District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Springfield woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to possessing fentanyl intended for distribution. 

Karyela Santiago, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Aug. 8, 2024. In September 2023, Santiago was indicted by a federal grand jury.

On March 30, 2022, Santiago possessed fentanyl intended for distribution. Specifically, Santiago possessed a total of 8,090 bags of fentanyl intended for distribution – containing a total of 129 grams of fentanyl. 

The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, four year 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 in New England; and Springfield Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A lifetime Level 2 sex offender previously convicted of child rape was sentenced today for possessing more than 5,000 files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Eric Robert Johnson, 51, of Billerica, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $38,000. On Jan. 29, 2024, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest in February 2022. 

“Mr. Johnson is an extremely dangerous individual who has repeatedly demonstrated his predatory interest in children. He belongs in prison for a long time,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The victims of child pornography are not abstractions or objects – they are real kids who experienced sexual exploitation in order for these pictures or images to be distributed and possessed. Although today’s sentence cannot erase the ongoing pain endured by the victims from their traumatic abuse, the message about the severe consequences of possessing child pornography should be crystal clear.”

“This lifetime sex offender admitted to amassing thousands of images of babies, toddlers, and children suffering horrific sexual abuse, and today’s sentence reflects the severity and depravity of his crime,” said Jodi Cohen Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Those photos and videos represent unimaginable pain forced upon utterly vulnerable victims, some too young to walk or talk.  It’s cases like this that drive the FBI and our partners, as we work to protect the children in our communities from predators like Eric Johnson.”

In early 2022, Johnson was identified as a user of an internet-based peer-to-peer network downloading CSAM. Searches of Johnson’s person and residence in February and March of 2022 resulted in the recovery of 25 electronic devices including a laptop, hard drives and other electronic devices. Multiple hard drives were found hidden next to Johnson’s bed as well as hidden inside Johnson’s basement ceiling, shelves, cabinets and in an ammunition can located in a crawl space at the residence. At the time of the search, the laptop was running a program to wipe, delete or remove files from an attached hard drive and was approximately 56% complete before being disabled by an on-scene forensic examiner. 

Also found at Johnson’s residence were two children’s backpacks from under his bed that contained various children’s clothing including bathing suits and a nightgown; a bag of children’s costumes; children’s diapers throughout; and at least three child-sized dolls each with the vaginal region sliced to make a hole. What appeared to be bodily fluids were found in at least two of the dolls. 

A subsequent forensic examination revealed over 5,000 files depicting CSAM on seven of the seized devices, including images and video files depicting the sexual abuse and rape of minor victims as young as infants and toddlers. Many other disturbing items were also located on the devices, including images and videos of bestiality, photos of women’s deceased bodies, as well as videos of Johnson engaging in sexual acts with dolls. Further forensic examination determined that 15 of the seized devices were encrypted or had hardware and could not be searched.  

Johnson was previously convicted in 1992 on state charges in New Hampshire of two counts of Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault of a Child Under 13 Years of Age for his sexual abuse and rape of two minor victims who, at the time, were seven and eight-years-old. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus, Luke A. Goldworm and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Sandisfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for possession of child pornography and possession of an unregistered firearm.

Brian Hohman, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. In January 2024, Hohman pleaded guilty to one charge of possession of child pornography and one charge of receipt and possession of an unregistered firearm. 

During a search of Hohman’s residence in September 2023, a sawed-off shotgun not registered to Hohman and a laptop containing over 300 visually unique images, including at least two videos depicting child pornography were found. Hohman was subsequently arrested and detained on an unrelated matter. The investigation revealed that Hohman also possessed two cell phones and a SIM card containing child pornography.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Litchfield Judicial District State’s Attorney’s Office in Connecticut. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.  

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

BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday to the robberies of three Worcester banks in April 2023.

Joselito Santiago-Matias, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and two counts of armed bank robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2024. Santiago-Matias was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023.

Santiago-Matias robbed a Santander Bank in Worcester on April 3, 2023; a Berkshire Bank in Worcester using a gun on April 12, 2023; and a Santander Bank in Worcester using a gun on April 19, 2023.

The charge of bank robbery 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 armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to up to 25 years, five years of supervised release and a fine 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 Worcester Police Department Interim Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Cranston, R.I. man pleaded guilty on April 30, 2024 in federal court in Boston to his involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Mario Rafael Dominguez-Ortiz, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6, 2024. Dominguez-Ortiz was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022 along with nine other individuals.

In March 2021, an investigation began into a DTO operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara. The investigation identified Dominguez-Ortiz as a member of the DTO, who was employed by Ortiz-Alcantara to deliver fentanyl. On four occasions between July and November 2021, Dominguez-Ortiz delivered fentanyl to a cooperating source. Each of the fentanyl deliveries were in amounts consistent with quantities intended for further distribution.  

Dominguez-Ortiz 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.

Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara pleaded guilty in December 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2024.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering 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 – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a $25,000 settlement with the Arlington-based retail and compounding pharmacy Maida Pharmacy, Inc. (Maida) to resolve allegations that it failed to maintain adequate records of controlled substances and improperly disposed of controlled substances. 

 The Controlled Substances Act (the Act) regulates the manufacturing, purchasing, distribution and maintenance of certain controlled substances. Pursuant to the Act, Maida was required to keep records and follow security protocols for its controlled substances. 

As part of the settlement, Maida admitted that during an inspection, the Drug Enforcement Administration found that Maida did not have in place proper security protocols or maintain appropriate records for controlled substances. Maida also admitted that it had not conducted its mandatory inventory accountability audit and failed to maintain an appropriate security system for its controlled substances. Additionally, Maida admitted that, on several occasions, its employees disposed of Ketamine by placing it in the curbside trash, rather than properly destroying it in a manner consistent with the Act. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julien M. Mundele of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.

BOSTON – A Kentucky man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for advertising child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the dark web.

Scott Allison, 59, of Glasgow, Ky., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Allison was also ordered to pay restitution of $100,000. In September of 2023, Allison pleaded guilty to one count of advertisement of child pornography. Allison was initially charged by criminal complaint in November 2021 in the Western District of Kentucky and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in December 2021.  

“Mr. Allison deserves to be behind bars for a very long time.  He is a reprehensible cog in the market built around the shameful and devastating abuse of innocent children. There is nothing worse.  He regularly advertised the sexual abuse and exploitation of kids thinking he was wrapped in the cloak of anonymity in his online world.  He also possessed literally hundreds of thousands of images exploiting children on his computer. Child pornography is not a victimless crime – it is an all too active marketplace that thrives on real abuse inflicted upon real children. Each time a sexually explicit image or video of a child is viewed, accessed, possessed, received, sent or produced, that child is being re-victimized. Today’s sentence should make that message clear. Our office and our federal, state and local partners will never cease in our efforts to relentlessly pursue those who engage in this market,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

“Scott Allison is a predator who used the exploitation of children as currency to further his horrific enterprise. He and others used the perceived anonymity of the dark web as a safe haven from the public and from law enforcement. As Allison and many others have and will find out, the dark web is no match against the will of law enforcement to protect our children,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

In April 2021, Allison was identified advertising and posting links to CSAM, including images of boys as young as approximately two years old, via a website on the dark web for which he served as a moderator. Allison used at least two different usernames on various websites on the dark web. On one website, Allison was responsible for moderation of the website, this included greeting and socializing with guests, reviewing messages and images and ensuring the safety and success of the website. During a search of his home in November 2021, an external hard drive plugged into a computer in his bedroom was found to contain approximately 130,000 images and videos of CSAM. Allison also had the content or text of approximately 108,000 posts to child pornography websites saved on his computer. Additionally, a box containing boy’s underwear, diapers and condoms as well as a silicone mold of a boy’s buttocks with partial genitalia were also found during the search. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI SAC Krol; Michael A. Bennett, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky; and Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Nashville made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Luke A. Goldworm of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A former Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Sergeant was sentenced yesterday in connection with an overtime scheme dating back to 2015. 

