District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Robbie Delgado, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In June 2024, Delgado pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Delgado was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.

On Feb. 8, 2024, Delgado was found in possession of a Baretta .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Delgado is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition following a 2019 state conviction in Hampden County of armed robbery and armed assault with intent to rob, for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by four years of probation.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian A. Kyes, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Superintendent Lawrence Akers of the Springfield Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Randolph man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his involvement in numerous fraud schemes involving sober homes in the Greater Boston area, the Mass Save Program and mortgage fraud. 

Nicholas Espinosa, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy; one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a mortgage lending business (mortgage fraud conspiracy); 16 counts of wire fraud; six counts of unlawful monetary transactions (money laundering); and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2025. Espinosa was arrested and charged in March 2023 along with alleged co-conspirator Daniel Cleggett.

According to the charging documents, Cleggett was the founder of the sober home business, A Vision From God LLC (AVFG), with locations in in Boston, Wakefield, Quincy and Weymouth under trade names including Brady’s Place, Lakeshore Retreat and Lambert House. Espinosa managed the day-to-day affairs of Cleggett’s business. 

Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, along with a sober home client entered into a conspiracy to defraud a New York-based family trust that was paying for the client’s room and board at Brady’s Place in Quincy. Specifically, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, overcharged the family trust for room and board by up to $12,500 per month by submitting false and fraudulent invoices to the family trust. Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, would then issue “refund” checks to the client in furtherance of the fraud scheme. 

According to the charging documents, from approximately October 2019 to December 2021, Cleggett personally, and through straw purchasers including Espinosa, purchased the three residential properties in Weymouth and Boston to use as sober homes. Espinosa falsely represented that one of these properties was intended to be purchased as a primary residence for himself when, in reality, it was intended to be a sober home. 

In addition to the sober home business, Cleggett operated numerous insulation contracting companies that participated in the Mass Save Program: Green Save Energy Corporation; Environmental Construction Objective Inc. (ECO); Green Giants, LLC; and Insulation Situation, LLC. Mass Save is a Massachusetts public/private partnership sponsored by gas and electric utility companies that funds energy conservation projects and improvements via energy efficiency funds charged to Massachusetts residents’ utility bills. 

Specifically, Green Save and ECO received millions of dollars for residential insulation work from a lead vendor company under the Mass Save program. It is alleged that, from 2018 through mid-2021, Green Save and ECO fraudulently billed the vendor company for required permits that were not actually obtained. Green Save and ECO were ultimately terminated from participating in the company’s program in June 2021, and Cleggett was banned from participating in the Mass Save program. In response to this, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett and others, formed Green Giants as a new lead vendor with the same company under a straw owner. As a result, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, obtained a total of $509,326 in payments from the company to Green Giants, despite a ban from participating in the Mass Save program.

The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements to a mortgage lending business provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of unlawful monetary transactions 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Kingston, Randolph and Quincy Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Newburyport man has been charged with defrauding a home repair insurance provider by billing for purported repair jobs that were never performed.

Christian Decristofaro, 40, has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud. Decristofaro as arrested yesterday and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 2:30 p.m. today.

According to the charging document, Decristofaro allegedly caused NE Premier Home Services LLC (NE Premier) – a purported home repair company he controlled – to enroll as a contractor with the home repair insurance provider (the victim). It is alleged that Decristofaro used false or stolen identities to enroll non-existent or unsuspecting homeowners in insurance plans with the victim insurance provider. Decristofaro then allegedly reported fictitious home emergencies to the victim on behalf of the purported homeowners and requested that NE Premier be assigned to perform the repairs. He then allegedly caused NE Premier to bill the victim insurance provider for the repair jobs, even though inspections of the properties showed no evidence of any repair work having been done. As a result of these fraudulent billings, between approximately 2022 and 2023, the victim insurance provider allegedly paid NE Premier at least $1.5 million for services that NE Premier had not rendered.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Leslie A. Wright of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Maryland woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to defraud the government of thousands of dollars between 2014 to 2018.

Chantelle Boyd, 53, of Woodsboro, Md., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to six months home confinement, followed by two years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of six months in prison. Boyd will also be ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In April 2023, Boyd pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, 10 counts of theft of government funds and false declarations. Boyd was arrested and charged in July 2020 along with co-defendant Thomas Bouchard.

Bouchard was the Contracting Officer in charge of the U.S. Army Natick Contracting Division, a full-service contracting organization for the Department of Defense. According to the charging documents, in 2014, Bouchard used his long-standing relationship with Evolution Enterprise, Inc., a government contractor, to have Boyd hired for a “no show” job as an assistant that specifically supported Bouchard. Boyd’s position cost the Department of Defense more than $490,000 during her time at Evolution from 2014 to 2018, during which Boyd performed little if any useful function. 

Bouchard and Boyd took numerous government-funded trips, ranging in duration from two to 15 days, under the guise that they were work related. This included 31 trips to Orlando, Fla., among other locations such as Clearwater Beach, Fla. and Stafford, Va., during which Boyd allegedly performed little if any work. For many of the trips, Bouchard and Boyd stayed in the same hotel room and spent time at the pool and Disney parks – all during business hours. In order to conceal the personal nature of the trips, Bouchard altered, created and approved false travel to reimburse the Boyd for out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, Boyd made false statements to the grand jury in May 2018 in relation to these trips.

Bouchard pleaded guilty in April 2023. In August 2024, Bouchard was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $487,658.87 in restitution.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph Dattoria, Special Agent in Charge of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and Michael Connor, Special Agent in Charge of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Bronx man was sentenced yesterday for travelling to the Worcester area to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl.

Jose Luis Lopez Genao, 32, of Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 30 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. In June 2024, Genao pleaded guilty today to one count of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2024. Genao was arrested and charged in December 2022.

In and around June 2021, Genao and other subjects were identified as receiving large shipments of fentanyl from outside the United States and then distributing it throughout the Springfield and New England areas. On Dec. 8, 2022, Genao travelled from New York to the Worcester area to deliver approximately one kilogram of fentanyl. Genao was arrested immediately after he delivered the fentanyl to a government witness.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Massachusetts State Police; the Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments; and the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Unit prosecuted the case.  

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

BOSTON – A Yonkers, N.Y. man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a scheme to steal an $810,000 tax refund by impersonating a corporate executive in Connecticut.

Steven Ware, 63, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Ware was initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 10, 2024.

According to charging documents, in December 2023, Ware opened bank accounts in the name of a Connecticut investment company and one of its executives at a credit union in Tyngsborough, Mass. When opening the account, Ware allegedly identified himself as the executive – using the executive’s full name, date of birth, Social Security number and other documents.

Shortly after opening the account, it is alleged that Ware returned to the credit union pretending to be the executive and deposited a United States Treasury check payable to the company and the executive for $810,337.

Once the check cleared, a debit card was allegedly used to withdraw money from the account to buy goods at various retailers in New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It is further alleged that Ware returned to the Tyngsborough credit union several times over the following days and weeks pretending to be the executive and wired more than $634,000 of the stolen funds.

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of aggravated identity theft each provide for a mandatory two years in prison, in addition to any sentence imposed for bank fraud, one year 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Tyngsborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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 – The leader of a regional organized theft crew, who orchestrated the thefts of catalytic converters from nearly 500 vehicles across the region, multiple jewelry store robberies and the stealing of ATMs was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston. A precipitous decline in catalytic converter thefts has been reported in Massachusetts as a result of the takedown – with nine reported incidents of catalytic converter theft over the past 18 months following the arrests, in comparison to the hundreds of thefts reported during the nine-month period prior.

Rafael Davila, a/k/a “Robbin Hood,” 36, of Springfield, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Davila was also ordered to pay restitution of approximately $157,000 and complete 75 hours of community service at a food pantry. Additionally, Davila was ordered to forfeit a significant number of assets – including a Chevrolet Suburban, an Acura MDX, two motorcycles, six dirt bikes and two jet skis – that were acquired with proceeds of the offenses to which he pleaded guilty or were involved in the money laundering conspiracy. In April 2024, Davila pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce; interstate transportation of stolen property; conspiracy commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank theft; and bank theft.

In April 2023, Rafael Davila was arrested and charged along with six others in connection with the theft, transportation and sale of stolen catalytic converters taken from nearly 500 vehicles across Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2022 through April 2023. It is believed that a significant number of additional thefts have not been identified or were never reported to law enforcement.

“Targeting over 400 vehicles across more than 100 different communities in Massachusetts and surrounding states, Mr. Davila’s criminal enterprise wreaked havoc for hundreds of innocent people.  Each victim suffered thousands of dollars in losses as a result of these thefts, on top missed personal appointments, disruption of business and unnecessary stress. Mr. Davila and his crew were equally opportunity thieves – they stole from the elderly, single parents, and even a food pantry – impacting needy families who are struggling to get food on their tables. Their conduct was simply deplorable and deserving of serious punishment,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This case directly resulted in a very sharp decline in catalytic converter thefts across the region. Only nine catalytic thefts have been reported in the past 18 months since Mr. Davila and his crew were apprehended. I want to commend the exceptional investigative work by our partners at the Massachusetts State Police and the more than 70 local police departments across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Thanks to their dedicated and collaborative work, the public is safer and the self-proclaimed Robbin Hood is now behind bars where he belongs – unable to wreak his havoc on the innocent people of Massachusetts.”

“Career criminal Rafael Davila earned his keep by leading the most prolific catalytic converter theft ring in the region that raked in millions of dollars in profits, stole ATMs, and burglarized jewelry stores – all of which is the antithesis of an honest day’s work. His actions inflicted serious financial harm and significant stress on hundreds of innocent victims and the community alike, and it’s gratifying to finally see him being sent to prison,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Davila and his crew now know that the FBI is just as committed to eradicating organized crime as they are to embracing it. Thanks to the hard work and due diligence of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Operation Cut and Run decimated this large-scale, multi-state property theft ring responsible for the rampant theft of catalytic converters in our region.”

“The Massachusetts State Police work closely with our public safety partners to address crime affecting the quality of life for residents and causing tremendous economic losses for business across the region,” said Colonel John E. Mawn of the Massachusetts State Police. “This investigation illustrates the impact of the Massachusetts CrimeNet Program and the Commonwealth Fusion Center to analyze crime trends across local jurisdictions and determine the full extent of criminal enterprises. Our investigators worked diligently to bring this case to fruition and we are grateful to our federal partners for their collaboration and their successful prosecution of this case.”

