District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Lowell man has been indicted in connection with the April 2023 robberies of three banks in Worcester.

Joselito Santiago-Matias, 33, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester on one count of bank robbery and two counts of armed bank robbery. He will appear in federal court in Worcester at a later date. 

According to the indictment, Santiago-Matias robbed a Santander Bank in Worcester on April 3, 2023; a Berkshire Bank in Worcester using a dangerous weapon on April 12, 2023; and a Santander Bank in Worcester using a dangerous weapon 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.

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

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

Tiffany Jenkins, 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to time served (one day) and 18 months of supervised release with the first three months to be served on curfew. Jenkins pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in October 2019.

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

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Dorchester man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. 

Tommy Raul Jimenez-Perez, 26, was charged with illegal reentry and will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston at a later date.

According to the indictment, Jimenez-Perez was removed on March 3, 2020. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, Jimenez-Perez unlawfully reentered the United States.

The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

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

Justin Westmoreland, 25, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 26, 2023, Westmoreland pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

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

Westmoreland was responsible for the distribution of approximately 7,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing undisclosed amounts of fentanyl. Intercepted communications between Westmoreland and his supplier established that Westmoreland knew that the pills he was receiving and distributing were counterfeit pills.

Westmoreland is the first individual to be convicted and sentenced in connection with this case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, 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 and 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 – The owner of Conclave Media (Conclave) and Nationwide Health Advocates (Nationwide) pleaded guilty today in connection with a $44 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces, and genetic tests. 

David Santana, 38, of Reading, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Feb. 7, 2024. Santana was charged in July 2023.

Between January 2018 and August 2021, Santana, through his companies Conclave and Nationwide, entered into business relationships with telemarketing companies that generated leads by targeting Medicare beneficiaries. The telemarketers then paid Conclave and Nationwide on a per-order basis to generate orders for DME and genetic testing for these beneficiaries. To arrange for these orders to be signed, Santana worked with medical staffing companies to find doctors and nurses who were willing to review and sign prepopulated orders, typically without any contact with the beneficiaries. The records falsely portrayed the medical providers as having performed a legitimate examination of the beneficiary. Santana then provided the signed orders to the telemarketing companies which sold the orders to DME suppliers and laboratories. Santana knew these DME suppliers and laboratories would use the signed orders to submit claims to Medicare for DME and genetic testing that were medically unnecessary, based on false documentation and tainted by kickbacks.

The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary 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; Robert Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor; and Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigation Service, North East Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Graber and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Alexandra Brazier and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Units are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to running a large-scale marriage fraud “agency” that arranged hundreds of sham marriages for the primary purpose of circumventing immigration laws. This included, among other things,  obtaining green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by claiming the undocumented clients had been abused by alleged American spouses.

Marcialito Biol Benitez, a/k/a “Mars,” 49, a Philippine national residing in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2024. Benitez was arrested and charged in April 2022. 

Benitez operated what he and others referred to as an “agency” that arranged hundreds of sham marriages between foreign national “clients” and United States citizens, including at least one foreign national who resided in Massachusetts. The agency then prepared and submitted false petitions, applications and other documents to substantiate the sham marriages and secure adjustment of clients’ immigration statuses for a fee of between $20,000 and $35,000 in cash.

Benitez operated the agency out of brick-and-mortar offices in Los Angeles, where he employed his co-conspirators as staff. Among other things, Benitez’s staff allegedly assisted with arranging marriages, submitting fraudulent marriage and immigration documents for the agency’s clients – including false tax returns, as well as recruiting U.S. citizens to marry the agency’s clients in exchange for payment. 

After pairing foreign national clients with citizen spouses, Benitez’s agency staged fake wedding ceremonies at chapels, parks and other locations, performed by hired online officiants. For many clients, the agency would take photos of undocumented clients and citizen spouses in front of prop wedding decorations for later submission with immigration petitions. 