William W. Robertson, 62, of Westborough, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Robertson was also ordered to pay restitution of $142,774 and forfeit $32,180. In December 2023, Robertson was convicted of one count of conspiracy, one count of theft concerning a federal program and four counts of wire fraud. 

On April 26, 2024, co-conspirator former MSP Lieutenant Daniel Griffin was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Griffin was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $329,163, a fine in the amount of $176,700, as well as a $2,100 special assessment. In December 2023, Griffin was convicted of one count of conspiracy, one count of theft concerning a federal program and four counts of wire fraud.

From 2015 through 2018, Griffin, Robertson and other troopers in the Traffic Programs Section at State Police Headquarters in Framingham, conspired to steal thousands of dollars in federally funded overtime by regularly arriving late to, and leaving early from, overtime shifts funded by grants intended to improve traffic safety. 

When the MSP overtime misconduct came to light in 2017 and 2018, Griffin, Robertson and their co-conspirators took steps to avoid detection by shredding and burning records and forms. After an internal inquiry regarding missing forms, Griffin submitted a memo to his superiors that was designed to mislead them by claiming that missing forms were “inadvertently discarded or misplaced” during office moves.  

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; 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. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Adam Deitch of the Public Corruption Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The former Superintendent of the Chicopee Public Schools was sentenced yesterday for making false statements in connection with her sending 99 threatening messages to a candidate for Chicopee Police Chief. 

Lynn Clark, 53, of Belchertown, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to serve one year of probation and pay a $1,000 fine. In January 2024, Clark pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements. 

“In a relentless effort to evade accountability, Ms. Clark’s actions and lies not only harmed innocent people and tarnished the reputation of Chicopee, but also sowed chaos and wasted invaluable investigative resources. She abused her position of trust as a community leader to engage in a series of baseless accusations and to weave a web of intricate lies. Ms. Clark’s scheme led to months of needless stress for the City and halted its crucial search for a Chief of Police. Additionally, her lies resulted in hundreds of hours of wasted investigation as she pointed the finger at completely innocent people,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This calculated misconduct, which spanned false accusations against police officers, a city employee, and even her own son, underscores a flagrant disregard for the repercussions of her actions.”

“Former Chicopee School Superintendent Lynn Clark failed to lead by example when she falsely claimed she was a victim of a crime and then repeatedly lied to the FBI. In doing so, she caused unnecessary stress and reputational harm to those she accused, and wasted hundreds of hours of investigative resources,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.  “Today’s sentence makes it clear that willfully lying to federal agents will be result in serious consequences. The FBI can’t properly pursue our investigative mandate – in this case, fighting public corruption – if the people we interview think they can deceive us with impunity.”

In December 2021, the City of Chicopee was in the process of hiring a new Police Chief. On Dec. 3, 2021, law enforcement received a report that a candidate for the position was receiving threats intended to force the victim to withdraw their application for Chicopee Police Chief. In November 2021, after submitting their application for Police Chief, the victim received numerous text messages from unknown numbers containing threats to expose information that would cause the victim reputational harm. As a result, the victim withdrew their application and the City delayed the selection process.

In meetings with law enforcement over the course of several months during the investigation, Clark falsely stated that she did not know who sent the messages and attempted to dissuade law enforcement from pursuing the investigation any further, expressing concern that the investigation was harming her reputation and “tearing the city apart.” Clark also falsely claimed to be a victim and stated that she received threatening text messages from unknown phone numbers, when, in fact she sent the messages to herself. Additionally, over the course of the investigation, Clark falsely accused at least five other, innocent individuals of sending the threatening text messages – including the victim’s fellow police officers, a City employee and her own son. 

The investigation revealed that a total of approximately 99 threatening messages were sent from fictitious phone numbers purchased through a mobile app. Phone and internet records revealed that these numbers were purchased by Clark and that these accounts sent each of the threatening messages. Clark made false statements to law enforcement denying that she had downloaded a mobile app with which she purchased the fictitious phone numbers to send the messages. Clark later admitted that she did indeed send the messages and downloaded the app.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. 

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

Kathleen Libby, 40, of Brookline, was charged with one count of wire fraud.

According to the charging documents, 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 allegedly created the false impression that transfers from the medical practice to the PayPal account were expenses the medical practice had incurred for supplies.

It is further alleged that 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. The charging documents also allege that Libby placed two of her relatives on the medical practice’s payroll and used its credit cards for her own personal benefit. 

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 $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 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 Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Stoughton man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

Angel Morales, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Sept. 5, 2024. In December 2022, Morales was indicted along with co-conspirators Quenty Ogando, Erika Prado and Rahelin Reynoso.  

Between September 2022 and November 2022, Morales was involved in a scheme involving a large-scale pill press operation that manufactured, sold, and mailed counterfeit pills, including pills containing fentanyl, among other drugs. Morales’ role within the operation was to ship the packages from various post offices across Massachusetts. On multiple occasions, Morales used various post offices and FedEx facilities in Boston, Randolph, Holbrook, Quincy, Mattapan, Braintree, Milton and elsewhere to mail over 150 packages knowing that some of the packages contained controlled substances. On at least two occasions, FedEx employees opened packages pursuant to their internal procedures, and observed clear plastic sandwich bags filled with pills with markings consistent with prescription-only medication that later tested positive for fentanyl. 

On multiple occasions in October and November Morales was observed leaving an apartment in Mattapan before travelling to multiple post offices and FedEx facilities. During a subsequent search of that apartment, over 20 kilograms of pills in various colors, a sample of which tested positive for fentanyl, over 20 kilograms of loose powder, a sample of which tested positive for fentanyl, numerous packages and mailing labels, electronic devices, cash and three industrial grade pill presses were recovered. In addition, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine were also found at the apartment.  

Morales is the fourth and final defendant to plead guilty in the case. On Jan. 31, 2024, Ogando was sentenced to 144 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Prado and Reynoso are scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2024, and June 3, 2024, respectively. 
    
Both charges provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and 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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; 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 Boston Police Department; Massachusetts State Police; United States Customs and Border Protection; Drug Enforcement Administration; and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Jennifer Zacks of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.  

BOSTON – The co-owner of a Mattapan plumbing and heating supply company was charged today with filing false tax returns in connection with a scheme to use millions of dollars of unreported receipts of the business to buy gold bars.

Claudio Poles, 78, of Dorchester, was charged with four counts of filing false tax returns.

According to the charging documents, Poles failed to accurately disclose the company’s gross business receipts to its tax preparer, who prepared the company’s tax returns using the false information Poles provided. Poles then used some of the unreported gross receipts to purchase more than $10 million of gold and silver bars for himself from bullion dealers. To conceal the nature of the purchases he made from the company’s bank accounts for his personal benefit, Poles allegedly described the purchases, in the memo section of the checks, as for “Boilers,” “Materials” and “P&H Supp.” 

The charging documents allege that between 2019 and 2022, Poles falsely and fraudulently reported losses on his individual tax returns and omitted personal income that he received from the business by purchasing the gold and silver bars.

The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to two 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 Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Bourne man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and for violating his terms of supervised release.

Bryan C. Mileikis, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution for the CSAM case. In addition, Mileikis received a two-year concurrent sentence for being found in violation of his supervised release on two prior unrelated federal armed bank robbery convictions. In October 2023, Mileikis pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. 

Mileikis was identified as the owner of a Kik Messenger account distributing CSAM online. A search of Mileikis’ Bourne residence in June 2019 resulted in the seizure of his iPhone. A forensic examination of the cell phone was conducted which revealed approximately 156 images and 22 videos depicting CSAM. Mileikis’ CSAM collection recovered from his cell phone consisted of prepubescent and pubescent minors and included children ranging in age from approximately one year old to approximately 17 years old and included both minor girls and boys. The CSAM files included sexual abuse of minor children by adults. At the time of the offense, Mileikis was on federal supervised release for two armed bank robbery convictions for which he was sentenced to 110 months in prison.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; and Bourne Police Chief Brandon Esip made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally selling a dozen machinegun conversion devices.

