggravated identity theft. Tejada Rivas was arrested on Sept. 10, 2019, in Miami, Fla., and has been detained since.

It is alleged that since at least 2006, Tejada Rivas has been using the identity of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico. Tejada Rivas used the name, Social Security number and date of birth of the Puerto Rican man to apply for a U.S. passport in 2007, and to file an immigration form in 2016 in an attempt to bring his Dominican wife and children into the United States. The fraudulent immigration form was filed three years after the death of the U.S. citizen whose identity Tejada Rivas had stolen.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts, made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Chelsea man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for RICO conspiracy involving attempted murder and drug trafficking.

Brandon Baez, aka “Big Baby,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In January 2019, Baez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and cocaine.

During an investigation into a network of street gangs that had created alliances to traffic weapons and drugs throughout Massachusetts, Baez was identified as a member of the East Side Money Gang (ESMG), a Chelsea-based street gang, which uses violence to further its criminal activities and enforce its internal rules. Specifically, ESMG uses violence to protect its members/associates, target rival gang members/associates and intimidate potential witnesses.

In intercepted calls on April 3, 2016, Baez informed Angel Mejia, a leader in the ESMG, that he had just shot two men in a black Cadillac at a gas station in Revere because he believed that they were members of a rival street gang. Baez told Mejia that he believed he had killed at least one of the intended victims. Two days before the shooting, Mejia and fellow ESMG member Josue Rodriguez had provided Baez with the .22 caliber revolver used in the shooting. Following the shooting, Baez asked Mejia for assistance getting a larger caliber handgun after learning that no one was killed during the Revere shooting. Baez was subsequently arrested in Chelsea by local law enforcement officers while armed with the .22 caliber revolver used in the Revere shooting.

In October 2017, Rodriguez was sentenced to over 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In June 2019, Mejia was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2019, Jesus Perez, a leader in a rival Chelsea-based street gang (the Outlaws), was sentenced to 20 years in prison and four years of supervised release for multiple federal charges, including violent crime in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking and firearms charges.

Baez is one of 53 defendants indicted in June 2016 on federal firearms and drug charges following an investigation into a network of street gangs that created alliances to traffic weapons and drugs and to generate violence against rival gang members. According to court documents, the defendants, who are leaders, members, and associates of the 18th Street Gang, East Side Money Gang and the Boylston Street Gang, were responsible for fueling a gun and drug pipeline across a number of cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts.  During the course of the investigation, over 70 firearms were seized.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Maura Healey, Attorney General of Massachusetts; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner William Gross; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also acknowledges the assistance of the Suffolk and Middlesex County Sheriff Departments and the Malden, Revere and Everett Police Departments. Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston today to the unlicensed transportation of a firearm.

Kenny Romero, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of unlicensed transportation of firearms before U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr., who scheduled sentencing for Jan. 14, 2020.  Romero has been detained since his arrest on July 9, 2019.

Law enforcement officers discovered Romero to be in possession of a firearm during a vehicle stop in December 2016.  A subsequent investigation revealed that the firearm, which had been used in a shooting earlier that month, was purchased in Virginia in November 2016. Agents learned that another individual purchased the firearm at Romero’s direction, and Romero subsequently transported the firearm from Virginia back to Massachusetts, where he resides.

The charge of unlicensed transportation of firearms provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the ATF - Falls Church Field Office and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Beverly man was sentenced to probation today for sending a series of threatening letters to the CEO of an online dating website; one letter contained a white powder described as Anthrax and another contained a red substance described as blood infected with the AIDS virus.

Liam MacLeod, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to two years of probation, with the first two months to be served in a halfway house and eight months in a sober house on home confinement.  The government recommended five months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release which would include five months of community or home confinement. 

In June 2019, MacLeod pleaded guilty to two counts of mailing threatening communications and two counts of conveying false information concerning purported biological weapons.