Benitez’s agency then submitted fraudulent, marriage-based immigration petitions to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the federal agency responsible for granting lawful permanent resident status. Benitez’s agency coached clients and spouses through interviews with USCIS and advised clients about maintaining the appearance of legitimate marriage to their spouses. Benitez’s agency arranged sham marriages and submitted fraudulent immigration documents for at least 600 clients between October 2016 and March 2022.

Benitez’s agency would assist certain clients – typically those whose spouses became unresponsive or uncooperative – with obtaining green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by claiming the undocumented clients had been abused by alleged American spouses. Specifically, the agency would submit fraudulent applications on clients’ behalf for temporary restraining orders against spouses based on fabricated domestic violence allegations. Benitez’s agency would then submit the restraining order documentation along with immigration petitions to USCIS, in order to take advantage of VAWA provisions that permit non-citizen victims of spousal abuse to apply for lawful permanent resident status without their spouses’ involvement.

Benitez is the seventh defendant to plead guilty in this case.

The charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Office; Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego; and Alanna Ow, Director of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, San Diego District. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided valuable assistance in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Leominster, Mass. man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly attempting to open an emergency exit door while aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then allegedly attempting to stab a flight attendant in the neck.

Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was indicted on one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. Torres was initially charged by criminal complaint on March 6, 2023 following his arrest at Boston Logan International Airport. 

According to the charging documents, on March 5, 2023, Torres was a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. Approximately 45 minutes prior to landing, the flight crew received an alarm in the cockpit that a starboard side door located between the first class and coach sections of the aircraft was disarmed. Upon inspection, a flight attendant found that the door’s locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position – approximately a quarter of the way towards the towards the unlocked position – and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” position. The flight attendant reported this to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide. 

In subsequent discussions, a fellow flight attendant reported that he had observed Torres near the door and believed Torres had tampered with the door. A flight attendant then confronted Torres about tampering with the door, to which he allegedly responded by asking if there were cameras showing that he had done so. According to court documents, the flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible.  

Shortly thereafter, it is alleged that Torres got out of his seat and approached the starboard side door where two flight attendants were standing in the aisle. One of the flight attendants saw Torres mouthing something that he could not hear. Video taken by a passenger allegedly depicts Torres yelling at points that he would “kill every man on this plane” and “I’m taking over this plane.” Torres then allegedly thrust towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times. Passengers then tackled Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of flight crew. Torres was immediately taken into custody upon the flight’s arrival to Boston.  

It is alleged that during subsequent interviews, passengers who were aboard the flight reported that Torres asked a fellow passenger where on the safety card it showed where the door handle was located during the flight attendants’ safety briefing prior to takeoff and that Torres was seen pacing in a galley before attacking the flight attendant. 

The charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting 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 Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A former Massachusetts resident was sentenced today in connection with filing fraudulent applications to obtain $2.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Vinicius Santana, 35, of Boca Raton, Fla. and formerly of Revere, Mass. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 29 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Santana was also ordered to pay restitution of $2.5 million and forfeiture. In September 2022, Santana pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions. 

Santana owned Complete Home Care, LLC (CHC), a painting company in Massachusetts. In April 2020, Santana submitted several different PPP loan applications on behalf of CHC. In the initial applications, Santana listed five employees and an average monthly payroll of between $10,000 and $18,000. These applications were denied. In the fourth application for CHC, Santana falsely claimed to have 154 employees and an average monthly payroll of $1 million. On May 11, 2020, a bank issued Santana’s company a $2.5 million loan based on the false representations in the fourth application.  

After receiving the funds, Santana misused the loan proceeds to buy real estate and cars and to invest in cryptocurrency.

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG); Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Region; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Carol E. Head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted 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 Dorchester man has been charged with the sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old minor.

Miguel Hernandez, a/k/a Miguel Gomez-Lopez, 29, was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child. Hernandez was arrested on Sept. 25, 2023 and held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Oct. 2, 2023 in federal court in Boston.

According to the charging documents, in April 2023, Hernandez messaged the 14-year-old victim on WhatsApp and asked if she wanted to meet in person. It is alleged that, on May 5, 2023, Hernandez messaged the victim, “I like you little girl,” and subsequently coerced the victim to engage in a sexual relationship with him. A forensic review of Hernandez’s devices allegedly revealed numerous sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim that Hernandez had taken – including a video of Hernandez having sex with the victim.