“The National Insurance Crime Bureau is grateful for all those who worked tirelessly to bring this case to a successful final disposition. The collaborative efforts in pursuing those responsible has created a rippling effect literally ending catalytic converter theft which had victimized so many throughout New England,” said Kevin Gallagher, Director of Operations for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Northeast Region.

Catalytic converter theft has become a nationwide problem due to the high-valued precious metals they contain – some of which are more valuable than gold, with black-market prices being more than $1,000 each in recent years. The theft of a vehicle’s catalytic converter results in damage that renders the vehicle inoperable – both mechanically and legally under EPA regulations – until properly replaced.

The crew was led by Davila, who engaged in catalytic converter thefts and burglaries on a full-time basis – committing thefts multiple nights per week for upwards of eight hours a night. Davila was responsible for the planning of and transportation to each targeted theft – using his vehicle, determining price values for stolen converters and purchasing needed materials. Davila maintained meticulous notes accounting for the locations that he and his co-conspirators had targeted and the number of catalytic converters that had been stolen, including the makes and models and when they were dropped off for sale.

The thefts resulted in losses of approximately $5,000 per vehicle with certain trucks costing over $10,000 to repair. This amounts to an approximate $2 million in losses suffered by more than 300 separate victims who were forced to deal with their vehicles being disabled for potentially weeks on end. The more than 300 victims included businesses and individuals across Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire, including a food pantry, automotive businesses, tradesmen, a bakery, single parents, a home healthcare provider and the elderly. Some businesses were repeatedly targeted on multiple nights.

Once in possession of the stolen catalytic converters, the crew would then sell them to Jose Torres, who would accumulate stolen catalytic converters from multiple theft crews and then in turn sell them to scrap dealers – handling approximately $30,000 to $80,000 in stolen catalytic converter sales per week. Torres then sold stolen catalytic converters to scrap dealers who have since been charged federally for interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering in the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of California and Northern District of Oklahoma. Rafael Davila admitted to conspiring with Torres in stolen catalytic converter sales.

Davila also successfully applied for food stamps while committing the thefts, lying under oath about his income and bank account balances, while he owned six motorcycles, two jet skis, three vehicles and luxury jewelry.

In addition to the catalytic converter thefts, Davila admitted to conspiring to steal from ATMs of federally insured banks in Massachusetts on three separate occasions in December 2022. This conspiracy involved the use of stolen trucks and chains to rip the ATMs from the ground and gain access to the vault.

Rafael Davila also admitted to committing burglaries at two New Hampshire jewelry stores on Jan. 12, 2023, and the theft of a trailer on Dec. 14, 2022. Davila broke into the stores by smashing the glass doors and jewelry cases and stealing the jewelry. The combined total value of the jewelry stolen during the burglaries was determined to be over $137,000, with each store facing approximately $10,000 in costs to repair damage.

Rafael Davila is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in the case. In April 2024, Zachary Marshall was sentenced to 47 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2024, Santo Feliberty was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Also in March 2024, Rafael Davila’s brother, Nicolas Davila, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and five years’ supervised release. The three remaining co-defendants, Carlos Fonseca, Alex Oyola and Jose Torres, have each pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; MSP Colonel Mawn; and NICB Director Gallagher made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office; and the New England State Police Information Network. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.

Over 70 local police departments in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut contributed to this investigation through the submission of their investigations of catalytic converter thefts in their jurisdiction. The following Massachusetts police departments contributed to the investigation: Abington, Acton, Andover, Auburn, Bedford, Bellingham, Beverly, Billerica, Burlington, Bridgewater, Canton, Carver, Chelmsford, Concord, Cranston, East Hampton, Easton, Fitchburg, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Hampton, Hanover, Haverhill, Hingham, Holliston, Holyoke, Hudson, Ipswich, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Malden, Mansfield, Medford, Marlborough, Methuen, Middleton, Milford, Millbury, Needham, Newton, Northborough, Norwell, Norwood, Peabody, Pembroke, Plymouth, Randolph, Rockland, Sharon, Shrewsbury, Springfield, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Tyngsborough, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, West Bridgewater, Weymouth, Wilmington, Woburn and Worcester. The New Hampshire police departments contributing to the investigation were Bow, Concord, Derry, Hooksett, Hudson, Londonderry, Manchester, Salem and Windham. The South Windsor and Windsor Connecticut Police Departments also contributed.

BOSTON – A Florida company, and two individuals associated with the company, have been charged and agreed to plead guilty to charges associated with shipping facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators, and price gouging hospitals, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

JDM Supply LLC (JDM) has been charged with one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Daniel Motha, 40, of Miami, Fla., and Jeffrey Motha, 36, of Norfolk, Mass., were charged with one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court. In August 2023, a third individual, Jason Colantuoni, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging in connection with this investigation.  

According to the charging documents, in the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, JDM and a company identified as “Company 1” conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. It is alleged that one hospital accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by Company 1 and sold by JDM.  Ultimately, the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to Company 1. It is further alleged that JDM misled the hospital into believing that the Company 1 masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not. 
In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the Company 1 masks that had been shipped to the hospital. All 10 Company 1 masks fell under the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.  

Daniel Motha and Jeff Motha allegedly conspired to use JDM to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is alleged that they accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through JDM to hospitals in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, at prices in excess of the prevailing market price.

The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead, brought against JDM, provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud. 
    
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

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 Brockton man was convicted today following a three-day trial for lying that his United States passport had been lost in order to secure a replacement to enter the country, when in fact, the passport had been confiscated by the prosecutor’s office in Cabo Verde following his arrest for the murders of two victims.  

Johnny Barros Brandao, 41, was convicted of one count of passport fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2025. Brandao was arrested on May 9, 2023.

According to court records, on March 27, 2014, in Cabo Verde, Brandao allegedly shot an individual in the head using a .45 caliber revolver, took one million and five hundred thousand Cape Verdean Escudos from the victim and then dumped the victim’s body on the side of a road next to a waste dump. On July 26, 2021, Brandao allegedly shot and killed another individual using a 9mm caliber firearm and threw the victim’s body off a bank at the same place as the 2014 victim.

Brandao was arrested in Cabo Verde on these charges. On Dec. 12, 2022, after a period of pretrial detention, Brandao was released subject to supervision. The Cabo Verde court also ordered that Brandao not depart Cabo Verde – confiscating his Cabo Verdean national ID card as well as his United States and Cabo Verde passports.

On Dec. 28, 2022, Brandao applied for a replacement United States passport at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. In the section of the form that directs the applicant to explain how his prior passport was lost or stolen, Brandao reported he had lost his passport in Dakar, Senegal while out to dinner on Dec. 25, 2022.

“Johnny Barros Brandao was accused of two homicides in Cape Verde. Rather than facing those charges, he chose to lie to U.S. authorities in order to replace his confiscated passport and flee to America to evade justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I am grateful for the diligent work of my office and our law enforcement counterparts, without their commitment, a suspected murderer would be walking our streets and avoiding prosecution for his crimes.”

“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Department of Justice and our other law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of crime related to passport and visa fraud. And DSS’ global network of special agents working together to interdict visa and passport crimes is vital to bringing those who commit these crimes to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew O’Brien of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Boston Field Office.

The charge of passport fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and U.S. DSS SAC O’Brien made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Services. Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Cleary, David Tobin and Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – First Psychiatric Planners, Inc. d/b/a Bournewood Health Systems and Bournewood Hospital (Bournewood) has agreed to pay at least $5.5 million and up to $6.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the federal and Massachusetts False Claims Acts. According to court documents, Bournewood provided free sober housing to substance use recovery patients enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid to induce these patients to participate in Bournewood’s Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in violation of the federal and Massachusetts Anti-Kickback Statutes. Bournewood frequently sent recovery patients to sober homes whose owners and operators engaged in unlawful behavior and exploited vulnerable recovery patients.

Bournewood is a behavioral health organization that provides inpatient and outpatient mental health and dual diagnosis care for adults and adolescents in Brookline with offices in Dedham and Woburn, Mass. Bournewood’s PHP is a month-long outpatient therapy program providing substance use treatment and psychiatric care to patients after they complete rehabilitation in an inpatient detoxification facility.

According to the settlement agreement, Bournewood admits and acknowledges that from at least Sept. 16, 2013 through May 31, 2022, it contracted with sober homes to house patients of Bournewood’s PHP receiving federal or Massachusetts health care program benefits. Bournewood only paid housing fees to sober homes on behalf of a patient if that patient enrolled in and attended Bournewood’s PHP. Bournewood did not require a patient to be homeless or housing insecure to receive sober housing in exchange for their attendance at Bournewood’s PHP. Once a patient ceased attending the PHP, Bournewood stopped paying the sober home costs for those patients, regardless of the patients’ financial condition, housing status or housing availability.

The three largest sober homes that Bournewood contracted with were Steps to Solutions, Inc., Brady’s Place and Recovery Education Services, who collectively housed 79% of Bournewood’s PHP patients. In May 2024, a federal jury in Boston found the owner and operator of Steps to Solutions, Inc. liable for sexual harassment and retaliation against tenants of his sober homes, in violation of the Fair Housing Act and awarded seven victims a combined total of $3.8 million. In May 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office announced a 37-count indictment against the manager of Brady’s Place for his participation in a fraud scheme. In 2019, the owner and operator of Recovery Education Services, Inc. pleaded guilty to a 36-count indictment brought by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office related to his management of the sober home which included former Bournewood PHP patients. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in state prison.

The federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare and other federally funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients. The United States and Massachusetts contend that the claims that Bournewood submitted, or caused to be submitted, to Medicare and Medicaid were false because Bournewood’s payment in the form of free sober housing induced vulnerable patients not only to enroll in Bournewood’s PHP, but to regularly attend and remain with the PHP, in violation of the AKS.  

“Unlawful kickbacks can corrupt medical judgment, jeopardize patients’ health and create an uneven playing field for companies that play by the rules,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office remains committed to investigating and holding companies that pay kickbacks accountable. As we continue to combat the opioid crisis, we need to focus on getting people services based on what will best aid their recovery, not based on amenities that providers use to lure vulnerable patients to increase profits. That’s especially so where the supposed amenities place patients at risk.” 