Between September and December 2017, MacLeod mailed nine letters containing threatening communications and/or suspicious substances to the CEO of the online dating website OkCupid.com in Dallas, Texas. On or about Sept. 12, 2017, MacLeod mailed an envelope addressed to the CEO that contained a suspicious white powder, along with a handwritten letter that stated:

Greetings from Beverly

Ban me will ya

Welcome to the wonderful world of ANTHRAX

Expect a package within the next couple of days

It won’t be ticking but it should be interesting!

MacLeod mailed another envelope to the CEO in Dallas, on or about Sept. 14, 2017, containing a typewritten letter with the following message, amongst other text:

How’d you like what I sent you?  Aww, go take a powder. Oh, the things I have in store for you!  I can go on like this for years. How long can you last?

Incidentally, my father was an angel: That’s Hell’s

Angel to you.  You see, we have some pull.  Take for

example your vehicles.  We now know who owns

what, and where each of you parks his.

Hmm, think of the possibilities!

MacLeod sent a third letter to the CEO in Dallas on or about Sept. 20, 2017. The envelope and its contents, a blank piece of paper, were both stained with a red substance consistent with blood. The next day, MacLeod mailed another letter to the CEO which identified the red substance on the previous letter as blood infected with the AIDS virus.

Between Oct. 4, 2017 and Dec. 21, 2017, MacLeod mailed five additional envelopes addressed to the CEO in Dallas, each containing threatening communications and/or suspicious substances. Each of these mailings generated a response by federal law enforcement in order to rule out the presence of active biological or chemical agents. Laboratory testing later confirmed that the substances contained in the envelopes, including the white powdery substance, did not contain hazardous materials.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Beverly Police Department. OkCupid and its parent company were fully cooperative with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of Lelling’s National Security Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Natick man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to possessing child pornography.

Joshua Bemis, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Jan. 8, 2020. Bemis was arrested and charged in November 2018.

Federal authorities received information from law enforcement in the United Kingdom about an individual whose IP address was traced to Bemis’ Natick residence, who had posted child pornography on a photo sharing website. Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant where they seized a laptop computer and separate hard drive, both of which contained numerous videos of children, including some that depict the rape of children as young as seven-years-old.

Bemis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Natick Police Chief James G. Hicks made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin is prosecuting the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

BOSTON – A Methuen man has was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

Michael O’Neil, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one year and a day in prison and three years of supervised release. In June 2019, O’Neil pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition after being arrested on Dec. 1, 2018 in Andover, when police seized a loaded .380 caliber pistol from him.  O’Neil is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior conviction of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.         

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Lelling’s Office is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester in connection with a 2017 fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. 

Carlos Rodriguez, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 27 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute in excess of 40 grams of fentanyl.

Co-defendants Ernesto Rodriguez, Jorge Burgos, and Joshua Sanchez were sentenced to 20 months, 60 months, and 34 months in prison, respectively.

As a result of various wiretaps capturing the defendants’ discussions of sales and purchases of fentanyl, in November and December 2017, law enforcement conducted surveillance of Burgos purchasing fentanyl for resale from Carlos Rodriguez, Ernesto Rodriguez, and others. In addition, on Dec. 20, 2017, law enforcement stopped Sanchez after wire intercepts suggested he would be distributing 50 grams of fentanyl to co-defendant Jorge Burgos. Agents conducted a stop of the vehicle Carlos Rodriguez was driving and recovered 50 grams of fentanyl. Further investigation led to the recovery of 40 additional grams of fentanyl from Ernesto Rodriguez. Intercepted communications captured Carlos Rodriguez discussing with Burgos how agents had stopped him on the way to Burgos’ residence and captured him discussing with another individual where to hide a firearm from authorities.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Leicester Interim Police Chief Kenneth Antanavica made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc., d/b/a Fresenius Medical Care North America, Inc., the largest operator of kidney dialysis clinics in the United States, has agreed to pay $5.2 million to resolve allegations that the company tested dialysis patients for Hepatitis B surface antigen more frequently than medically necessary and then billed Medicare for the unnecessary tests.