Michael Wilkerson, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 20 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. In February 2024, Wilkerson pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business as a manufacturer or dealer in firearms. Wilkerson was initially arrested and charged along with co-defendant Elijah Navarro in February 2023. 

Wilkerson and Navarro were involved with the manufacturing and trafficking of “machinegun conversion devices,” these devices convert certain firearms from semi-automatic to fully automatic, rendering the firearm capable of firing multiple shots by a single function of the trigger. In January 2023, Navarro agreed to sell 12 machinegun conversion devices to an individual in exchange for $1,700. Following a series of communications, Navarro met the individual twice at a pre-arranged location. On Jan. 19, 2023, Navarro sold the first two machinegun conversion devices for $400 and later, on Jan. 25, 2023, Navarro sold the remaining 10 devices for an additional $1,300 out of Wilkerson’s residence. 

During a search of Wilkerson’s residence in February 2023, two 3-D printers, 3-D printing material, machinegun conversion devices, a ballistic vest as well as firearms, ammunition and magazines were seized. 

Neither Navarro nor Wilkerson possess licenses to import, manufacture, deal or possess firearms.  

Navarro pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy in December 2023 and is currently awaiting sentencing. 

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 Boston Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Two men have pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to their roles in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Nelson Mora, 31, of Lynn, and Christopher Nagle, 30, of Revere, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Christopher Nagle also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencings for Aug. 5, 2024 and Aug. 13, 2024, respectively. 

According to court documents, Christopher Nagle and allegedly his brother Lawrence Michael Nagle were identified as leaders of a DTO distributing various controlled substances throughout the North Shore region of Massachusetts. It is alleged that the Nagle DTO distributed significant quantities of various controlled substances, including, Adderall (both pharmaceutical-grade pills and counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine), methamphetamine, Xanax, Oxycodone (both pharmaceutical-grade and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl), cocaine and marijuana, among others.

Christopher Nagle’s brother, Lawrence Michael Nagle, allegedly distributed controlled substances to a small network of individuals who would then redistribute the drugs to other traffickers, including Mora, who also had access to a pill press machine which he used to create counterfeit pills.

A search of Christopher Nagle’s apartment recovered more than 74,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, weighing more than 24 kilograms. 

Mora and Nagle are the 10th and 11th defendants to plead guilty in this case.

The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of 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; 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 Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering 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. 

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 Boston man pleaded guilty today to his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.

Eric Correia, a/k/a, “Bubba,” 26, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and one count of distribution of and possession with attempt to distribute marijuana. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2024. 

Correia was identified as a member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in Dorchester that uses violence to preserve, protect and expand its territory, promote fear and enhance its reputation. According to the charging documents, members use social media applications to promote Cameron Street, celebrate murders and other violent crimes committed by the gang, as well as denigrate rival gangs – in particular, the Dorchester-based NOB gang (Norton, Onley and Barry Streets), known more generally as Wendover. Cameron Street members allegedly possess, carry and use firearms to murder and assault gang rivals as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds. Cameron Street members also allegedly distribute controlled substances and firearms, commit armed robberies and engage in human trafficking in part to generate income for the Cameron Street enterprise.

Correia pleaded guilty to committing a March 2019 attempted murder with a firearm of a NOB/Wendover gang member on Clayborne Street in Dorchester. Additionally, Correia pleaded guilty to his role in an armed robbery of a drug customer as well as to distributing $1,400 worth of marijuana to a cooperating witness. Despite wearing a mask during the drug deal, Correia was identified through a “C” tattoo on his hand – a symbol commonly used by Cameron Street members to designate membership.

The charge of RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by force or violence each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution of marijuana provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least two 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.

This operation 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.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox  made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of Levy’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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 Dallas man pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024 in federal court in Worcester to his role in a nationwide large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy. 

Javier Robledo Perez, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing hearing for July 19, 2024.

Perez was a commercial truck driver based out of Dallas who transported approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine across state lines on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico and Texas. In May 2020, Perez and his co-conspirators arranged for the delivery of 30 kilograms of cocaine to a cooperating witness in Massachusetts. In May 2020, Perez was stopped by law enforcement as he traveled into Massachusetts in his commercial semi-truck, from which 30 vacuum sealed bricks, containing approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine, were seized.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and the charge of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine both carry a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years 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 other statutory factors.

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, 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 Brazilian man residing in Framingham pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to escaping from federal custody. 

Victor Rodrigues De Moura-Pereria, 20, pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024 before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy, who sentenced Rodrigues to time-served (approximately five weeks in prison) to be followed by one year of supervised release. Rodrigues was subsequently transferred into ICE custody and placed into removal proceedings.  

In September 2021, Rodrigues was arrested in Arizona after unlawfully entering the United States. He was subsequently placed into removal proceeding in October 2021 but failed to report and was considered an absconder. 

On Feb. 25, 2024, in Framingham, Rodrigues was approached by local law enforcement due to an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Rodrigues ignored officers’ commands and resisted arrest. Rodrigues was then transferred into the custody of federal immigration officials. 

On Feb. 26, 2024, while being transported to the Wyatt Detention Center where he was to be detained while in custody of immigration authorities, Rodrigues made numerous attempts to escape. Specifically – while placed in full restraints and seated in the prisoner compartment of the transport van – Rodrigues attempted to unlock the passenger side door by pulling on the lock pin with his teeth. Rodrigues then forced his body through a small gap between the vehicle’s rear cage and passenger side window and into the vehicle’s storage compartment, where he pulled the emergency release pull tab, opened the rear door and jumped out onto the highway when the vehicle entered standstill traffic. After exiting the transport van, Rodrigues ran down the middle of the highway and disappeared. 

Responding law enforcement subsequently located Rodrigues hiding inside a wooden fenced area behind a building in Waltham, approximately a quarter mile from where he exited the vehicle. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Waltham Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man, who is a Level 3 sex offender, has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography.

Bryan Horgan, 58, was charged with possession of child pornography. Horgan made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday following his arrest and agreed to voluntary detention.

According to the charging documents, Horgan was identified as the owner of a Microsoft account uploading child pornography. During a search of Horgan’s residence, it is alleged that one of his electronic devices contained several video files of child pornography depicting children as young as infants. It is further alleged that another device contained filenames with words and phrases indicative of child pornography. 

Horgan was previously convicted in the Suffolk Superior Court of rape of a child, assault to rape a child, indecent assault and battery on a child, disseminating obscene material to a minor, and possession of child pornography.  

The charge of possession of child pornography as a person with a prior conviction under Mass. state law relating to sexual abuse of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, five years to life 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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 federal grand jury sitting in Worcester has returned an indictment against an Oxford man for child exploitation offenses.

 Michael Lamountain, 41, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, one count of sex trafficking of a minor and four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Lamountain is currently in state custody on related offenses and will appear in federal court in Worcester on April 30, 2024. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor on Feb. 16, 2024.

According to the charging documents, on July 19, 2023, Lamountain sex trafficked a minor victim and coerced the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. It is further alleged that Lamountain coerced three other minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. 

Lamountain was arrested in August 2023 and subsequently charged by state authorities in Worcester Superior Court with rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child, depicting minors in sexual conduct, human trafficking of a minor, possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and intimidation of a witness.  

    The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and 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; Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier; and Oxford Police Chief Michael K. Daniels made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Rhode Island State Police and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

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 former United States Postal Service (USPS) employee has been indicted by a federal grand jury of theft of mail and theft of government funds. 

Michael Murray, 36, of Lynn, has been indicted on one count of theft of mail matter by an employee and one count of theft of government money. Murray was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 11 a.m. today. 