“Kickback arrangements have no place in our health care system, and such allegations are particularly troubling when they involve the exploitation of vulnerable patients,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “We are committed to protecting taxpayer-funded health care programs and the patients served by those programs, and we will continue to thoroughly investigate schemes that put patient safety at risk.”

“When medical providers put their own financial incentives over the wellbeing of their patients, vulnerable individuals in need of care are unfairly harmed,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “My office and the USAO took action, and we’re proud to have reached a meaningful settlement as we continue to hold accountable those who unlawfully compromise patient care for profit.”

The resolution of this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HHS-OIG SAC Coviello and AG Campbell made the announcement today. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven T. Sharobem and Julien M. Mundele of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory J. Dorchak and Anuj K. Khetarpal of the Civil Rights Unit. Assistant Attorneys General Katie Cooper Davis and Mary-Ellen Kennedy handled the matter for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Division. 

BOSTON – A Florida woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to defrauding a Massachusetts housing agency where she worked in 2022, along with defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in connection with the pandemic Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Alihea Jones, 51, of Brandon, Fla., pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 16, 2025.

In 2022, Jones worked remotely for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for six months where she worked with the Residential Aid to Families in Transition (RAFT) program, which provides funds to assist low-income Massachusetts residents facing eviction and other housing emergencies. Immediately after she was terminated, Jones, who was still logged into the RAFT database, accessed the files of four RAFT program participants and authorized electronic payments to their landlords in the amounts of $7,500, $8,800, $6,925 and $10,000. However, Jones changed the routing and bank account numbers from the landlords’ accounts to four unauthorized accounts in Georgia: an account in the name of Jones’s business, Beauty Concepts by Alihea, LLC (Beauty Concepts); Jones’s personal account; and the accounts of persons identified in the charging document as “Friend A” and “Friend B” – all without knowledge or permission from DHCD. After these transfers went through, Friend A and Friend B each paid Jones a $2,000 kickback.

Earlier, in 2021, Jones also fraudulently obtained a $187,000 PPP loan from a Massachusetts lender, which the SBA later forgave.

Under the PPP, authorized lenders issued SBA-guaranteed loans to small businesses during the COVID pandemic to help keep workers employed. If a business spent the money on payroll and other permissible business expenses, the SBA forgave the loan.

Jones submitted a PPP loan application to a Massachusetts lender falsely stating that Beauty Concepts had 17 employees and an average monthly payroll expense of $74,800. In fact, Beauty Concepts did not employ anyone. Unaware that Jones’s information was false, the SBA agreed to guarantee a $187,000 loan to Beauty Concepts. The lender transmitted the loan proceeds to the Beauty Concepts account in Georgia. Jones later applied to have her loan forgiven. Again, she included false employee count and payroll information. Unaware that Jones’s representations were false, the SBA forgave the loan principal and accrued interest.

In total, Jones caused a loss of $222,074, with $33,225 payable to the DHCD and $188,849 payable to the SBA.

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 gain or loss, whichever is greater; restitution; and forfeiture.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Massachusetts Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to an indictment charging conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

Denise Guyette, 31, of Springfield, Mass. was charged in February 2023 along with Gerardo Garza, a/k/a “Oso,” of Yuma, Ariz., and Nathan Boddie, Pawtucket, R.I., in an indictment alleging conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. In June 2023, a federal grand jury sitting in Boston returned a superseding indictment alleging that 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine were attributable to Guyette.

In or about April 2022, law enforcement opened an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO). Guyette conspired with Garza, Boddie and others to traffic various controlled substances – including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and cocaine – in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and elsewhere. The DTO routinely used the mail to ship drugs from Arizona to Massachusetts, often hiding the drugs within packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items. Between May and October 2022, investigators seized seven packages containing  a total of over 900 grams of methamphetamine, thousands of  counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, as well as suspected Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a very strong psychedelic.

At the time of Guyette’s arrest on Feb. 8, 2023, approximately 6.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and over 2,700 counterfeit fentanyl pills weighing over 300 grams were located in a safe in her bedroom. A digital scale as well as multiple Rhode Island and Massachusetts driver’s licenses, Social Security cards and credit cards in the names of other individuals were also found during a search of Guyette’s residence.

Boddie and Garza have both pleaded guilty. On September 19, 2023, Boddie was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Hudson Police Chief Richard DiPersio made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Imperial County Resident Agency and Yuma Resident Agency; United States Postal Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Woonsocket (R.I.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.  

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
 

BOSTON – Three alleged members of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, have been charged for their alleged roles in two separate murders in Massachusetts in December 2010 and July 2020.

William Pineda Portillo, a/k/a “Humilde,” 31, of Everett, and Jose Vasquez, a/k/a “Cholo,” a/k/a “Little Crazy, 31, of Somerville, are charged in a second superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to conduct racketeering affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy) and one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. Franklin Antonio Amaya Paredes, a/k/a “Tony,” 27, of New Bedford, was charged in a separate indictment with racketeering and violent crime in aid of racketeering. Pineda Portillo and Vasquez are currently in federal custody. Amaya Paredes is current in state custody on related charges. All three will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

“The charges announced today reflect the relentless commitment of this office and our law enforcement partners to holding violent criminals accountable, no matter how much time has passed. The brutal acts of violence these defendants are accused of committing demonstrate a complete disregard for human life and the rule of law. We will not allow MS-13 or any other violent criminal organization to terrorize our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will use every tool available to disrupt and dismantle these operations piece by piece and bring those responsible for senseless violence to justice.”

“What these men allegedly did to their victims was particularly heinous – so much so that, over a decade later, the circumstances still stand out,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s charges should make it clear to MS-13 members and their associates that medieval-style violence and senseless murder will not be tolerated in Massachusetts. The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force and its partners have put years of hard work into rooting out all the violence this transnational criminal organization has created and bringing those responsible to justice.”

According to the charging documents, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez allegedly conspired with other members of MS-13 to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010, in Chelsea, Mass. Specifically, Pineda Portillo drove the victim and a group of MS-13 members to the murder scene –in Chelsea. There, the victim was found with 12 stab wounds to his head and chest. It is further alleged that Vasquez was one of the individuals who stabbed the victim and that his palm print was on the handle of a silver kitchen knife left at the murder scene.

During a 2016 investigation that targeted dozens of leaders, members and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts, Vasquez pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 212 months in prison – a sentence he is currently serving. Vasquez was a member and local leader of the Trece Locos Salvatrucha, or TLS, clique of MS-13. In addition to being a leader of an MS-13 clique, Vasquez personally participated in racketeering activity and multiple acts of violence on behalf of MS-13.

Pineda Portillo was also indicted for RICO conspiracy as a result of that same investigation, during which he was recorded discussing the need to locate and murder a member of MS-13 who he believed (incorrectly) was cooperating with law enforcement. Pineda Portillo was deported to El Salvador shortly before that indictment was returned. Approximately five years after the indictment, on May 10, 2022, Pineda Portillo was arrested as he crossed into Texas from Mexico. According to court documents, after being arrested at the border, Pineda Portillo admitted that he was a member of MS-13 and fingerprint analysis determined that there was an active arrest warrant for him. Pineda Portillo was then returned to the District of Massachusetts where he remains in federal custody pending trial.

On Sept. 11, 2024, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the 2010 murder.

According to the charging documents, Amaya Paredes allegedly murdered a second victim who was 27 years old in July 2020 near Horseneck Road in Dartmouth, Mass. Specifically, it is alleged that Amaya Paredes lured the victim to a family party, after which Amaya Paredes drove the victim to the murder scene where he shot and killed the victim.

Surveillance video and location information allegedly showed that Amaya Parades and the victim entered a Honda Pilot minivan that was tracked to the scene of the murder at the time gunfire was heard. According to court filings, the victim was found lying face down with multiple gunshot wounds. Several 9-millimeter shell casings were recovered near the victim’s body.

In the days following the 2020 murder, Amaya Parades was charged by state authorities with murder. During the investigation, Amaya Parades was allegedly identified as a member of MS-13 and determined that he had allegedly murdered the victim in order to gain influence and improve his position in MS-13. The investigation also allegedly revealed that Amaya Parades conspired to murder a witness following Amaya Parades’ arrest on state murder charges. On Sept. 11, 2024, Amaya Parades was indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the 2020 murder and his alleged conspiring to murder a witness.

According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent, transnational criminal organization involved in murder, assault, extortion, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and drug trafficking. MS-13 operates in the District of Massachusetts as well as in New York, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Texas and California. The gang also maintains a large presence in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. MS-13 members commit violence, threats of violence and intimidation, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, often firearms. MS-13 members maintain and enhance their status in the gang, and the overall reputation of the gang, by participating in such violent acts.

The charge of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy involving murder provides for a sentence of life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of violent crime in aid of racketeering involving murder provides for a sentence of life in prison or death and a fine of $250,000. The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 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.

These indictments were brought as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the cases.

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 – The manager responsible for operating an interstate prostitution network of sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia pleaded guilty today. 

Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2024. Han Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, Mass., and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, Calif. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024.

From at least July 2020, Han Lee operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass., as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Va. The defendant established the infrastructure for these brothels in multiple states for the purposes of persuading, inducing and enticing women – primarily Asian women – to travel to Massachusetts and Virginia to engage in prostitution. 

Specifically, Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants, rented high-end apartments as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. It is further alleged that the defendants coordinated the women’s airline travel and transportation and permitted them to stay overnight in the brothel locations so they did not have to find lodging elsewhere, therefore enticing women to participate in their prostitution network. To protect and maintain the secrecy of the business and ensure that the women did not draw attention to the prostitution work inside apartment buildings, Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants established house rules for the women during their stays.  

The defendants allegedly advertised their prostitution network and offered appointments with women in either greater Boston or eastern Virginia via bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog, respectively. Both websites purported to advertise nude models for professional photography at upscale studios as a front for prostitution offered through appointments. Investigators searched and seized the domain names for both websites pursuant to search warrants executed in November 2023.

Additionally, each website described a verification process that interested sex buyers undertook to become eligible for appointment bookings– including requiring that clients complete a form providing their full names, email address, phone number, employer and reference if they had one. Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants persuaded the women to work for their prostitution network because the business maintained a regular customer base of men that were adequately screened, ensuring that the customers were not members of law enforcement or men who posed a risk to the safety and security of the commercial sex workers.

Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants maintained local brothel phone numbers which they used to communicate with verified customers and schedule appointments via text messages; send customers a “menu” of available options at the brothel, including the women and sexual services available and the hourly rate; and to text customers directions to the brothel’s location where they engaged in commercial sex with the women. 

According to the charging documents, the defendants charged sex buyers a premium price for appointments with the women advertised on their websites, which ranged from approximately $350 to upwards of $600 per hour depending on the services and were paid in cash.

To conceal the proceeds of the prostitution network, Han Lee deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash proceeds into personal and third-party bank accounts and peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds laundered, whatever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Central District of California; Eastern District of Virginia; U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – The Chief Executive Officer of Dana Group Associates, who is also the former Chief Operating Officer of Prime Behavioral Health, pleaded guilty today to a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by directing false billing for patient visits.

Miguel Saravia, 42, of Hanson, pleaded guilty to six counts of health care fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Jan. 2, 2025.

From approximately 2017 to 2022, Saravia directed a group of individuals with no billing or medical training to enter Current Procedural Terminology codes (CPT) for therapy services that were not provided and to upcode CPT codes used for psychotherapy visits. Saravia submitted, or directed the submission of, false claims for treatment that was not provided or for more complex and expensive treatment than was provided.

The charge of health care fraud carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Insurance Fraud Bureau Executive Director Anthony DiPaolo; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly B. Lawrence and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Lindsey Ross and Steven Sharobem of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit are prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A New Bedford man pleaded guilty today to stealing over $450,000 in disability benefits issued by the United States Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) intended for a 20-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps who was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).  

Joseph Smith, 71, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government benefits and one count of conspiracy to steal government benefits before U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick, who scheduled sentencing for Jan. 15, 2025. Smith was charged in June 2024.

Shortly after the victim’s ALS diagnosis in August 2015, the VBA approved the victim’s application for disability benefits and awarded him approximately $8,318 in monthly payments. The VBA began issuing payments in September 2015 via monthly checks mailed to the victim’s former residence in New Bedford, where he had resided with Smith’s relative.  

Between approximately 2015 and 2020, while the victim was hospitalized for ALS, Smith and others received monthly VBA disability checks intended for the victim and deposited those checks into bank accounts they controlled. Smith first deposited the disability checks into a bank account in his own name and then began depositing the checks into a bank account that he and others fraudulently opened in the name of victim. Shortly after depositing the disability checks, Smith withdrew the funds in cash and used the money for personal expenses.

In total, between in or around 2015 and 2020, Smith and others stole more than $450,000 in VBA disability benefits intended for the victim.

“This defendant’s craven actions represent a gross betrayal of our nation’s veterans and the sacrifices they make to keep our country free and safe. Stealing from a Marine Corps veteran who bravely served for 20 years and was literally fighting for his life as he battled a devastating illness is about as low as it gets and it is a crime,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Every American owes a debt of gratitude to the men and women who have worn the uniform. Stealing from them is simply immoral.”

“Today's guilty plea underscores our commitment to investigating and holding accountable those involved in fraudulent activities, especially those who target our veterans,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Boston Division. “This investigation showcases the results that postal inspectors strive to achieve in collaboration with our law enforcement partners. We remain dedicated to our mission of identifying and prosecuting those who exploit others through fraudulent schemes.”

“Today’s guilty plea sends the message that the VA Office of Inspector General will work to hold accountable those individuals who would steal benefits intended for deserving veterans with disabilities,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their excellent work in pursuing justice in this case.”

“Misusing someone’s identity and Social Security number to steal federal disability benefits is a crime and these particular offenses are deplorable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “My office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayers’ funds from those seeking to defraud federal programs. I thank our partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work in this case.”

The charge of theft of government benefits 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. The charge of conspiracy to steal government benefits 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, USPIS INC Larco-Ward, VA-OIG SAC Algieri and SSA-OIG Acting INC Anderson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – Two men have been charged with, and have agreed to plead guilty to, carrying out a scheme to obtain products of an online cosmetics company through fraud and to resell those products on Amazon and eBay for a profit.

Brothers Nick Ashtar-Zadeh, 22, and Nika Ashtar-Zadeh, 23, of Dracut, have agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud each. Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court.

According to the charging documents, between 2020 and 2021, Nick Ashtar-Zadeh and Nika Ashtar-Zadeh operated Amazon and eBay “stores” that offered various products for sale, including the products of a cosmetics company in Texas. It is alleged that the Ashtar-Zadehs offered the company’s products on these platforms to buyers for one-time payments that were typically equal to or below the company’s list prices for the same products. The Ashtar-Zadehs then enrolled these Amazon and eBay buyers in the company’s 30-day trial program for the same products. The brothers allegedly entered the buyers’ information on the company’s website, without the customers’ knowledge or consent, and caused the company to ship its products to those buyers for a trial period. It is alleged that, for these orders, the Ashtar-Zadehs presented the company with forms of payment that fulfilled initial charges of $19.95 but were declined when the company attempted to charge later installments, after buyers had kept the products past 30 days. The brothers sold the company’s products in this manner to hundreds of buyers on Amazon and eBay, each time pocketing the difference between what the buyers paid them and the initial $19.95 upfront payment to the company. As a result of the alleged conduct, the Ashtar-Zadehs cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.

The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Boston man was arraigned today in federal court for allegedly flying a drone near the finish line at the Boston Marathon in April 2024. The drone flight prompted law enforcement and bomb technicians to seize the drone mid-air, land it and evaluate its threat to the public. 

Allan Nip, 30, was charged with unlawfully flying a drone in restricted National Defense Airspace. A deferred prosecution agreement filed along with the charging document reflects that the defendant has agreed to pay a $5,000 criminal fine and to forfeit his drone, valued at approximately $4,000. The United States also filed a civil forfeiture complaint in connection with this matter to forfeit the drone and its related controller.
        
According to court filings, Nip was flying his drone within a few blocks of the Boston Marathon finish line approximately 20 minutes before the professional men in the wheelchair division were finishing the race The drone was detected by federal law enforcement monitoring the airspace near the finish line, was intercepted mid-flight, and was landed in a secure location in Back Bay. Once the drone was taken down and evaluated by bomb technicians, law enforcement responded to Nip’s apartment on West Springfield Street in Boston, where he allegedly admitted to flying the drone that morning.

The controller on Nip’s drone, as with most drone controllers, allegedly provided warnings that day that he was flying in a restricted zone. In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration had sent out notices warning anyone seeking to fly any type of aircraft (including drones) not to fly near the start or finish lines of the Boston Marathon on race day, without a special permit. Those special permits are not granted for amateur drone operators.

The charge of operating a drone in restricted National Defense Airspace carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division; Colleen D'Alessandro, Regional Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration in New England; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the civil forfeiture case.

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

BOSTON – A Taunton man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in an oxycodone conspiracy.

John Campbell, age 41, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 15, 2025. Campbell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.

Between approximately July 2022 and June 2023, Campbell distributed oxycodone pills to others for further re-distribution. He also obtained oxycodone pills from his co-conspirator and co-defendant Kenneth Veiga. The quantities of oxycodone pills distributed ranged from hundreds to more than 1,000 on several occasions. Campbell also distributed oxycodone pills to an undercover agent on four occasions. Laboratory testing of pills seized as part of the conspiracy confirmed that the pills contained oxycodone. During intercepted calls, Campbell was overheard discussing oxycodone prices and quantities in telephone calls and text messages. On July 12, 2023 during a search of Campbell’s residence a digital scale; rubber bands; and oxycodone pills were seized.  

Veiga pleaded guilty and in July 2024, was sentenced to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Campbell faces a up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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

BOSTON – The leader of a nationwide drug trafficking ring has been sentenced in federal court in Boston. During the investigation over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled.

Reshat Alkayisi, 63, a Turkish national residing in Covington, R.I., was sentenced on Sept. 17, 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 23 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In April 2024, Alkayisi pleaded guilty to five counts of a second superseding indictment, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; money laundering conspiracy; and two counts of money laundering. 

“This defendant was one of the largest methamphetamine distributors in New England, whose massive drug operation fueled addiction and devastation across our communities. He is now going to pay a very heavy price for the havoc he wreaked across Massachusetts. This sentencing sends a powerful message to anyone engaged in pumping deadly narcotics onto our streets,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “As demonstrated by this prosecution, the dedicated prosecutors and law enforcement partners will be relentless in our efforts to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking operations and ensure that individuals like Mr. Alkayisi are held accountable.”

“Reshat Alkayisi was the leader of a nationwide drug trafficking organization that pushed massive amounts of methamphetamine onto New England streets, and profited from the pain and misery of others,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Thankfully, this 23-year sentence officially puts his 24/7 operation, protected in part by illegal firearms, including an AK-47, out of business. Operation Ice Cats is an example of how the FBI and our partners are hard at work dismantling dangerous trafficking operations as we work to make our communities safer.”

“DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of Massachusetts,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “This substantial sentence not only holds Mr. Alkayisi accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in New England and throughout America. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

In late 2020, Alkayisi was identified as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to distributor customers throughout the New England area. Between October 2020 and April 2021, 12 controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made from the drug trafficking organization—two of which were delivered personally by Alkayisi and one that was negotiated with Alkayisi and delivered by a co-conspirator. 

Intercepted communications revealed that Alkayisi supplied multiple distributor customers with supplier quantities of pure methamphetamine. Alkayisi also regularly bragged to these distributors about quality of his methamphetamine, saying, “You’re gonna get nice, big crystals,” and “Ur contacts should b happy with the size of product.” Alkayisi also operated a large-scale marijuana grow out of his Rhode Island residence, including while on probation for a state conviction for unlawful marijuana distribution.

Alkayisi typically charged his distributor customers $5,000 to $6,000 per pound of methamphetamine and utilized multiple methods to conceal the nature of these proceeds. These included paying the bail of his distributors, structuring cash deposits to avoid reporting requirements, utilizing peer-to-peer transfers and purchasing vehicles with cash. Alkayisi also created and utilized a shell company to launder his proceeds and recruited and directed others, including his wife, to launder his drug proceeds for him.

On June 1, 2021, four packages were seized containing a total of approximately 100 pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine that were picked up on behalf of Alkayisi from a UPS store in Rhode Island. Each of the boxes were addressed to Alkayisi’s shell company, which he used to launder his drug proceeds. 