“Providers are expected to closely follow Medicare rules and bill properly — nothing more, nothing less,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “When that obligation is violated, government health care programs – and American taxpayers – pay the price. This settlement is an example of how whistleblowers and government can work together to recoup and deter overbilling practices.”

Patients suffering from End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and Chronic Renal Disease (CRD) require dialysis treatments 3-4 times a week because their kidneys no longer can perform some functions naturally. Because certain ESRD and CRD patients are at risk of contracting Hepatitis B, a virus-borne disease that affects the liver, Medicare established a testing frequency schedule for dialysis clinics to follow for reimbursement. The schedule depended on each patient’s immunity to Hepatitis B infection, as determined through the result of a Hepatitis B antibody test. The schedule provided for reimbursement of monthly Hepatitis B surface antigen tests for patients who were not immune, but Fresenius also conducted, and billed Medicare for, frequent tests of patients it knew to be immune between Feb. 10, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2010. In many cases, Fresenius performed and billed Medicare for these tests for immune patients against their treating physicians’ orders and without any accompanying documentation of medical necessity. These tests were not eligible for Medicare reimbursement under Medicare’s testing frequency schedule, and the government alleged that Fresenius’s bills for these tests were false.

A former employee of Fresenius, Christopher Drennen, brought these allegations through a whistleblower lawsuit. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, private individuals, known as relators, can sue on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, Mr. Drennen will receive 27.5% of the recovery. 

U.S. Attorney Lelling and Phillip M Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S Department of Health and Human Services made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham George, Kriss Basil, Steven Sharobem, Jessica Weber, and Christine Wichers handled the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possession of child pornography.

Alex Levin, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 78 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and restitution to be determined at a later time. In May 2019, Levin was convicted following a four-day jury trial of one count of possession of child pornography.

In August 2015, a search warrant was executed at Levin’s Norwood residence following a nation-wide investigation into the use of the Dark Web for the trade of child pornography. As a result of the search, videos and images depicting the rape and abuse of young children were found on Levin’s computer.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

BOSTON – The owner and safety manager of a charter bus company operating in Massachusetts pleaded guilty today to bribing a federal safety investigator in order to influence the safety review of the passenger buses.

Le Wen Wu, 49, and Yat Kuen Chan, a/k/a “Andy,” 41, both of Quincy, each pleaded guilty to one count conspiracy to pay an unlawful gratuity and to bribe a public official, one count of unlawful gratuities to a public official, and one count of bribery of a public official. U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2020. Wu and Chan were charged in November and September 2018, respectively.    

L&W Travel Inc. was a passenger bus charter company purportedly located on Cambridge Street in Boston. Wu was the owner, president, treasurer, secretary, vice president and director of L&W, and Chan acted as the safety manager. In January 2018, L&W applied to register as a charter bus company with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, establishes and enforces safe operating requirements for motor carriers, including mandatory safety audits within the first year of operation.  

On multiple occasions in July and August 2018, during a safety audit of L&W, Wu and Chan gave a total of $2,800 in cash to an FMCSA safety investigator to influence the investigator’s compliance review and safety audit of L&W. For example, on Aug. 1, 2018 Chan gave the investigator $600 so that the investigator would not place an L&W bus immediately out of service based on two significant safety violations – inadequate brakes and a defective emergency exit door – but rather, would allow L&W to fix the brakes in Massachusetts and drive the bus to New Jersey for repair of the door. 

The charge of conspiracy to pay unlawful gratuity and to bribe a public official provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of unlawful gratuities to a public official provides for a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of bribery of public officials provides for a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Douglas Shoemaker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Barclay of Lelling’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON –  A husband and wife were sentenced to prison today for paying $125,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for their daughter.

Gregory Abbott, 68, and Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York, N.Y., were each sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to one month in prison, one year of supervised release, ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and to each pay a fine of $45,000. In May 2019, the Abbotts pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended that the Abbotts each be sentenced to eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $40,000.