The charge child exploitation provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; 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 Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Dorchester man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to sex traffic a 14-year-old child. 

Carlos Lopez, a/k/a Rene Carlos Arias-Lopez, 27, was charged with the attempted sex trafficking of a minor. Lopez was arrested on Sept. 25, 2023 and held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Oct. 5, 2023 in federal court in Boston. 

According to the charging documents, on June 1, 2023, police responded to a 911 call reporting that a 14-year-old was in danger at an apartment in Dorchester where she was drinking alcohol with an older man. At the apartment, it is alleged that the minor victim was found in Lopez’s bed, wearing a red sweatshirt and no pants or underwear and heavily intoxicated. Lopez was allegedly seated next to the victim, fully clothed with a beer in his hand. When the minor victim exited the bedroom, Lopez allegedly closed and locked the door on uniformed officers – barricading himself in the room for approximately 20 minutes. Upon gaining entry to the room, law enforcement allegedly located multiple empty beer bottles as well as female shorts and underwear near Lopez’s bed. It is alleged that, during a brief on-scene interview, the victim indicated that she did not know who took her pants off or when they came off, just that when she woke up her pants were no longer on. 

Lopez allegedly indicated that he had been introduced to the victim by another person so that he could engage in sexual intercourse with her. Specifically, it is alleged that Lopez agreed to pay this person $100 in exchange for sex with the victim. Lopez allegedly indicated that he did not actually complete any sex act on the victim before law enforcement arrived. A subsequent investigation allegedly revealed that Lopez had provided the victim with multiple alcoholic beverages before bringing her up to his bedroom and offering to pay her for sex.  

The charge attempted sex trafficking of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; 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 Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

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

Guilherme Pereira, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before  U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs who scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2024. Pereira was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2020. 

Pereira was removed from the United States on Aug. 14, 2018, after he was convicted in Massachusetts state court of one count of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.  He unlawfully returned to the United States and was arrested on Jan. 30, 2020.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

BOSTON – A Dominican man residing in Boston was sentenced yesterday for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. 

Manuel Armando Peguero German, a/k/a Joshua Sanchez, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley to 15 month in prison. On June 12, 2023, Peguero German pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. 

In August 2020, Peguero German was deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic after serving a 34-month federal sentence for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Sometime after his removal, Peguero German returned to the United States without authorization. In September 2022, Peguero German was arrested in Boston on state drug charges that were later dismissed. 

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

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday to committing multiple bank robberies in Massachusetts. 

Jacob Pimentel, 31, pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2023. Pimentel was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022. 

Between April and May 2022, Pimentel robbed four separate banks in the greater Boston area, stealing a total of more than $6,000. Specifically, Pimentel robbed the TD Bank branch in Allston on April 25, 2022; the TD Bank branch in Brighton on May 4, 2022; the Santander Bank branch in Brookline on May 13, 2022; and the TD Bank branch in Cambridge on May 23, 2022.

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 in the investigation was provided by the Boston and Cambridge Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today for fraudulently applying for business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and then spending the money on personal expenses.

Richard Oworae, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to two years in prison and one year of supervised release. On Sept. 15, 2021, Oworae pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. 

Between late July 2020 and late August 2020, Oworae schemed to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting applications through SBA’s website for at least three Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) totaling approximately $194,700. Oworae fraudulently applied for EIDL funding, provided false statements on the loan applications using the stolen personal identification information of another person and misappropriated the loan funds for personal use. Oworae also created fictitious companies for the purpose of fraudulently applying for EIDL funding, and spent funds obtained from that fraud on unauthorized personal expenses and to make money transfers to numerous individuals in Ghana.   
 