On June 25, 2021, another package was seized, destined for Alkayisi that contained approximately 30 pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine. In total, approximately 160 pounds of methamphetamine was seized throughout the investigation from controlled purchases, motor vehicle stops and package seizures.

During a search of Alkayisi’s residence in Rhode Island, an AK-47 assault rifle, a Glock handgun with no serial number, over 4,200 rounds ammunition and over $23,000 cash were also seized. Additionally, numerous electronics, including a computer that contained a ledger documenting Alkayisi’s methamphetamine sales for January through June of 2021 was seized. Based on the ledger, as well as the seizures, Alkayisi was responsible for over 660 pounds of methamphetamine over the course of six months. Law enforcement also located his large unlawful marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants in all stages of production for distribution. 

Alkayisi is the seventh defendant to be sentenced in the case. All remaining defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and DEA Acting SAC Belleau made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police; Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – A Massachusetts businessman pleaded guilty yesterday to misappropriating COVID-19 relief funds for personal use.

Jesse Lelievre, 41, of North Andover, pleaded guilty to theft of government property. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 19, 2024. Lelievre was charged in July 2024. 

Lelievre was the owner and manager of Paramount Plumbing & Heating LLC a Massachusetts company that provided plumbing, heating, and related services. In 2021, Lelievre applied for a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) on behalf of Paramount Plumbing & Heating. Lelievre obtained the loan through the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, which provided loans to small businesses that suffered substantial economic injury due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain the loan, Lelievre entered into a loan agreement with the SBA in which he agreed, among other things, to use all loan proceeds solely as working capital for his business. Thereafter, Lelievre directed the EIDL funds into a bank account that he controlled and misappropriated approximately $180,000 for personal expenses, including to buy a diamond ring and to remodel his home.

The charge of theft of government property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and ​​​​​​ Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Field Office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General made the announcement. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.  

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking and cocaine charges stemming from his involvement in a drug and sex trafficking hub operating out of a tent at Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard (Mass and Cass) in Boston. The defendant preyed on women, particularly in the Boston area and Cape Cod, some of whom he transported from Massachusetts to other states, including New York, for commercial sex.
    
Jonathan Vaughan, a/k/a “Ason,” 37, pleaded guilty to three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, two counts of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Dec. 19, 2024. In March 2022, Vaughan was indicted by a federal grand jury. Pursuant to a plea agreement filed with the court, the parties agreed to a sentence that includes 180 months in prison should the court accept the agreed upon disposition at the time of sentencing.

“Jonathan Vaughan preyed on his victims solely because of their vulnerabilities. He used their circumstances against them and for his own personal gain,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Sex trafficking incidents have been increasing, and in many cases, happen in plain sight. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to weed out individuals like Vaughan and hold them accountable for their actions.”

“Vaughan preyed on individuals who struggled with substance use, using their vulnerabilities against them to exert control and force them into violent and dangerous situations. We hope that this guilty plea and the knowledge that Vaughan is facing serious federal prison time brings some peace to those he victimized,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “This case is the result of the close collaboration of our partner agencies, particularly Boston Police, Suffolk District Attorney’s Office and The Barnstable Police Department.”

From at least June 2019 through October 2021, Vaughan recruited and trafficked three female victims to engage in commercial sex acts, and in or about October 2021, transported two of the victims for purposes of prostitution to another state. At the time of his arrest on state charges, on Oct. 13, 2021, Vaughan possessed 15 bags of cocaine intended for distribution to drug users.

Dating back to at least 2019, Vaughan systematically preyed on women throughout Massachusetts, particularly in Boston and on Cape Cod. From at least late spring or early summer of 2021 until his arrest on state charges, Vaughan maintained a tent at Mass and Cass which he used as a hub for distributing drugs and recruiting and trafficking women. 

Vaughan permitted his sex trafficking victims to stay in and bring “dates” back to his tent so long as he received the proceeds of the commercial sex acts that the women engaged in at his direction. He recruited victims in and around Mass and Cass and Downtown Crossing as well as on the internet, including over Facebook. Vaughan also brought his victims to hotels in Boston, Chelsea, Saugus, Cape Cod, as well as Queens and Manhattan, N.Y. 

Vaughan forced at least two of his victims to solicit themselves outdoors, by walking “the track” in areas such as Mass and Cass, Broadway in Chelsea and in and around Times Square in Manhattan, N.Y. Dating back to at least 2019, Vaughan engaged in both physical and sexual violence against his victims to manipulate them and to assert power and control over them. 

According to court documents, Vaughan called himself “Ason the Pimp,” has a tattoo across his chest that states: “Pimp or Die,” and wrote music in which he glorified his work as a pimp and the objectification of women.

Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this crime should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

The charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million dollars. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Barnstable and Boston Police Departments; and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday to being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Nicholas Carle, 36, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024. Carle was charged in April 2023. 

On Dec. 18, 2022, after being stopped by law enforcement for a traffic violation, Carle ran from law enforcement, dropping his coat. Inside the coat, a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver, loaded with six rounds of ammunition was recovered. Body camera footage shows law enforcement finding the firearm sticking out of the Carle’s coat while it was on the ground. Inside of the trunk of the vehicle, approximately 2.5 pounds of a substance that appeared to be marijuana were located.

Due to prior felony convictions including a conviction for possession of a firearm without a permit, Carle is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

The charge of possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of a $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely and Julien M. Mundele are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield men was sentenced yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.   

Isaias Diaz, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to five years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. In May 2024, Diaz pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.  In July 2023, Diaz was indicted along with his co-defendant Robert Collado.

From about June 2022 through June 2023, Diaz and Collado conspired with each other to distribute fentanyl and more than 500 grams of cocaine.

Collado pleaded guilty in May 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12, 2024.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; the Holyoke, Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments; and the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Offices; t provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Unit is prosecuting the case.  

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – A former nurse was sentenced yesterday for tampering with liquid oxycodone syringes at a local rehabilitation center.

Jaclyn McQueen, 44, of Dedham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to three years of probation. In January 2024, McQueen pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. McQueen was charged by Information on Dec. 7, 2023.

From approximately February through May 2020, McQueen worked as a registered nurse at a rehabilitation center in Dedham that provided long-term chronic and post-acute care to patients. In her capacity as a nurse, McQueen had access to oxycodone, a Schedule II narcotic, prescribed to patients at the rehabilitation center.  During her work shifts, McQueen removed liquid oxycodone from syringes intended for use by patients, consumed the oxycodone herself and refilled the syringes with water to avoid detection. McQueen returned the diluted syringes to the medication carts where they could have been administered to patients.  

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Robert H. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Begg Lawrence, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to fraud and false statements charges in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

Robert Platt Jr., 45, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024. Platt was charged and arrested in February 2024 along with over 40 Heath Street Gang members/associates, who were charged with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms charges, and financial frauds, including COVID-related fraud.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary loan program directed at small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). PPP loans were processed by private financial institutions and fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If the small business used the loan funds for approved purposes, such as payroll, the loan could be forgiven by the financial institution and paid for by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

In April 2021, Platt submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of his purported business. The application contained multiple false statements, including false representations regarding the purported business’s total gross income in 2019 and the purpose of the loan.  Platt also submitted false tax records in support of his loan application. Based on the fraudulent application, Platt received approximately $20,833, which he then spent on non-business-related expenses.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Harry T. Chavis Jr, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Lucy Sun of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

BOSTON – A man has been charged with allegedly trafficking a woman to engage in commercial sex acts, coercing her to travel across state lines to engage in commercial sex, forcing her to assist him in robbing multiple convenience stores in Massachusetts, and forced her to assist in procuring an illegal firearm for him to use in one of the robberies. 

David Walker, 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; one count of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution; five counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery; and one count of possessing, using, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence . Walker is currently in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. 

“Mr. Walker’s alleged conduct is horrifying. He is alleged to have callously exploited this young woman– forcing her into a life of fear and violence for his own criminal gain. As alleged, this defendant used extreme violence and intimidation to control his victim, even forcing her to participate in multiple robberies,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This indictment is one of many we have brought against men who traffic women through force, fraud, or coercion. The penalties for such conduct are rightly severe and this office is steadfast in its commitment to protecting victims of trafficking and ensuring that those who engage in such reprehensible conduct are brought to justice.”

“The acts of extreme violence Walker is charged with paint a nightmarish picture. The account from this survivor is heartbreaking and unfortunately, one we see too often from those who are trafficked. Benign romantic relationships can quickly be upended and turned into a relationship of abuse, violence, and coercion,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI special agents and victim assistance professionals work every day to seek justice for people who have been trafficked and provide access to resources to help regain their dignity and independence.”

According to the indictment, Walker met his victim on social media and initiated a romantic relationship. It is alleged that Walker then pressured her to engage in commercial sex and when she repeatedly refused, he became physically violent with her, including by grabbing her, putting his hands around her neck and slamming her into the floor. Walker allegedly required her to make $800 per day selling her body for sex, taking all of the money for himself, and would physically and sexually abuse the victim if she made less than that required amount. Walker’s abuse allegedly included choking the victim until she lost consciousness, kicking her in the stomach, holding knives to her throat and holding a loaded gun to her head. He also allegedly threatened to kill her and her family members if she disobeyed him.

It is further alleged that Walker coerced and forced the victim to travel from Massachusetts to Maine for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex. Walker also allegedly forced the victim to use drugs, including crack, cocaine, mushrooms and Percocet, to make her less able to refuse when he wanted her to engage in commercial sex.

Additionally, the indictment further alleges that, on different dates in October 2023, Walker robbed four separate 7-Eleven convenience stores in West Roxbury, Cambridge, Watertown and Pepperell and attempted to rob a fifth location in Everett. Walker allegedly forced and coerced the same victim to assist him in the robberies. Prior to the West Roxbury robbery, it is alleged that Walker forced the victim to drive him to Dorchester so that he could pick up a semi-automatic handgun to use in the robbery. 

If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. 

The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possessing, using, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to 25 years in prison, five 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Boston, Cambridge, Watertown, Everett and Pepperell Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit 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.

BOSTON – Four Boston-area men have been arrested and charged in federal court in connection with a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. 