According to the indictment, from around September 2022 through July 2023, Murray worked as a USPS postal clerk at the Beach Street Post Office in Revere and the Melrose Post Office. From around April 2023 through July 2023, Murray allegedly used his official position to steal the contents of hundreds of pieces of mail entrusted to him, including gift cards, cash and checks totaling approximately $3,422. It is further alleged that, during the same time period, Murray stole and fraudulently negotiated USPS money orders by generating them for postal customers for his own use totaling approximately $5,131.

The charge of theft of mail by employee provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft of government funds valuing over $1,000 provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three 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 Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions 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 – Former Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Lieutenant Daniel J. Griffin was sentenced today in connection with an overtime scheme dating back to 2015. 

Daniel Griffin, 60, of Belmont, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Griffin was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $329,163, a fine in the amount of $176,700, as well as a $2,100 special assessment. In December 2023, Griffin was convicted of one count of conspiracy, one count of theft concerning a federal program and four counts of wire fraud. 

Prior to trial, in November 2023, Griffin pleaded guilty to four additional counts of wire fraud and 11 counts of filing false tax returns in connection with defrauding a private school attended by two of his children from at least 2016 to 2019 by concealing his income and filing materially misleading financial aid applications.

Co-conspirator MSP Sergeant William W. Robertson was convicted of one count of conspiracy, one count of theft concerning a federal program and four counts of wire fraud. Robertson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2024.

From 2015 through 2018, Griffin, Robertson and other troopers in the Traffic Programs Section at State Police Headquarters in Framingham, conspired to steal thousands of dollars in federally funded overtime by regularly arriving late to, and leaving early from, overtime shifts funded by grants intended to improve traffic safety. During the course of the conspiracy, Griffin made and approved false entries on forms and other documentation to conceal and perpetuate the fraud. 

When the MSP overtime misconduct came to light in 2017 and 2018, Griffin, Robertson and their co-conspirators took steps to avoid detection by shredding and burning records and forms. After an internal inquiry regarding missing forms, Griffin submitted a memo to his superiors that was designed to mislead them by claiming that missing forms were “inadvertently discarded or misplaced” during office moves.  

Additionally, Griffin spent significant time running his security business, Knight Protection Services, during hours that he was collecting regular MSP pay and overtime pay. From 2012 to 2019, Griffin collected almost $2 million in KnightPro revenue. Of that total, Griffin hid over $700,000 in revenue from the IRS and used hundreds of thousands of dollars in KnightPro income to fund personal expenses, such as golf club expenses, car payments, private school tuition and expenses related to his second home on Cape Cod.   

In November 2023, Griffin pleaded guilty to defrauding a private school attended by two of his children from at least 2016 to 2019 by concealing his KnightPro income and filing materially misleading financial aid applications, which understated his income and assets by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Despite Griffin’s lucrative MSP salary and KnightPro business, Griffin obtained over $175,000 in financial aid from the private school over the course of several years.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch of the Public Corruption Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A former American Airlines flight attendant, previously charged by criminal complaint, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly surreptitiously recording or attempting to record a minor female passenger using a lavatory aboard an aircraft he was working in September 2023. The defendant is also alleged to have possessed recordings of four additional minor female passengers using lavatories aboard the aircraft he had worked previously.

Estes Carter Thompson III, 36, of Charlotte, N.C., was indicted on one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. Thompson was previously charged by criminal complaint and arrested in January 2024 in Lynchburg, Va. He has been in federal custody since.  

 

According to the charging documents, on Sept. 2, 2023, while working as a flight attendant onboard an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, N.C. to Boston, Mass., Thompson video-recorded or attempted to surreptitiously video-record a 14-year-old female passenger as she used the aircraft lavatory. Specifically, approximately midway through the flight, the minor victim got up to use the main cabin lavatory nearest to where she was seated. When the minor victim arrived at the lavatory it was occupied. After the minor victim had been waiting a short time, Thompson allegedly approached her, told her that the first-class lavatory was unoccupied and escorted her toward first class. Before the minor victim entered the lavatory, Thompson allegedly told her that he needed to wash his hands and that the lavatory’s toilet seat was broken and briefly entered the lavatory. It is alleged that, after Thompson exited the lavatory, the minor victim entered and observed red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid, which was in the open position, that stated, “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” and “REMOVE FROM SERVICE,” and “SEAT BROKEN” was hand-written in black ink on one of the stickers. It is alleged that, beneath the red stickers, Thompson had concealed his iPhone to record a video. The minor victim used her phone to take a picture of the red stickers and the concealed iPhone she found in the lavatory before exiting, at which time Thompson allegedly re-entered it immediately.

According to court documents, when the minor victim returned to her seat, she informed her parents of what she saw and showed them the picture. The victim’s parents reported the matter to other flight attendants onboard who notified the Captain, who in turn notified law enforcement on the ground. It is alleged that the victim’s father confronted Thompson who, shortly thereafter, locked himself in the lavatory with his iPhone for three to five minutes prior to the flight’s descent. 

Upon the flight’s arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport, law enforcement observed that Thompson’s iPhone may have been restored to factory settings. It is alleged that a subsequent search of Thompson’s suitcase was found to contain 11 “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” stickers, like those observed by the minor victim on the back of the toilet seat. A search of Thompson’s iCloud account allegedly revealed four additional instances between January and August 2023 in which Thompson recorded a minor using the lavatory on an aircraft. The minor victims allegedly depicted in the surreptitious recordings were seven, nine, 11 and 14 years old at the time. Additionally, over 50 images of a nine-year-old unaccompanied minor were allegedly found in Thompson’s iCloud. The images included photos taken while the minor victim was seated in her seat pre-flight and close-ups of her face while sleeping. 

All minor victims involved in this matter have been identified and their families contacted by law enforcement. 

It is further alleged that hundreds of images of AI-generated child pornography were also found stored on Thompson’s iCloud account. 

The charge of attempted sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Both charges also provide for at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. 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 John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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 Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston to conspiring to use stolen identities to fraudulently obtain disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to launder the funds.  

Hector Garcia, 52, of Ocala, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2024. 

Garcia conspired with Ramon Cruz, Darwyn Joseph, Edwin Acevedo, and others, to use stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Garcia used stolen identity information of a United States citizen to open a fraudulent bank account, which was then linked to other fraudulent bank accounts set up to receive the SBA funds. Garcia and his co-conspirators used debit cards associated with those accounts to launder the funds by purchasing iPhones for re-sale. Garcia and other co-conspirators wired a portion of the funds to the Dominican Republic.

Over $452,000 in SBA funds were fraudulently obtained in connection with the scheme. Approximately $250,000 of this money was used to purchase iPhones in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Cruz and Joseph pleaded guilty and were each sentenced in August 2023 and October 2023, respectively, to two years and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Acevedo pleaded guilty and was sentenced in August 2023 to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit 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 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, as well as restitution. 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 Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Orlando, Fla.; Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General; Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General; Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General; Department of State; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; New Hampshire State Police; and the Acton, Nashua (N.H.), Manchester (N.H.) and Ocala (Fla.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division 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, 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 was sentenced yesterday for trying to hire a contract killer to murder his ex-wife and her boyfriend.

Mohammed Chowdhury, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 92 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2024, Chowdhury pleaded guilty to two counts of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. 

“Mr. Chowdhury literally thought he could get away with murder,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Mr. Chowdhury’s disturbing conduct – in combination with the misogyny and dehumanization he expressed in trying to carry out this plot – speak volumes about how dangerous he is. This case represents the most extreme form of domestic violence and we will use all tools at our disposal to protect women in abusive relationships.”

“Anyone willing to hire a hitman to kill a once beloved family member and her new boyfriend is clearly a danger to the community,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Thankfully, the FBI Boston’s Violent Crimes Task Force was able to thwart this deadly and horrific plot. Violent criminals like Mohammed Chowdhury need to be locked up, for everyone’s safety, and today’s sentence ensures he won’t be able to harm anyone for a significant period of time.” 