EIDL funds were available to eligible individuals and businesses pursuant to the CARES Act. The provisions of the CARES Act allowed for the SBA to offer EIDL funding to business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The provisions of the EIDL program require that loan proceeds only be used on certain permissible business expenses, which can include payment of fixed business debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other business-related expenses that could have been paid had the COVID-19 disaster not occurred.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted 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 – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover cryptocurrency alleged to be the proceeds of a “pig-butchering” fraud scheme targeting a Massachusetts resident and involved in money laundering. Specifically, the government seeks to forfeit 412,543.555 Tether (USDT) and 100.896 Binance Coin (BNB) seized from two accounts located at Binance.com, a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian. Collectively, this cryptocurrency has a current estimated value of around $434,000.

In early 2023, an investigation began into a pig-butchering scheme targeting a Massachusetts resident. In a pig-butchering scheme, scammers obtain funds from victims using manipulative tactics. The scammer establishes a level of trust with a victim in online communications and then entices the victim into investing in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. Often the victim is enticed to make additional payments, before realizing they are a victim of fraud.

As alleged in court documents, after targeting a Massachusetts victim and fostering an online relationship, scammers claiming to have access to profitable investment opportunities induced the victim to invest personal funds into a fake cryptocurrency investment platform. Law enforcement was able to trace cryptocurrency involved in the fraud and money laundering to two Binance accounts, where it was seized.  

It is a violation of federal law to use wire communications as part of a scheme to defraud or to obtain money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses. It is also a violation of federal law to conduct, or attempt to conduct, a financial transaction involving property which is known to represent the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity, knowing that such transaction is designed to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of those proceeds of unlawful activity. The complaint alleges that the defendant cryptocurrency is traceable to proceeds of wire fraud and was involved in money laundering. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims.

This is the seventh civil forfeiture action the U.S. Attorney’s Office has ever filed seeking to forfeit cryptocurrency traced to fraud schemes targeting Massachusetts victims. 

Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams and pig-butchering fraud scams – should contact USAMA.CyberTip@usdoj.gov. 

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. The civil forfeiture action is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Mockler of the Asset Recovery Unit. 

The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations. The United States Attorney’s Office has not filed a corresponding criminal action on the matter.

BOSTON – A Randolph man has been convicted by a federal jury in Boston of sex trafficking a 15-year-old minor who ran away from home.

Admilson Gomes Pires, 26, was convicted on Sept. 22, 2023 following a five-day jury trial of one count of sex trafficking of a child and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2023. Pires was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020.

“Mr. Pires preyed on a vulnerable child, subjected her to unimaginable exploitation and pocketed the profits and now he will pay the price,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Sex traffickers like Mr. Pires inflict immeasurable trauma and harm. This conduct is despicable and has no place in a civilized society. This Office has created a dedicated team of prosecutors who are working tirelessly with our federal, state and local partners to hold sex traffickers accountable and bring justice to the brave survivors of these crimes." 

“Today’s conviction is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to ensure that justice is served to predators who exploit and harm our children for their own financial gain,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “When human beings are treated as commodities, they are not only being abused physically, but emotionally and financially. We thank the brave survivor in this case who worked with us to bring Mr. Pires to justice, and the jury for holding him accountable.”

According to evidence presented at trial, in February 2019, Pires met the minor victim who had run from her home in Western Massachusetts and began a sexual relationship with her. Pires groomed the minor victim and, in July 2019, began trafficking her in Boston and Norwood. He first sold the minor victim for sex to a family member of his in Dorchester and then created and posted a commercial sex advertisement online that contained explicit photographs and a video of the minor victim. Pires told the victim that she would have to engage in prostitution with strangers if she wanted to stay in a relationship with him.  

Pires used drugs to manipulate an adult female into agreeing to harbor the minor victim at her apartment in Norwood for sex trafficking. He then arranged for sex buyers to have sex with the minor victim in exchange for money he kept. 

On Aug. 1, 2019, local law enforcement located the minor victim in Norwood and returned her home. 

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

The charge of sex trafficking of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk and Norfolk County District Attorney’s Offices; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Arlington, Boston, Fall River, Norwood, Randolph and Springfield Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Moran, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Puerto Rican man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Abel Rodriguez Rivera, 35, of Ponce, Puerto Rico was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. On March 10, 2023, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. 