Anderson Ernesto Andujar Echavarria, 31, of Dorchester; Waner Bernabel Presinal, 37, of Dorchester; Carlos Fabal, 52, of Roxbury; and Freddy Artemio Guerrero Soto, 29, of Boston, were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. The defendants were arrested on Sept. 13, 2024 and, following initial appearances in federal court in Boston, were detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 24, 2024.  

According to court documents, in November 2023, law enforcement identified Andujar as a large-scale drug trafficker distributing various narcotics. Over the course of the investigation, Andujar allegedly distributed tens of thousands of press fentanyl tablets as well as powdered fentanyl, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement. 

“These arrests underscore our unwavering dedication to combating the fentanyl crisis that continues to devastate our communities. The sheer quantity of fentanyl these defendants allegedly distributed was enough to take tens of thousands of innocent lives,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of these lethal drugs. We will not hesitate to use every resource at our disposal to hold them accountable and protect the public from this growing epidemic.”

“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling large-scale poly drug trafficking organizations like this one operating in the Boston area,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “This organization is responsible for distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. Fentanyl alone is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, state and federal law enforcement efforts in Massachusetts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek and bring to justice anyone who engages in these crimes.”

According to court documents, Bernabel was identified as a co-conspirator who allegedly worked with Andujar to distribute fentanyl pills and Fabal was identified as an alleged fentanyl pill supplier to Andujar. Fabal was previously convicted in 2007 in federal court in Boston of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 67 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

During last week’s arrests, 30,000 blue pressed fentanyl pills were seized along with and 500 grams of powder fentanyl from Andujar and Guerrero Soto. Additional suspected controlled substances, packaging materials and a money counter were also seized from the residences of Andujar, Bernabel and Fabal:

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine provides for 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and DEA Acting SAC Belleau made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Windsor, Mass. man was arrested today and charged in federal court in Springfield for making online threats and extortionate demands.

Michael Andrew Rodgers, 31, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of threatening interstate communications and one count of extortionate interstate communications. Rodgers was released on conditions following an initial appearance today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson.

According to the indictment, on April 5, 2023, Rodgers posted a threat on the Google review page of a Springfield medical practice that stated: “They gonna get what’s coming soon. […] Will be there in the morning to get them myself one way or another. Locked and loaded.” Beneath this text, Rodgers allegedly included an image of a hand holding a gun.

It is further alleged that on April 6, 2024, Rodgers submitted a threat through a fraud reporting website for the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General with the intent to extort Social Security disability benefits. Specifically, Rodgers allegedly stated: “I m gonna start taking what I need. By any means nessacary. […] GIVE ME MY MONEY OR IM GONNA START DROPPING PEOPLE.  YOULL NEVER FIND MY WEAPONS SO STOP LOOKING AND GIVE ME MY CHECK.  […]  NEXT TIME I SLICE SOMETHING OPEN. IT WONT BE ME. ITLL BE ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN ILL MERC A WHOLE SCHOOL AND NOT GIVE A F***. […] SO YOULL BE MY FIRST TARGET IF YOU KEEP REFUSING TO HELP ME.”

“The charges against Mr. Rodgers involve very serious and terrifying threats designed to instill fear and extort his victims. His alleged extortion demands to unlawfully obtain money from the federal government clearly crossed the line into criminal conduct.  In these virulent times, no one should ever have to endure the fear and distress caused by this type of alleged conduct.,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office remains steadfast in pursuing justice and ensuring that those who resort to violent threats and intimidation are held fully accountable for their actions.”

“While the First Amendment gives us the right to express our own opinions, violent physical threats are certainly not protected speech,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “When someone repeatedly threatens the lives of others, it’s a clear red flag, and we have to take their despicable words at face value. Today’s arrest of Michael Rodgers demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to investigate and bring to justice anyone who crosses this line.”

“The safety and security of the Social Security Administration is of utmost priority and our agency is committed to protecting employees from threats and acts of violence.  We thank our law enforcement partners, the Massachusetts State Police and the FBI assisting in this investigation and working to apprehend this subject.” said Corwin Rattler, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division. 

The charge of threatening interstate communications 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 extortionate interstate communications provides for a sentence of up to 20 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and SSA-OIG Acting SAC Rattler made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, Springfield Police Department, Windsor Police Department and Federal Protective Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – Two members of a nationwide drug trafficking ring were sentenced today in federal court in Boston. During the investigation over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled. 

Edison Klotz, 48, of Stoughton, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 46 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of a superseding information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  

Brian Keleman, 55, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and money laundering conspiracy.  

The superseding indictment also charged 10 other defendants with controlled substance offenses, firearm offenses and money laundering offenses.  

In approximately October 2020, investigators received information about drug trafficking activities of a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Boston area. Over the course of the investigation, a cooperating witness completed controlled purchases from members of the drug trafficking organization, including from Klotz. In November 2020, Klotz distributed over 108 grams of pure methamphetamine to the cooperating witness.   

In late 2020, co-defendant Reshat Alkayisi was identified as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to distributor customers throughout the New England area. Between October 2020 and April 2021, 12 controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made from the drug trafficking organization—two of which were delivered personally by Alkayisi and one that was negotiated with Alkayisi and delivered by Keleman. The investigation also revealed that Keleman worked for Alkayisi on Alkayisi’s illegal marijuana grow. In addition, Keleman delivered methamphetamine on behalf of Alkayisi and also assisted Alkayisi in laundering his drug proceeds.    

Klotz and Keleman are the fifth and sixth defendants to be sentenced. All other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing or have been sentenced. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – Two men, one from Massachusetts, have been charged with allegedly smuggling and conspiring to violate and evade export controls relating to the sale of laser equipment to the Russian nuclear energy industry.

Sam Bhambhani, 55, of North Attleboro, Mass., and Maxim Teslenko, 35, of Moscow, Russia, were each indicted on one count of smuggling and one count of conspiracy to violate and evade export controls, commit smuggling, and defraud the United States. Bhambhani was arrested on Sept. 9, 2024 and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Teslenko remains at large overseas.

“This case underscores our unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export laws and safeguarding national security,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The defendants are alleged to have engaged in a sophisticated scheme to evade export controls, deceiving the government about the true destination of sensitive technology and putting critical national interests at risk. We will continue to work tirelessly with our federal partners to keep our country's most sensitive technologies out of the world's most dangerous hands.”

“These two men are accused of helping Russia illegally acquire cutting edge, American made laser welding machines in support of this hostile nation state's nuclear program. As part of their shameful efforts to evade our country’s export laws, we believe these men utilized shell companies, fictitious personas and falsified records,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This is yet another flagrant example of Russia using illicit procurement networks to advance their goals to the detriment of our country’s national security. Let this case serve as a warning to others that if you violate U.S. export controls or evade U.S. sanctions, the FBI and our partners will find you and ensure that you are brought to justice.”

“The Office of Export Enforcement is committed to vigorously investigating illegal exports to Russia and will hold all those who violate our export control laws accountable, whether those violations involve smuggling, illicit procurement, transshipment, or other illegal schemes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office. “This multi-year investigation is a testament to the excellent cooperation between our law enforcement partners in countering Russia’s nuclear weapons program.”

“Bhambhani and Teslenko allegedly conspired to smuggle sensitive machinery into Russia to enhance Russian nuclear capabilities. They’re alleged to have willfully violated export controls specifically intended to protect the security of our nation and to keep dangerous technology out of the hands of adversarial regimes,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the sanctity of our most sensitive defense technologies.”

It is alleged that from in or around 2015 through at least 2021, Bhambhani and Teslenko conspired to export laser welding machines from Bhambhani’s employer in the United States to the Ural Electromechanical Plant (UEMZ) in Yekaterinburg, Russia, while falsifying the export documentation submitted to the U.S. government in order to conceal the fact that the UEMZ was the true end user of the machines. The UEMZ is a subsidiary of Rosatom, a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow, that oversaw Russia’s civilian and military nuclear program. According to the indictment, Teslenko knew that the laser welding machines were intended for the portion of the UEMZ involving the Russian nuclear weapons program.

The charge of smuggling provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen, DOC BIS OEE Acting SAC Tambrini and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Laura S. Kaplan of the Office’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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.

Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.

BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that manufactured and distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing narcotics.

Edward Ortiz, 34, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 17, 2024, Ortiz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Ortiz was among 23 individuals charged in October 2022 in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. The defendants were subsequently indicted along with two additional alleged co-conspirators in December 2022. According to court documents, the DTO distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, among other things, to various individuals in the Lynn area. 

During the investigation, investigators seized from Ortiz approximately 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl that Ortiz had just obtained from one of the co-conspirators in this matter. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division and the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf. 

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.
 

BOSTON – A South Yarmouth man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court for possessing a firearm. Defendant barricaded himself in basement following domestic disturbance.

Michael Giampapa, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024. 

On March 16, 2022, local police responded to a call reporting a domestic disturbance at a residence in South Yarmouth involving Giampapa and a family member. Giampapa was barricaded in the basement when police arrived. He spoke by phone with a family member and during that call, stated he has a gun. After a standoff with law enforcement, Giampapa eventually exited the residence and was arrested.

Following a search of the residence where Giampapa was staying a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard loaded .380 handgun was recovered inside a cereal box that was on top of open shelving in the basement. Giampapa had previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

The firearm charge provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a period of three years of supervised release as well as a $250,000 fine. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Chief Kevin Lennon of the Yarmouth Police Department made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

BOSTON – A member of a nationwide drug trafficking ring was sentenced today in federal court in Boston. During the investigation over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled. 

Eric Daneault, 48, of Manchester, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to eight years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Feb. 16, 2024, Daneault pleaded guilty to one count of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The superseding indictment also charged 10 other defendants with controlled substance offenses, firearm offenses and money laundering offenses.  

In approximately October 2020, investigators received information about drug trafficking activities of a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Boston area. In late 2020, investigators identified Reshat Alkayisi as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker who distributed multi-pound quantities to multiple co-conspirators throughout the New England area. Daneault was identified as one of Alkayisi’s methamphetamine distributors. In May 2021, Alkayisi distributed approximately over 5.3 kilograms of methamphetamine to Daneault.  

Daneault is the fourth defendant to be sentenced. All other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – A Carlisle man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.  

Durgaprasad Rao, 65, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. In May 2024, Rao was arrested and charge by criminal complaint.