In November 2022, an individual notified law enforcement that Chowdhury was soliciting assistance in having his ex-wife murdered. The individual said that Chowdhury had paid someone to conduct the murder for hire, but that they took the money and did not follow through with Chowdhury’s request. Chowdhury subsequently told the individual that he needed the murder done as soon as possible and that he would get the money to do so, even robbing a store if necessary to obtain the funds. The individual provided Chowdhury’s phone number to law enforcement, who thereafter used an undercover agent posing as a contract killer, to communicate with Chowdhury about his murder for hire plot.

On numerous occasions in December 2022 and January 2023, Chowdhury met with undercover agents posing as the contract killer and their associates, to seek help with killing his ex-wife and her new boyfriend, whom she left him for. During these meetings and communications, Chowdhury explained that his ex-wife would not let him see his children; described his frustration with his ex-wife’s westernization and independent thinking; and expressed that he wanted the undercover agents to rob and beat his ex-wife and her boyfriend so that he would not be a suspect. Chowdhury asked, “So how we gonna disappear his, uh, body?” and stated, “No evidence. No evidence. No evidence from like, you know, that, uh, I did something, you know?” Chowdhury provided the undercover agents with photographs of his ex-wife and her boyfriend, where they lived, where they worked and their work schedules. Chowdhury ultimately agreed to pay $4,000 per murder, with a deposit of $500. 

Chowdhury met with the undercover agents on Jan. 17, 2023, provided the $500 deposit and confirmed that he wanted the murders committed. Chowdhury was then immediately taken into federal custody.

According to court records, in October 2019, Chowdhury was charged in Boston Municipal Court – Roxbury Division with violating an Abuse Prevention Order prohibiting him from abusing, contacting, or coming within a certain distance of his ex-wife. Chowdhury pleaded to sufficient facts and received a continuance without a finding.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Boston Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm and John T. Dawley of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Worcester for child exploitation offenses. 

Jalen Latimer, 25, of Roxbury, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Latimer is currently in state custody on related offenses and will appear in federal court in Worcester on April 30, 2024. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor on Feb. 16, 2024.

According to the indictment, in July 2023, Latimer conspired with another individual to sex traffic a minor victim. It is further alleged that Latimer coerced two other minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. 

Latimer was arrested in February 2024 and is facing charges by state authorities in Worcester Superior Court of rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault and battery of a child, human trafficking of a minor and depicting a minor in sexual conduct. 

The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides of a sentence of up to life in prison, up to a lifetime 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; Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier; and Oxford Police Chief Michael K. Daniels made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Rhode Island State Police and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

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 federal grand jury sitting in Boston has returned a superseding indictment charging 16 individuals in Massachusetts in connection with their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking and money laundering scheme that allegedly distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The superseding indictment includes the charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances that was initially brought against the following defendants in November 2022:

1. Lawrence Michael Nagle, a/k/a “Mikey,” 32, of Saugus;
2. Christopher Nagle, a/k/a “Cuda,” 28, of Revere;
3. Javier Bello, a/k/a “Javi,” 27, of Beverly;
4. Anthony Bryson, 33, of Billerica;
5. Frantz Adolphe, 28, of Lynn;
6. Soyanna Lages, 33, of Somerville;
7. David Muise, a/k/a “Pinky,” 35, of Swampscott;
8. David Delauri, 30, of Haverhill;
9. Alexander Villar, 33 of Danvers;
10. Edward Ortiz, 32, of Swampscott;
11. Yaira Ramos-Rivera, 39, of Billerica;
12. Jose Garcia, 45, of Roslindale; 
13. Chevon Dorce, 43, of Lynn; and
14. Gino Castillo, 33, of Salem.

Additionally, the superseding indictment also adds two counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition for defendant Lawrence Michael Nagle; three additional counts of possession with the intent to distribute various controlled substances against Nagle and Castillo; as well as a money laundering conspiracy charge against Nagle and two new co-defendants Nancy Lopez, 33, of Saugus; and Samuel Saillant, 38, of Lynn. 

Lopez was arrested yesterday and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was released on conditions. Saillant will make an appearance at a later date. 
  
Fourteen of the 16 defendants charged in the superseding indictment were among 23 individuals arrested and charged in October 2022 in connection with a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization that distributed Adderall (both pharmaceutical-grade pills and counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine), methamphetamine, Xanax, Oxycodone (both pharmaceutical-grade and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl), cocaine and marijuana, among others. All 23 individuals were later indicted along with two additional defendants in November 2022. Eleven defendants have since pleaded guilty.

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 Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan D. Panich and James E. Arnold of the Narcotics & Money Laundering 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. 

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 Weymouth man was sentenced yesterday in connection with an elaborate money laundering conspiracy.

Chengzou Liu, 38 was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In December 2023, Liu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering as well as possession with intent to distribute marijuana. 

In July 2022, Liu was charged along with seven others in connection with elaborate money laundering and money transmitting conspiracies allegedly led by two of Liu’s co-conspirators Qiu Mei Zeng and Shi Rong Zhang.

According to the charging documents, Zeng and Zhang co-owned China Gourmet, a restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood. Zhang was also a registered owner of Wonderful Electronics, an electronics and restaurant supply business based in Hanover. It is alleged that the defendants used these businesses to run a large-scale money laundering and money transmitting operation that involved the laundering of drug proceeds and proceeds from stolen and/or fraudulent gift cards.

Liu was a large-scale marijuana trafficker who laundered his drug proceeds allegedly through China Gourmet. On at least three occasions, Liu was observed delivering bags of cash that contained tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to the restaurant, which was then allegedly wired to accounts in the U.S. and China. It is alleged that in a span of just three weeks in October 2021, Liu delivered about $170,000 in drug proceeds to his conspirators to launder to his bank accounts in China.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; 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’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Braintree Police Chief Timothy Cohoon; and Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.  

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

BOSTON – A Salvadoran man has pleaded guilty today to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.    

Melvin Alexander Orellana-Martinez, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by the Court.

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 unrelated state charges.

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. The defendant will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of the imposed sentence. 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 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 is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Manchester, N.H., man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for making a series of extortionate bomb threats against Harvard University. The extortionate threats caused the evacuation of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza and surrounding academic buildings, and the controlled detonation of what was later determined to be a hoax device on April 13, 2023.  

William A. Giordani, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to three years of probation. In January 2024, Giordani pleaded guilty to one count of concealing a federal felony. 

In the early afternoon of April 13, 2023, Giordani placed a large tool bag, which concealed a locked safe containing fireworks and electrical wires, in the center of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza, where students and others had gathered. Shortly thereafter, a caller, using a voice changing app to conceal his identity, called the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) and said that he had placed three bombs on the Harvard campus. The caller demanded an unspecified amount in Bitcoin to prevent the remote detonation of the bombs. In several ensuing calls, the caller told HUPD that he was serious about his demands and that they could find the first bomb in the Science Center Plaza.

HUPD discovered the device planted by Giordani, next to a bench in the center of Science Center Plaza and issued an emergency evacuation order of the area and nearby buildings. A responding bomb squad from the Cambridge Police Department assessed and disabled the device. No additional devices were found on campus that day.

A subsequent investigation revealed that Giordani had been recruited to join the extortion scheme via a craigslist.org advertisement. Once Giordani knew he had been recruited to assist in an extortionate bomb scheme, he had an obligation under federal law to report that scheme to authorities. Instead, he deleted incriminating text messages, told his girlfriend not to speak to anyone about it and went on the run from police.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division; Harvard University Police Chief Victor Clay; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Nashua (N.H.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Connecticut man pleaded guilty yesterday to fraudulently obtaining more than 100 gold coins and then transporting them outside of Massachusetts.     