Beginning in 2018, Gregory and Maria Abbott conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have their daughter’s ACT exam and SAT II subject tests corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the scores. In April 2018, Gregory Abbott wired $50,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), to pay for the scheme. Later that month, the Abbotts’ daughter took the ACT exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator. After the Abbotts’ daughter completed the exam, defendant Mark Riddell corrected her answers. As a result of the cheating scheme, the Abbotts’ daughter received a fraudulent score of 35 out of 36 on the exam.

In June 2018, the Abbotts arranged with Singer for someone to correct her daughter’s answers on the SAT subject tests to increase her score. The Abbotts then paid $75,000 to KWF. In October 2018, the Abbotts’ daughter took the exams, again at the West Hollywood test center, and again, Riddell corrected her answers. As a result of the scheme, the Abbotts’ daughter received a perfect score of 800 on the math subject test and 710 on the literature test.

The Abbotts are the 6th and 7th parents to be sentenced in the college admissions case. Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.     

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Haitian man who previously resided in Florida was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with the fraudulent abuse of the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) Informed Delivery electronic notification system. 

Peter Belony, 34, a Haitian national who resided in Margate, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $177,086 in restitution.

In June 2019, Belony pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Belony and his co-conspirators, Fred Alcius, Lucson Appolon, and Kevens Louis were charged on April 9, 2019. Co-conspirators Appolon and Louis have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing, and Alcius remains a fugitive.   

Informed Delivery is a free electronic notification service provided by the USPS that gives residential and P.O. Box customers the ability to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages.

According to the indictment, the defendants accessed victims’ personal identifying information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and addresses on the “dark web” and then used the information to open credit cards in the victims’ names. The defendants then subscribed to Informed Delivery using the victims’ personal identifying information and a fraudulent email address created to track the delivery of credit cards to the victims’ residential mailboxes. The defendants subsequently intercepted the credit cards at the victims’ mailboxes before the victims could receive them and used those credit cards at ATMs and to purchase gift cards and other items for resale at Apple and Walmart, among other retail establishments. The defendants traveled to states across the East Coast in furtherance of the fraud, including New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; the Concord, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), Harvard, Kittery (Maine), Norfolk, Plantation (Fla.), Sherborn, and Weston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield in connection with his submission of a fraudulent application for employment at a Western Massachusetts hospital.

Fabrizio I. Pluchino, a/k/a “Fabrizio Pulchino,” 56, of Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to time served (approximately 9.5 months in prison) and three years of supervised release. In July 2019, Pluchino pleaded guilty to one count of using a falsely obtained Social Security number and one count of wire fraud. 

Pluchino was assigned a Social Security number in 1988 and subsequently falsely obtained two additional Social Security numbers in 1991 and 2000, respectively. Around November 2013, Pluchino used one of his falsely obtained Social Security numbers on pre-employment documents when he applied to be a cardiac surgical technologist at a Western Massachusetts hospital. He also falsely represented his work history and provided two false employment references. As a result, the hospital hired Pluchino for the position and paid Pluchino more than $190,000 in wages during his employment.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Belgian man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges that he participated in an e-mail scam that used counterfeit cashier’s checks to defraud charities and law firms.

Aref Zokita Said, 37, of Belgium, pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2019.

Beginning no later than August 2013, Said and his co-conspirators defrauded law firms and non-profits, including charities, by sending them fraudulent cashier’s checks and convincing them to wire money to members of the scheme, with the false assurance that the fake checks would cover the expense. Once the checks were discovered to be fraudulent—after the victims’ bank accounts were debited—the victims were left with thousands of dollars in losses, having unwittingly forwarded their own money to a member of the conspiracy.

The charging statutes provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the scam, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Joseph W. Cronin, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Kearney and Brian A. Pérez-Daple of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A North Attleboro man was charged on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, with child pornography offenses.

Nicholas Robillard, 39, was indicted on one count each of distribution and possession of child pornography. Robillard made an initial appearance on Friday, Oct. 5, 2019, before Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein, and was ordered detained in state custody pending related state charges. 