According to the charging documents, Rao is the owner and operator of Accelerated Engineering, LLC., a product engineering service provider, and Upstream Global Services, Inc., a software company that provides software consulting services and temporary staffing needs. 

It is alleged that, between April 2020 and May 2021, Rao submitted numerous fraudulent applications seeking over $18 million in PPP funds for various companies in multiple states including companies in Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Georgia. Nine of the fraudulent PPP loan applications Rao allegedly submitted were for companies he owned and controlled. For Rao’s Massachusetts-based companies, he received nearly $7 million in PPP loans – of which, one PPP loan of over $1.5 million was approved for forgiveness. 

Rao’s PPP loan applications allegedly contained false statements regarding payroll and the number of employees that worked for his companies and included fraudulent supporting documents, including false tax return documents and false payroll records. It is further alleged that Rao misused the funds he received by, among other things, transferring the funds to foreign businesses he owned and purchasing a luxury condominium in New York City.       

The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Carlisle Police Chief Andrew Amendola made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Sullivan and David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.  

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud. 
    
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the  NCDF Web Complaint Form.

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 Virginia man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute controlled substances and launder drug proceeds with co-conspirators in Massachusetts and Virginia.

Kenneth J. Owen, 24, of Charlotte Court House, Va., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute MDMA and buprenorphine and two counts of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2024.  

In December 2019 and January 2020, Owen conspired with Sathtra Em, a Lowell resident, and Michael Mao, an inmate at the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Va., to smuggle MDMA and buprenorphine in the form of Suboxone and generic Suboxone sublingual films into the prison. At the time, Owen was working as a correctional officer at Buckingham.  

As part of the conspiracy, Em mailed the drugs to Owen’s residence and paid him $1,600 in bribes to deliver the drugs and other contraband to Mao in the prison. Mao then sold the smuggled drugs to other inmates at Buckingham and Em collected the drug debts on behalf of Mao in the same Cash App accounts she used to pay the bribes to Owen. Owen used a Cash App account with the name “Carlos” to receive the bribes from Em, and he cashed out the funds to his bank account within minutes of receiving them.    

Em and Mao previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. On Aug. 14, 2024, Em was sentenced to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Mao is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2024. 

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute MDMA and buprenorphine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000, or twice the amount of the property involved, whichever is greater. Both charges also include forfeiture of assets traceable to or involved in the distribution and laundering offenses. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations and the Virginia Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Amhrein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – The former project manager of a now-defunct luxury home building business in West Springfield. Mass. was sentenced yesterday for conspiring to defraud the United States.

Jason Pecoy, 44, of Wilbraham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to two years of probation, and a fine of $7,500. The government recommended a sentence of 21 to 27 months in prison, followed by a three-years of supervised release, and order mandatory restitution in the amount of $35,982. In June 2024, Pecoy was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States. 
     
Jason Pecoy was previously indicted in December 2019 along with his father, Kent Pecoy, and Kevin M. Kennedy, the former owner of a golf management company, for conspiring to defraud the United States by concealing cash payments for the construction of Kennedy’s two homes in East Longmeadow and West Dennis. The defendants were later charged in a superseding indictment in January 2020. 

On Dec. 11, 2023, Kennedy was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release on April 24, 2024. On May 16, 2024, Kent Pecoy pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution. Kent Pecoy was sentenced in August 2024 to time served (one day) and two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $24,000 fine and $35,982 in restitution.

From 2009 through 2016, Kennedy conspired with Kent Pecoy, the owner of Kent Pecoy and Sons Construction Inc. (KPSC), and his son, Jason Pecoy, a KPSC project manager, to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue Service and the collection of taxes by concealing Kennedy’s cash payments for construction of the East Longmeadow and West Dennis homes. Kennedy paid the Pecoys in cash, all of which the Pecoys failed to deposit into business bank accounts, but rather distributed the cash directly to vendors and subcontractors. When they did deposit the cash, the Pecoys deposited funds in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid the filing of currency transaction reports. The evidence proved that when the Pecoys created and maintained separate ledgers documenting Kennedy’s cash payments, created and maintained false contracts and cover sheets and created false entries in KPSC’s accounting system to conceal the cash payments.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Special Agent in Charge, Harry T. Chavis Jr., Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorney Eric B. Powers of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

BOSTON – A Connecticut man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a Martha’s Vineyard bank robbery.

Romane Andre Clayton, 22, of New Haven, Conn, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting bank robbery. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024. In March 2023, Clayton was indicted by a federal grand jury. Clayton was charged in a superseding indictment in April 2023.

Clayton met Omar Johnson, Tevin Porter and Miquel Jones in Martha’s Vineyard on Nov. 16, 2022 to plan a bank robbery. Jones identified the bank they would be robbing and provided the others with dark-colored clothing and plastic masks that resembled an elderly man with exaggerated facial features. On the morning of Nov. 17, 2022, the group drove to the area of the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury. Porter, Jones and Johnson hid in bushes near the rear of the bank, and Clayton drove their car to the Manuel Correllus State Forest. Clayton then rode a bicycle back to the bank, where he stood outside to serve as a lookout during the robbery.  Clayton had a walkie talkie to communicate with the others inside the bank.

As bank employees arrived to open the bank for the day, Porter, Jones and Johnson forced their way through the rear door of the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury. The men were armed with two semi-automatic handguns and wearing the clothes and masks that Jones had provided. Once inside the bank, one of the individuals held a gun to the head of one of the bank employees, forced the employee to open the bank’s vault, and took approximately $39,100. The bank employees were bound with duct tape and plastic zip ties while their belongings were searched and the robbers demanded access to one of their vehicles.  

Jones, Porter and Johnson then left the bank in an employee’s car, picked up Clayton outside the bank, and drove to the Manuel Correllus State Forest, where they abandoned the employee’s car in a parking lot. They then fled in the vehicle that Clayton had left there for purposes of their escape. 

Porter and Clayton left Martha’s Vineyard together on a ferry later that morning. Meanwhile, Johnson and Jones drove to a local farm associated with Jones’s landscaping job to dispose of the equipment that had been used during the bank robbery. At the farm, they buried the two firearms used in the robbery in a hole in the ground and burned the remainder of the robbery equipment, including the plastic masks. 

After the evidence was disposed of, Jones returned home to his residence where he hid the approximately $39,100 that had been stolen from the bank, in his bedroom under a bureau. Johnson left Martha’s Vineyard, reconvened with Porter and Clayton in Woods Hole and then drove them to the area of Johnson’s home in New Hampshire.

Jones, Johnson and Porter have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. 

The charge of bank robbery aiding and abetting provides for a sentence of up to 20 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today.  Valuable assistance was provided by Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office; the Massachusetts State Police; the Tisbury, West Tisbury, Edgartown, Chilmark, Oak Bluffs, Aquinnah, Canterbury (N.H.) and New Haven (Conn.) Police Departments; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and United States Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. 
 

BOSTON – A former office manager of a Brookline medical practice was sentenced today for embezzling over $650,000 from the practice over several years.

Kathleen Libby, 40, of Brookline, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 21 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. Libby was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $658,271. In May 2024, Libby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. 

Libby stole from the medical practice in a variety of ways, including by transferring funds from the practice to a personal PayPal account she established named “Medline Surgical Supplies.” In doing so, Libby created the false impression that transfers from the medical practice to the PayPal account were expenses the medical practice had incurred for supplies.

In addition, Libby used the medical practice’s bank account to make payments toward purchases she had made at a variety of retailers, including Louis Vuitton, Bloomingdales, Best Buy, Target and travel-related websites. Libby also placed two of her relatives on the medical practice’s payroll and used its credit cards for her own personal benefit. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to firearm, cocaine, fentanyl and conspiracy offenses.

Antonio Denziah Fernandes, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment, two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine, and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2024. In September 2023, Fernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury and on Sept. 11, 2024, additional charges were brought in a Superseding Information.

In late 2021, law enforcement learned that Fernandes was trafficking firearms and narcotics in the Brockton area, including large quantities of fentanyl. In January 2022, while under indictment in state court for trafficking more than 10 grams of fentanyl, Fernandes received and sold a Glock Model 48, 9mm pistol for $1,700 in the Taunton area. In each of two subsequent transactions in January and February 2022, Fernandes distributed and possessed with intent to distribute approximately 50 grams of fentanyl, for a total of approximately 100 grams. These two transactions took place in the vicinity of Fernandes’s Brockton residence.

Fernandes and a co-conspirator were storing and packaging narcotics in an abandoned van parked outside Fernandes residence and distributing them with a different vehicle. Fernandes was arrested in the passenger seat of the latter vehicle, and a loaded firearm was found wedged against his seat. Fernandes had 2.8g of fentanyl on his person.  

During a search of the abandoned vehicle, large quantity of drugs was found inside including 174.7 grams of Fentanyl, 51.5 grams of cocaine, 18.2 grams of Percocet pills and eight grams of mushrooms. Twenty-seven rounds of 9mm ammunition also was recovered. The van also contained various packaging materials for narcotics, such as plastic baggies, corner cut bags, a trash bag full of various used drug packaging materials with white residue, mixing bowls with white residue and latex gloves.

The charge of illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.  The charges of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office; the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office; and the Brockton, Taunton, Whitman, West Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Bridgewater and Bridgewater State University Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for his role in a nationwide large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy and for distribution of large quantities of fentanyl. 

Francis Jose Perez-Baez, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In December 2024, Perez-Baez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Perez-Baez was charged in November 2021.

Perez-Baez was a Boston-based drug distributor who distributed large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. Perez-Baez received multiple kilograms of cocaine from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization that utilized commercial semi-trucks to transport dozens of kilograms of cocaine throughout the United States, including to Massachusetts. 

Over the course of the investigation, Perez-Baez paid the drug trafficking organization nearly $280,000 in drug proceeds for multiple kilograms of cocaine that the organization had previously supplied to him on credit. Additionally, Perez-Baez sold fentanyl to a cooperating witness on multiple occasions – over 500 grams of fentanyl in August 2020 and 200 grams of fentanyl in April 2021.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Laredo and Dallas Divisions provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.  

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – A Waltham man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Robert Daigle, 48 was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 71 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In June 2024, Daigle pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.  