William Dawson, 52, pleaded guilty to on one count of interstate transportation of property taken by fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2024. Dawson was arrested and charged in October 2023. 

Dawson held himself out as a property buyer and reseller. Person-1 operated a home cleanout business in Massachusetts that sold property contained in decedent estates. In or around December 2022, Person-1 was retained by a decedent estate to clean out a residence in Shrewsbury. In that home, Person-1 found 170 Queen Elizabeth II Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins, collectively worth approximately $290,000. With approval from the estate, Person-1 agreed to sell 120 of the gold coins to Dawson.

In January 2023, Dawson met with Person-1 in Millbury and purchased the 120 gold coins with two checks totaling $198,800. However, Dawson had significantly less than $198,800 in the relevant bank account when he wrote the checks to Person-1. Later that same day, Dawson called Person-1, falsely claiming that his car had been broken into and that the gold coins had been stolen. The next day, Dawson traveled to a pawn shop in Pawtucket, R.I. where he sold 43 of the gold coins in exchange for $80,442. On several occasions in February 2023, Dawson traveled to a pawn shop in Cranston, R.I., where he sold 19 more of the gold coins in exchange for a total of approximately $35,094.

The charge of interstate transportation of property taken by 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 United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Milford Police Department and the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.   

 

BOSTON – A Pittsfield man was indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Springfield for transporting a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity.

Paul Newton-Irelan, 50, was indicted on one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Newton-Irelan will make an initial appearance in Springfield federal court at a later date.

The indictment alleges that on Nov. 26, 2023, Newton-Irelan transported the minor victim to New York and Massachusetts with the intent that the victim engage in sexual activity. 

The charge of possession of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years in prison, no less than five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – The former operator of two municipal golf courses in Western Massachusetts was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for conspiring to defraud the United States and making a false statement. 

Kevin M. Kennedy, 45, of East Longmeadow was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 13 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and restitution to be determined at a later date. The government argued for a sentence of 21-27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $351,565. On Dec. 11, 2023, Kennedy was convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to defraud the United States and making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution. The defendant was acquitted of embezzlement from a local government receiving federal benefits, wire fraud, money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions. 

 “Stealing from the taxpayers is far from a victimless crime. It diverts scarce resources that are needed to fund important services like education and elder care and public safety,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Every honest law abiding citizen is a victim of this type of embezzlement from the city.”

“Today’s sentencing of Kevin Kennedy demonstrates that no one is above the law,” said Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Kennedy’s status as a professional golfer could not insulate him from the consequences of his actions to defraud the America taxpayers. Today’s sentencing demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigations commitment to investigating all financial crimes and ensuring equity in our tax system.”

Kennedy owned and operated Kennedy Golf Management Inc., through which he managed the City of Springfield’s two public golf courses, Franconia Golf Course and Veterans Memorial Golf Course. Kennedy skimmed money from the company without reporting that money to the IRS. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kennedy conspired with two individuals to evade taxes he owed on money received from his company. Kennedy used a substantial amount of cash to pay for the construction of two custom homes in East Longmeadow and on Cape Cod. To induce the bank to provide him a mortgage for part of the East Longmeadow home, Kennedy submitted a home purchase contract to the bank that falsely reflected a total purchase price reduced by the $160,000 cash downpayment he had made.

Just prior to trial, Kennedy also pleaded guilty to four counts of filing a false individual income tax return for 2011 through 2014, during which he also admitted to filing a false return in 2009 and 2010. For each of those years, Kennedy did not report to his return preparer all of the cash and checks his management company received from his operation of the golf courses.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and IRS SAC Chavis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Eric B. Powers of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted 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 – A former Fall River Police Officer was sentenced today for assaulting a man in custody with a baton and failing to report the assault in subsequent reports.

Nicholas M. Hoar, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 33 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. In February 2024, Hoar was convicted of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of false reports. 

On Dec. 21, 2020, while on duty as an officer with the Fall River Police Department, Hoar struck an individual who had been arrested in the forehead with a 22-ounce, steel, expandable police baton, resulting in an injury to the arrestee that required stitches. Hoar then submitted two official police reports which omitted any mention of the fact that he had struck the arrestee in the forehead with a baton; in one of the reports Hoar falsely blamed the victim’s injury on a fall.  

“Police officers take an oath to uphold the law and the vast majority of men and women in uniform bravely protect and serve the public across this District each and every day,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Nicholas Hoar violated his oath and broke the law. This lengthy prison sentence sends a message to the entire community that we will continue to hold members of law enforcement accountable when they violate a person’s civil rights.”  

“What Nicholas Hoar did is indefensible and a serious divergence from the oath he took to faithfully serve and protect the citizens of Fall River,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “There is no question police officers have a challenging job, but it doesn’t give them the right to beat someone in their custody and lie about it. Those under arrest retain the same civil rights you and I do. Know that the FBI is determined to defend those rights, and root out corrupt law enforcement officers, on behalf of the vast majority who carry out their duties with honor.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and John J. Reynolds III of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A former Berklee College of Music student, who is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced today for stalking and threatening an individual who posted fliers around campus in support of democracy in China.

Xiaolei Wu, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release. In January 2024, Wu was convicted by a federal jury on one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication. 

“Mr. Wu’s criminal conduct is very serious. He harnessed the fear of potential retribution from the PRC government to harass and threaten an innocent individual who had posted an innocuous, pro-democracy flier on the Berklee campus. Mr. Wu’s violent threats achieved his goal of instilling fear in his effort to silence this brave victim and others who might want to speak out against the PRC government,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate efforts to intimidate and threaten people to suppress their First Amendment rights. Censorship and repression campaigns will never be tolerated here.”

“Today, Xiaolei Wu learned there are serious consequences for harassing, threatening, stalking, and infringing on a fellow student’s constitutional rights solely because she was critical of the ruling Communist Party of China,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “What Mr. Wu did – in weaponizing the authoritarian nature of the People’s Republic of China to threaten this woman – is incredibly disturbing. We’d like to thank her for her bravery in coming forward, and remind others that the FBI will do everything it can to ensure that those who try to infringe on our fundamental rights – will face similar consequences.”

On Oct. 22, 2022, while Wu was attending the Berklee College of Music, an individual posted a flier on or near the Berklee College of Music campus which said, “Stand with Chinese People,” as well as, “We Want Freedom,” and “We Want Democracy.” Beginning on or about Oct. 22, 2022 through Oct. 24, 2022, Wu made a series of communications via WeChat, email and Instagram directed towards the victim who posted the flier. Among other things, Wu said, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.” 

Wu told the victim that he had informed the public security agency in China about the victim’s actions and that the public security agency in China would “greet” the victim’s family. Additionally, Wu solicited others to find out where the victim was living and publicly posted the victim’s email address in the hopes that others would abuse the victim online. Wu also told the victim that he had reported the victim’s information back to a member of the Chinese government. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Alathea E. Porter of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case with the assistance of Counterintelligence and Export Control Section Trial Attorney Menno Goedman.

BOSTON – An Abington man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute oxycodone pills.

Kenneth Veiga, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 18, 2024. Veiga was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.

Between November 2022 and May 2023, intercepted communications revealed that Veiga and others were involved in an oxycodone drug trafficking organization. Specifically, Veiga allegedly obtained oxycodone pills from co-conspirator Cristan Russell who redistributed to others. During a search of Veiga’s previous residence in July 2023, oxycodone pills along with a polymer-80 9 mm pistol and nine rounds of commercially manufactured ammunition were seized. Additionally, fentanyl pills, oxycodone pills and approximately $58,000 were seized during a separate search of Veiga’s current apartment.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to lifetime 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 Narcotics & Money Laundering 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.

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 – A former Weymouth Police officer pleaded guilty today to assaulting a man in custody by punching him multiple times without legal justification. 

Justin Chappell, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2024. Chappell was charged on April 3, 2024.