As alleged in charging documents, Robillard distributed and possessed child pornography on various dates between Oct. 16, 2018 and Feb. 14, 2019.

Based on his prior record, Robillard faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 40 years in prison on the charge of distribution of child pornography, and a minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison on the charge of possession of child pornography. Both offenses provide for a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case. 

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – The former executive assistant of a Waltham-based technology company has been charged and agreed to plead guilty in connection with a fraud and embezzlement scheme that netted over $3 million.

Shivani Patel, 38, of Vineyard Haven, was charged with bank fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of 57 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine between $20,000 and $200,000, restitution and forfeiture. 

According to court documents, as an executive assistant to the chief financial officer, Patel’s duties included retrieving incoming mail containing customer checks made payable to her employer, recording the checks into the payment system, and depositing the checks into her employer’s bank account. 

From at least February 2012 through July 2017, Patel embezzled approximately $3,076,369 from her then employer for her personal use. Specifically, in February 2012, Patel created a company with a name nearly identical to that of her then employer — i.e., using her employer’s name but just adding an “s” to the end — and opened a business banking account in the sham company’s name. Thereafter, Patel took customer checks payable to her employer from the mail, deposited those checks into the sham company’s bank account, and concealed her embezzlement by making false entries in her employer’s billing system. To disguise and conceal the nature of these funds, Patel funneled this money through multiple bank accounts.

In addition, Patel filed income tax returns for the tax years 2012 through 2016 in which she intentionally underreported her income by failing to disclose the money she had stolen from her employer. 

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $1 million, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $100,000, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin D. O’Connell of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON –  A Californian vintner was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for paying $50,000 to have his daughter’s SAT scores artificially inflated, and agreeing to another $250,000 to have her fraudulently recruited to the University of Southern California (USC) as a water polo player.

Agustin Francisco Huneeus, 53, of San Francisco, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to five months in prison, two years of supervised release, ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $100,000. In May 2019, Huneeus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

The government recommended a sentence of 15 months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $95,000.

Beginning in 2017, Huneeus conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s college entrance exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. Over the course of several months, Huneeus took steps to facilitate the scheme, including securing extended time for his daughter to take the SAT, lying to her high school guidance counselors, and arranging for her to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator. In March 2018, Huneeus’s daughter took the SAT with the help of co-conspirator Mark Riddell, thereby receiving an artificially higher score. The following month, Huneeus made a purported contribution of $50,000 to Singer’s shame charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the scheme.

Huneeus was not happy with the results of the fraudulent exam scheme, and considered pursuing it on two more occasions. Ultimately, Huneeus decided to use the college recruitment scheme to guarantee his daughter’s admission to USC. During a call intercepted by a court-authorized wiretap, Singer explained the recruitment scheme in detail and the cost to Huneeus. In September 2018, Singer sent Donna Heinel, the senior athletic director at USC, an email with Huneeus’s daughter’s high school transcript, fraudulent SAT score, a fabricated athletic profile, and a photograph that was intended to appear to be Huneeus’s daughter playing water polo. In November 2018, Heinel emailed Singer a conditional acceptance letter for Huneeus’s daughter stating that she was admitted to USC as a water polo player. Later that month, Huneeus sent a $50,000 check to Heinel purportedly for the “USC Women’s Athletics Board.” Ultimately, Huneeus was arrested before making the final agreed-up payment of $200,000 to Singer.

Co-defendants Felicity Huffman, Devin Sloane, Stephen Semprevivo, and Gordon Caplan were previously sentenced to two weeks, four months, four months, and one month in prison, respectively.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.      

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.    

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Worcester man was indicted today for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Lawrence Rutherford, 37, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Rutherford was arrested on Sept. 6, 2019, and charged by criminal complaint.

According to court documents, on June 5, 2019, law enforcement agents found two guns and more than 600 rounds of ammunition in Rutherford’s home while executing a search warrant. Rutherford is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior convictions punishable by more than one year in person.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm and John T. Mulcahy of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.