On Jan. 11, 2022, approximately 10 electronic devices belonging to the Daigle were seized during a search of his residence. The majority of those devices were located in Daigle’s bedroom. Daigle admitted to downloading hundreds to thousands of CSAM for approximately 20 years. A forensic examination of one device was found to have approximately 1,100 child pornography images and approximately 900 child pornography videos. A second device was found to have approximately 380 child pornography images.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus 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 securities trader pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a sophisticated, multi-year market manipulation conspiracy involving securities traded on exchanges within the United States, including the New York Stock Exchange and NADSAQ.

Xiaosong Wang, 36, of Upton, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2024. Wang was initially charged in October 2019. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Xiaosong Wang agreed to forfeit $1,041,084 in illicit proceeds from the conspiracy and agreed to an order removing him to China upon completion of his sentence.

From approximately 2013 through at least 2018, Wang participated in the manipulative trading activity of a group of securities traders located in China and, at times, in Massachusetts. Specifically, Xiaosong Wang and his co-conspirators, including Jiali Wang, used multiple brokerage accounts in their names, and in the names of others with whom Xiaosong Wang and Jiali Wang had relationships, to artificially depress or inflate the prices of thinly traded securities. They did so by repeatedly placing relatively small sell (or buy) orders designed to send a false signal about a security’s supply (or demand) and to depress (or inflate) the security’s price. Xiaosong Wang and his co-conspirators then immediately placed relatively large buy (or sell) orders on the other side of the market to take advantage of their manipulations. Once the large orders executed, Xiaosong Wang and his co-conspirators cancelled their outstanding manipulative orders.

Jiali Wang pleaded guilty in August 2022 and was sentenced in December 2022 to time served (three months in prison) and nine months of home detention. Jiali Wang was also ordered to forfeit $7.75 million in illicit proceeds.

The charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.  
 

BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean A. Tran was convicted yesterday following a six-day trial for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was convicted of 20 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV, scheduled sentencing for Dec. 4, 2024. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.    

According to evidence presented at trial, Tran served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Worcester and Middlesex Counties from 2017 to January 2021. After Tran’s State Senate term ended in 2021, Tran fraudulently received pandemic unemployment benefits while simultaneously employed as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based retailer of automotive parts (the Automotive Parts Company). While working as a paid consultant for the Automotive Parts Company, Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits.   

In addition, Tran concealed $54,700 in consulting income that he received from the Automotive Parts Company from his 2021 federal income tax return. This was in addition to thousands of dollars in income that Tran concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants who rented his Fitchburg property from 2020 to 2022.

“Dean Tran defrauded the government out of unemployment benefits he had no right to receive. His fraud and calculated deception diverted money away from those who were struggling to get by during a very difficult time,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable public officials who lie and steal for personal gain.”

“Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran stole taxpayer funds intended for those Americans who lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The jury’s verdict affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to investigate allegations of fraud involving the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) unemployment insurance (UI) program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit this critical benefit program,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region.

“The conviction of Dean Tran demonstrates the IRS’s commitment to the prosecution of all who choose to break the law, even elected officials,” said Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Elected officials are held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve but to Tran, his oath meant nothing when he chose to steal from the America taxpayers on two separate occasions. Tran stole from a pandemic unemployment program designed to help those most in need. Tran also showed  great disdain for the American public when he willfully omitted his taxable income, the most basic of principles all Americans are expected to follow.”

“Former State Senator Dean Tran was convicted of cheating taxpayers by cashing in on a public health crisis by diverting tens of thousands of dollars meant to support those out of work due to the pandemic to himself instead,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI simply won’t stand for opportunists thinking they can defraud the federal government, lie on their taxes, and get away with it. We will continue to aggressively pursue anyone foolish enough to do so.” 

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. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone, IRS-CI SAC Chavis and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Office’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud. 

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced yesterday for his for his participation in a money laundering conspiracy.

Robert Hueton Colespring, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Colespring was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. In May 2024, Colespring pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions.

Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an investigation into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia was conducted. An undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the Black Market Peso Exchange – a common method of trade-based money laundering used to repatriate the proceeds of drug trafficking to Colombia. 

Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would contact the undercover agent and arrange meetings for him and his purported associates to collect cash for laundering. Individuals, such as Colespring, performed the role of money courier. On two occasions in Florida, Colespring delivered bulk cash which was then deposited into the undercover agent’s bank account in Massachusetts and then subsequently wired to accounts and repatriated back to drug traffickers in Colombia. Over the course of the conspiracy, Colespring was responsible for the laundering of approximately $599,990 in drug proceeds.

Colespring was charged in a 50-count indictment along with 19 other individuals in March 2022. Colespring is the eighth defendant to be sentenced in the case. Four other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua R. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

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

BOSTON – A Brazilian man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation. 

Jose Antonio Moreira Martins Desouza, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2024. In July 2024, Desouza was indicted by a federal grand jury.

Desouza was previously deported from the United States on Nov. 14, 2012. Sometime after his November 2012 removal, Desouza illegally reentered the United States. He was arrested  by local police on May 22, 2023 and then detained by immigration authorities on June 26, 2024. 

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
    
 

BOSTON – A Salvadoran man was sentenced today for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.    

Melvin Alexander Orellana-Martinez, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 60 months in prison. His sentence will be served concurrently with a 17-21 year state sentence he is currently serving in Massachusetts for several offenses, including multiple counts of aggravated rape, kidnapping and witness intimidation. In April 2024, Orellana-Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

On eight separate occasions between July 2007 and January 2020, Orellana-Martinez was removed from the United States. Between February 2008 and March 2019, Orellana-Martinez was convicted in California and Texas federal courts on five separate occasions of either illegal reentry or improper entry.

Orellana-Martinez was last deported from the United States on Jan. 14, 2020. Sometime after his January 2020 removal, Orellana-Martinez unlawfully reentered the United States. On Jan. 6, 2023, federal immigration authorities were notified that Orellana-Martinez had unlawfully reentered the United States after he was arrested on other unrelated state charges.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Boston’s Field Office Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man was arrested today for allegedly cyberstalking a Massachusetts victim through social media, email and various online platforms. Among other things, the defendant allegedly programmed multiple artificial intelligence-driven chatbots to mimic human conversation through text or voice interactions with unknown users of social media platforms. 

James Florence Jr., 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of cyberstalking. Florence was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 16, 2024.

According to the charging documents, between late 2017 and up until the present, Florence is alleged to have created multiple social media accounts and email addresses which he used to harass and threaten the victim anonymously. Florence had previously met the victim through a mutual friend and attended parties at the victim’s former residence between 2015 and 2017. 

It is alleged that, beginning in late 2017, Florence used anonymous social media accounts to post photographs of the victim and photographs of her underwear, which had been taken in her former residence, on various websites. 

Florence allegedly posted digitally altered images depicting the victim as nude or semi-nude. He allegedly posted the victim’s personally identifiable information on these accounts and on numerous websites – including her personal email addresses, home address, professional contact information, account passwords and even a list of colors she had previously dyed her hair, in order to “dox” her. 

Florence allegedly also programmed multiple artificial intelligence-driven chatbots with this information to mimic human conversation through text or voice interactions with unknown users of those platforms. 

In addition to having received threatening messages from social media and email accounts believed to be controlled by Florence, the victim also received harassing and extorting communications that are believed to be from users who messaged the victim as a result of Florence’s posts encouraging them to do so. Florence would taunt the victim by creating accounts in her name, using her likeness and tagging them with phrases like “Accept It Your Exposure Is Permanent Slut” and “Enjoy Your Exposure You Naughty Bimbo. You Belong To The Internet.” Florence allegedly posted photo collages of the victim to the website, ladies.exposed, including images edited to make her appear nude or semi-nude along with all her personal identifying information and captions that encouraged viewers to “Post & Share Her Everywhere. Make The Whore Famous.”

The victim’s name, image and other personal information were posted on at least 13 websites. At least 27 unique accounts were used to harass, impersonate, or otherwise cause the victim substantial emotional distress. To date, the victim has received at least 60 distressing text messages, emails, or calls from unknown senders addressed to the victim discussing her image and information posted online through August 2024.

“The defendant’s alleged actions represent a chilling window into the dangers of online harassment and cyberstalking in the digital age. Using advanced technology to manipulate, torment, and publicly humiliate someone for years is not just reprehensible, it is criminal. No one should have to endure the kind of relentless harassment and devastating psychological toll that we allege this victim has bravely endured,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office is dedicated to ensuring that individuals who exploit online platforms to stalk, harass, and exploit others are held accountable. We will continue to use every resource available to protect victims of these crimes and to bring justice to keyboard cowards who abuse the digital landscape for their own malicious purposes.”

“Today, the FBI arrested James Florence Jr. for allegedly trying to hide behind his keyboard to sadistically cyberstalk and surveille the victim in this case, inflicting immense trauma and pain on both her and her family,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. 

The charge of stalking by electronic means 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.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Plymouth Police Department and Plymouth Fire Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the 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 Yonkers, N.Y. man was arrested yesterday in connection with a scheme to steal an $810,000 tax refund by impersonating a corporate executive in Connecticut.

Steven Ware, 63, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Ware was arrested yesterday in Yonkers and following an initial appearance in federal court in New York, was released on conditions.

According to charging documents, Ware opened bank accounts in the name of a Connecticut company and one of its managing partners at a credit union in Tyngsborough, Mass. in December 2023. Shortly after opening the account, Ware deposited a United States Treasury check payable to the company and the managing partner for $810,337.68. Once the check cleared, a debit card was allegedly used to withdraw money from the account to buy goods at various retailers in New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Ware allegedly returned to the Tyngsborough credit union several times and wired more than $634,000 of the stolen funds.

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two years in prison, in addition to any sentence imposed for bank fraud, one year 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Tyngsborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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 Dorchester man pleaded guilty today to a multi-year tax fraud scheme in which he failed to pay employment taxes for his temporary employment agency. 

Det Tran, 62, pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to collect and pay over employment taxes. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2024.

From at least 2018 through 2021, Tran owned and operated HTP Temp. Inc. (HTP), an agency that provided temporary workers for client businesses. During that time, Tran paid $8 million in “off the books” cash wages to HTP employees. Through his concealment of these cash wages, Tran caused his accountant to prepare false quarterly filings to the IRS for HTP’s employee wages and tax withholdings between 2018 and 2021. As a result, Tran evaded more than $2.1 million in employment taxes owed to the IRS.

The charge of failure to pay over taxes 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.