On July 2, 2022, Chappell was a police officer for the Weymouth Police Department. While on duty, he responded to a call regarding an allegedly intoxicated man causing a disturbance at a home in Weymouth. Chappell placed a man under arrest, and while attempting to put the man in the police cruiser, Chappell punched the man approximately 13 times with a closed fist without legal justification. The punches caused obvious pain and visible injuries to the man’s head.

The charge of deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury 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 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 Weymouth Police Department and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for attempting to receive 24 kilograms of cocaine intended for distribution. 

Eddy Javier Guerrero, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to five years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. In January 2023, Guerrero pleaded guilty to one count of attempt to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. 

In June 2022 in El Paso, Texas, a confidential source received 23.9 kilograms of cocaine from a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) based in Mexico. A member of the Mexican DTO subsequently instructed the confidential source to transport the cocaine to Massachusetts. However, the drugs were intercepted by law enforcement and replaced with “sham” cocaine for the delivery to the Massachusetts recipient – later identified as Guerrero. On July 1, 2022, in Boston, Guerrero arrived to receive the cocaine delivery, for which he provided an envelope containing $15,100 in exchange. He was immediately taken into custody. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield man has been arrested on drug related charges involving fentanyl. 

Emilio Garcia-Cappas, 27, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Garcia-Cappas was arrested yesterday and, following an appearance in federal court in Springfield, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for a later date. 

According to the indictment, between Feb. 5, 2024 and Feb. 22, 2024, Garcia-Cappas allegedly conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl. The indictment further alleges that on Feb. 12, 2024, Garcia-Cappas distributed and possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

The charge of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $2 million. The charge of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 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 United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Springfield Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers; and Brian A. Kyes, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office 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 – A Boston man was sentenced today to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition while under house arrest for four state firearm charges.

Dumari Shakur Scarlett-Dixon, 22, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Scarlett-Dixon pleaded guilty to being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

In 2021, as part of an investigation into violent crime in Boston, a Snapchat account was intercepted through a court order. Among the communications intercepted was a group “chat” comprised of members of rival gangs who regularly displayed images and videos of themselves in possession of firearms. Scarlett-Dixon, a member of Heath Street, a violent Boston gang, participated in the group chat. At the time he was intercepted, Scarlett-Dixon was on pre-trial release for four separate unlawful possession of a firearm cases in state court. As a condition of his release for those offenses, Scarlett-Dixon had been placed on home confinement with GPS monitoring at his grandmother’s residence in Weymouth. Scarlett-Dixon displayed images of himself on Snapchat in possession of firearms at his grandmother’s residence:

During a September 2021 search of Scarlett-Dixon’s grandmother’s residence, a Bersa 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, 59 rounds of 9 millimeter and .380 caliber ammunition, and blunts of marijuana were seized from Scarlett-Dixon’s bedroom.

As a condition of his supervised release, Scarlett-Dixon was ordered to stay away from Heath Street gang members and the Bromley Heath housing development.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston, Quincy and Lynn Police Departments and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

The operation was conducted 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. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

BOSTON – A Provincetown man was arrested today for child pornography offenses. The defendant allegedly possessed several thousand image and video files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Laurence Pagnoni, 63, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal, Pagnoni was released on conditions, including home detention with electronic monitoring. 

According to the charging documents, an individual arrested in a child exploitation sting reported to law enforcement that, in March of 2023, Pagnoni allegedly distributed CSAM to him via the online cloud storage platform Mega. It was determined that Pagnoni had allegedly sent thousands of CSAM files to this individual. During a search of Pagnoni’s home in Provincetown in May of 2023 a number of items, including Pagnoni’s cellphone, were seized. During a subsequent search of Pagnoni’s cellphone, it is alleged that several thousand image files and video files containing CSAM, including at least 51 known series of CSAM as identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, were discovered.   

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

The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a of up to 20 years in prison, at least 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 Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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 Framingham man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston to unlawfully possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Edwin Alago, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2023, Alago pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

In May 2021, Alago was found by police inside a car that was parked outside of a Framingham business. The lights were on and the car was running, but Alago was unresponsive and did not appear to be breathing. Officers roused Alago, removed him from the car and found that he was in possession of Xanax, gabapentin and cocaine. Alago’s fingerprints were also found on a SCCY .9mm CPX-2 semi-automatic pistol that was in the car. The gun had a defaced serial number and was loaded with seven rounds of .9mm ammunition. Alago was combative and spit on police officers. 

Alago was charged in Framingham District Court with possession of a Class E substance (Xanax and gabapentin), possession of a Class B substance (cocaine) and assault and battery on a police officer. He pleaded guilty to these charges in October 2023 and was sentenced to 30 days in prison to run concurrent with the federal sentence imposed today.

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 Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Framingham Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, 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.

BOSTON – An Oklahoma man was arrested and charged today for allegedly throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple (TST) in Salem, Mass. 

Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Okla., was charged in a criminal complaint with using an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce. Palmer was arrested this morning and will make an initial appearance in the Western District of Oklahoma on Thursday. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents and TST’s website, TST is a “non-theistic organization” founded in 2013 and headquartered in Salem, Mass.  In addition to serving as the organization’s headquarters, TST’s Salem location also functions as a public, TST-themed art gallery.

At approximately 4:14 a.m. on April 8, 2024, surveillance cameras outside TST captured a man walking towards TST wearing black pants, and black jacket, a black face covering, a tan-colored tactical vest and gloves.  According to the charging documents, as the man approached TST, he ignited a pipe bomb—a type of improvised explosive device or “IED”—threw it at TST’s main entrance, and then ran away.   Seconds later, the pipe bomb partially detonated causing minor fire and related damage to TST’s exterior. 

According to the charging documents, the pipe bomb appeared to have been constructed from a section of plastic pipe covered with metal nails, which were attached to the pipe with tape. The inside of the pipe was filled with a powder-like substance, preliminarily identified as smokeless gunpowder. A single human hair was allegedly located on the pipe bomb containing a DNA profile from a Caucasian male. 

A six-page handwritten note was found in a flower bed adjacent to where the pipe bomb was discovered. Among other things, the letter allegedly stated: 

DEAR SATANIST
ELOHIM SEND ME 7 MONTHS AGO TO GIVE YOU
PEACEFUL MESSAGE TO HOPE YOU REPENT. YOU SAY
NO, ELOHIM NOW SEND ME TO SMITE SATAN AND I
HAPPY TO OBEY. AND ELOHIM WANT ME TO CONTACT
YOU TO TELL YOU REPENT. TURN FROM SIN. ELOHIM
NO LIKE THIS PLACE AND PLAN TO DESTROY IT. MAYBE
SALEM TOO? ELOHIM SEND ME TO FIGHT CRYBABY
SATAN, BUT WANT ME TO MAKE HARD EFFORT SO NO
ONE DIES. I OBEY.

Surveillance footage obtained during the investigation identified a black Volvo sedan, allegedly registered to Palmer, driving erratically in the immediate vicinity of TST both before and after the incident.

A photograph of Palmer, who is a Caucasian male, posted to a social media website shows him wearing a tan-colored tactical vest like the vest worn by the suspect in the TST surveillance video. Palmer also allegedly comments frequently on a social media website about religious matters and themes similar to those contained in the handwritten note found outside of TST on April 8, 2024. 

Finally, the charging document alleges that on April 3, 2024, Palmer purchased PVC pipe and matching PVC end cap—like the pipe and end cap used to construct the pipe bomb—from a home improvement retailer in Oklahoma. 

The charge of using fire or an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce provides for a sentence of at least five years and 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; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Lucas J. Miller, Chief of the Salem Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oklahoma City Field Office; Payne County Sherriff’s Office; Oklahoma Highway Patrol; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma; and Stillwater (Okla.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of the National Security 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 pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston.

Rafael Davila, a/k/a “Robbin Hood,” 35, of Springfield, Mass, 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. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2024. 

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 not ever reported to law enforcement.