Following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization in the Fitchburg area. Beginning in July 2019, court authorized interceptions of wire and electronic communications to and from telephones used by members and suppliers of the drug trafficking organization revealed that Torres was a cocaine dealer who supplied cocaine to the drug trafficking organization. 

Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine, over 50 grams of crack cocaine, a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 in U.S. currency were seized.  
    
Torres is the 13th defendant to be sentenced in this case.  All 18 defendants have been convicted – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial. The remaining convicted defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in October and November 2023.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments and U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.  

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

BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

Elijah Declet, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to eight years in prison and four years of supervised release. Declet pleaded guilty on March 29, 2023.

Declet was charged in November 2021 along with 12 others in connection with a large drug conspiracy centering around the Gangster Disciples in Lawrence, Haverhill and Methuen. The investigation, which began in August 2020, intercepted communications between Gangster Disciples’ leaders, members and drug suppliers pertaining to their alleged distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and Suboxone in Massachusetts, Maine and southern New Hampshire as well as into the Essex County Jail. Calls were intercepted between Declet and other gang members, who conspired to distribute cocaine and fentanyl pills, and on several occasions, Declet distributed cocaine and methamphetamine pills to a cooperating witness. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and John E. Mawn, Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

This case is also a 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 – A Norwood woman pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2023 in federal court in Boston to fraudulently receiving federal workers’ compensation benefits and disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).    

Karen Nolan, 66, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Dec. 7, 2023. Nolan was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2021. 

From approximately November 2017 through August 2021, Nolan repeatedly stole federal workers’ compensation benefits, as well as Social Security disability benefits from approximately July 2019 through August 2021. In April 2019, Nolan falsely reported to the SSA that she had not worked since 2017 due to a medical disability, but was actively employed at a dermatology practice at the time. Nolan also made similar false statements to the Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs in May 2021.

The charges of theft of public funds each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of making a false statement each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations, Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON - A New York man has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl in Woburn. 

Ruben Davila Cardenas, 45, pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2023.

In October 2021, Cardenas distributed approximately three kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 500 grams of fentanyl analogue.

The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl 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 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Colonel Mark B. Hall, Director of the New Hampshire State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A previously convicted felon has been charged with unlawfully possessing a Glock pistol and 18 rounds of ammunition.

Michael Whitfield, 42, of Brockton, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Whitfield was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 12:30 p.m. this afternoon.

According to the charging documents, on March 6, 2023, upon arrival at a motor vehicle accident scene in Brockton, law enforcement observed Whitfield in a vehicle with significant damage, its airbag deployed and a broken passenger door window. It is alleged that there was a strong odor of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle and an empty tequila bottle was observed on the passenger seat floor. It is further alleged that a Glock 19X .9mm pistol loaded with 18 rounds was found on the driver’s side floorboard between Whitfield’s legs. 

Due to a prior felony conviction stemming from 2006, Whitfield is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police, the Brockton Police Department and the Brockton Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today to his role in a scheme to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles and other merchandise and apply for and utilize bank accounts and credit cards. 

Joshua Cruz, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and false representation of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2024. The defendant and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. 

According to charging documents, between December 2018 and January 2019, the defendant visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, the defendant provided stolen biographical information of real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses, and Social Security cards in those identities as proof of identification. Cruz was charged with using stolen identities to obtain car loans and purchase three cars worth over $170,000, collectively.

The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides 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. The charge of false representation 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 $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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division prosecuted 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.

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 Rhode Island man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a nationwide conspiracy to traffic controlled substances from Arizona into Massachusetts. 

Nathan Boddie, 38, of Pawtucket, R.I., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 19, 2023, Bodie pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Boddie was indicted by a federal grand jury along with alleged co-conspirators Denise Guyette and Gerardo Garza in February 2023. 