According to court filings, there has been a precipitous decline in catalytic converter thefts reported in Massachusetts as a result of the April 2023 takedown – with less than 15 reported incidents of catalytic converter theft over the past 11 months following the arrests, in comparison to the hundreds of thefts reported during the nine-month period prior.

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 – transacting approximately $30,000 to $80,000 in stolen catalytic converters 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 to transact in the stolen catalytic converters.

In addition to the catalytic converter thefts, Davila also 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 of two New Hampshire jewelry stores on Jan. 12, 2023, and the theft of a trailer on Dec. 14, 2022. Davila admitted to breaking into the stores by smashing the glass doors and breaking the 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 the resulting damage.

Rafael Davila is the seventh and final defendant charged in Operation Cut & Run to plead guilty. All six of his co-defendants have pleaded guilty - three of whom have since been sentenced, each to more than three years in prison. The three remaining defendants are awaiting sentencing.

The charge of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce 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 charge of interstate transportation of stolen property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit bank theft 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 charge of bank theft provides for a sentence of up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the proceeds, 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; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Kevin Gallagher, Director of Operations for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Northeast Region made the announcement today. 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; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; the 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 is 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 Massachusetts Police Departments contributing to the investigation were 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, Windham. The Connecticut Police Departments contributing to the investigation were South Windsor and Windsor.
 

BOSTON – A Revenue Agent for the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly filing false personal tax returns for three years.

Ndeye Amy Thioub, 67, of Swampscott, was indicted on three counts of filing false tax returns and three counts of filing false tax returns as an employee of the United States. Thioub was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in March 2024. 

According to the charging documents, Thioub was hired in 2006 as an Internal Revenue Agent in the IRS Large Business and International Division. As a Revenue Agent, Thioub planned and conducted examinations of tax returns using extensive and specialized knowledge of accounting techniques, practices and investigative audit techniques to examine and resolve various tax issues of individuals and business organizations. As a result of her education, training and experience, Thioub was highly knowledgeable about tax law. In addition, Thioub received yearly training in IRS Employee Tax Compliance, which instructs that IRS employees must comply with their tax obligations, including timely filing accurate tax returns and payment of taxes due.

It is alleged that Thioub filed false personal tax returns for tax years 2017, 2018 and 2019. It is further alleged that, for each year, Thioub filed a false Schedule C claiming a business loss from a purported “import and export” business she claimed to have. As a result, the claimed net loss was carried over to her personal IRS Form 1040s and used to reduce Thioub’s adjusted gross income and ultimate tax liability. 

The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. The charge of filing a false tax return by an employee of the United States provides for discharge from employment and a sentence of up to five years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release and a $10,000 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; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Christopher J. Gust, Acting Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions 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 – Two men pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Boston to participating in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Kion Shepherd, 33, of Salem and Raymond Kulakowski, 36, of Lynn pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencings for July 25, 2024 and September 3, 2024, respectively. 

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. Shepherd and Kulakowski are the eighth and ninth defendants to plead guilty 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 Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering 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. 

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 – An Oxford, Mass. man pleaded guilty last week to his role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that allegedly distributed fentanyl and cocaine in and around the Quincy and Weymouth areas.

Chaasad Cyprien, 23, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2024.  

Cyprien was charged in September 2022, along with Aderito Amado, Neylton Fontes and Erica Vieira. Cyprien possessed with intent to distribute cocaine and participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Quincy and Weymouth until at least January 2021. Cyprien is the first defendant to plead guilty. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial.  

The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime 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 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 Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department; Plymouth and Weymouth Police Departments; and FBI’s Metro Boston Gang Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Philip A. Mallard 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.

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 – A former Quincy man pleaded guilty last week to a tax fraud scheme that resulted in a tax loss of approximately $2,824,577 and making false statements about a fatal workplace accident.

Mauricio Baiense, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, seven counts of failure to collect and pay over taxes, one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and one count of making false statements. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2024. In August 2022, Baiense was indicted by a federal grand jury. 

Baiense owned and operated Contract Framing Builders, Inc. (CFB), a Medford-based construction business. Baiense was responsible for filing CFB’s quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying IRS payroll taxes withheld from the wages of the company’s employees. From approximately 2013 through 2017, Baiense facilitated having approximately $11 million worth of checks drawn on CFB’s corporate bank account to purported subcontractors, which were in fact nominee entities controlled by him. Baiense then cashed or directed others to cash the checks at a check cashing business and used the money to operate an “off-the-books” cash payroll for CFB’s employees. Baiense did not report the cash wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. Baiense also assisted in the preparation of at least one fraudulent employment tax return that understated the actual wages paid to CFB’s employees.

When questioned under oath at a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration hearing regarding a fatal workplace accident pertaining to an employee of Baiense’s company, Baiense made false statements to a federal investigator - falsely claiming that the deceased employee did not work for him.

The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States 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 failure to collect and pay over taxes each provide 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 charge of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making a false statement 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; Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Galen Blanton, Regional Administrator of the Department of Labor OSHA Region 1; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security, OSHA Criminal Investigations Team, Region 1; and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit and Trial Attorney Thomas F. Koelbl of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Malden man was sentenced last week in federal court in Boston to distributing fentanyl and using stolen identities to conduct transactions and obtain credit cards.

Derick Coulanges, a/k/a/ “Casa,” 38, as sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 42 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2024, Coulanges pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession of five or more identification documents with intent to use them unlawfully; and use of and trafficking in unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud to obtain property valued over $1,000. 

In January and February 2023, Coulanges was recorded selling a cooperating witness 50 grams of fentanyl in Coulanges’ Mercedes Benz. In the recordings, Coulanges also offered to procure counterfeit driver’s licenses for the cooperating witness that contained stolen personal identifying information (PII). Coulanges would go on to explain the manner in which a counterfeit driver’s license bearing stolen PII could be utilized to open bank accounts and obtain credit cards to purchase items. 

In March 2023, during a search of Coulanges’ Malden apartment, which he had obtained using a drug customer’s stolen identity, approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine was located. During a search of Coulanges’ Mercedes Benz, six driver’s licenses bearing stolen PII and one counterfeit license that bore Coulanges’ photograph with stolen PII of an individual from Ohio were recovered. A subsequent investigation revealed that the individuals associated with the driver’s licenses had been the victims of identity theft and had bank accounts and credit cards opened in their name. The counterfeit driver’s license bearing Coulanges’ photograph had been used to open bank accounts, apply for loans and obtain credit cards. Surveillance footage was located depicting Coulanges opening the accounts and then utilizing the fraudulently obtained credit cards to conduct transactions at various retailers, including at two jewelry stores where he purchased approximately $12,000 in jewelry.

Coulanges’ stole the identities of 17 victims, including a handful of his drug customers. The other stolen identities were from victims from across the United States. The Mercedes Benz that Coulanges owned was obtained through a fraudulent loan that he coerced one of his drug customers to obtain. Coulanges also procured a luxury apartment through a fraudulent loan application using the stolen identity and license of another drug customer.

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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A defendant charged under the pseudonym “John Doe” pleaded guilty last week to fraud charges. In addition to pleading guilty, the defendant admitted that his true name is Jose Then.  

Jose Then, age unknown, pleaded guilty to mail fraud; false statement in an application for a passport; misuse of a social security number; and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2024. Then was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023.

Then acquired the name and identity of an individual and has been using the victim’s name, date of birth and Social Security for decades. Then used the victim’s stolen personal identifying information to acquire a U.S. passport, a Massachusetts driver’s license and receive thousands of dollars in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. The victim has suffered garnishment of his wages for child support costs that Then has failed to pay under the stolen identity.  

The charge of misuse of a social security number 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 false statement in a passport application provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to be added to the felony committed while using the means of identification of another without lawful authority. 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 Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police Fraud Identification Unit; and the Weymouth and Quincy Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.  

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.

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.