According to court documents, in or about April 2022, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Guyette. Boddie conspired with Garza and, allegedly, Guyette and others to traffic various controlled substances – including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and cocaine – in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and elsewhere. It is further alleged that the DTO routinely used the mail to ship drugs from Arizona to Massachusetts, often hiding the drugs within packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items. Between May and October 2022, investigators seized seven packages containing a total of over 900 grams of methamphetamine, thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, as well as suspected Dimethyltryptamine– a very strong psychedelic. One such package was destined for Boddie and contained over 200 grams of pure methamphetamine.

On Feb. 6, 2023, Boddie was arrested in Rhode Island following a traffic stop. Located inside his vehicle was a 9mm ghost gun loaded with five rounds of ammunition, an empty 9mm magazine and a 10-round capable magazine loaded with one round of ammunition. Additionally, Boddie attempted to swallow a plastic bag containing 20 grams of methamphetamine during a search of his person. 
            
During a search of Boddie’s Rhode Island residence, two ghost guns, a 3-D printer used to print ghost gun components, approximately 120 grams of methamphetamine as well as 10 different driver’s licenses, each bearing Boddie’s photo with names and addresses of other individuals were recovered.

In total, over 16 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 700 grams of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl was seized over the course of the investigation.

On Aug. 10, 2023, Garza pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him and Guyette with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Guyette has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial.

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

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

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

PROVIDENCE – A Revere, MA,  man was convicted Tuesday by a federal jury in Boston of defrauding rideshare companies using fraudulent driver accounts that he created using stolen identities.

Thiago De Souza Prado, 39, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2023. Prado was indicted in May 2021 along with 17 others, including co-conspirators Flavio Da Silva, Wemerson Dutra Aguiar and Luiz Neto. In March 2023, Aguiar was sentenced to 45 months in prison after pleading guilty to related charges. Da Silva is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10, 2023. Neto pleaded guilty on Nov. 22, 2022, and fled the country before his scheduled sentencing in April 2023.

According to the evidence presented at trial, starting in 2019, Prado obtained stolen Massachusetts driver’s licenses and bought social security numbers on the darknet. He and his co-conspirators then used the stolen identities to pass the criminal background checks, the sex offender registry check and the driving record check required by the rideshare companies and by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Prado and his co-conspirators also used the stolen social security numbers for tax reporting on their fraudulent accounts. Once the driving accounts were active, Prado either used the accounts himself or rented them out to others, who also could not pass the background checks, often because they did not have social security numbers and were in the United States illegally. Prado also used his fake driver accounts to get bonuses from rideshare companies by referring his other fake driver accounts as new drivers. In addition, Prado and his co-conspirators used an app, which they called “the drone,” to spoof rides and ride lengths, so that they were paid by the rideshare companies for “ghost rides” or for rides that were longer and more expensive than those actually provided. Prado received payments via bank accounts that he opened in the names of identity theft victims.

The charges of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years of in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the crime. Each charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of 24 months, in addition to any other sentence imposed, a year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the crime. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Zachary Cunha 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 Social Security Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Holcomb and Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.

Mr. Cunha was assigned to oversee this matter by the Department of Justice upon recusal of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

###

BOSTON – A Nigerian man was sentenced yesterday for using various online scams to steal more than $1.3 million from approximately 125 victims.

Esogie Osawaru, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to six months in prison and two years of supervised release. Osawaru was also ordered to pay $1,340,516 in restitution and forfeiture. In November 2020, Osawaru pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Osawaru was arrested in June 2020 along with a co-defendant, Nosayamen Iyalekhue. 

Osawaru and Iyalekhue participated in a series of romance, pandemic unemployment insurance and other online scams designed to defraud victims by convincing them to send money to accounts controlled by the defendants. Osawaru opened at least six bank accounts using fake foreign passports in the names of aliases but bearing photos of him, to which co-conspirators directed victims to send money. Osawaru and Iyalekhue then rapidly withdrew the victims’ money from various bank branches and ATMs, often multiple times during a single day. The victims, who were often elderly, were deprived of thousands of dollars and in some instances, their life savings. The schemes also included collecting unemployment insurance in the name of others during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In March 2021, Iyalekhue was sentenced to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the scheme. 

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. Attorneys Kristen A. Kearney and Ian J. Stearns of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A former detective sergeant for the Stoneham Police Department pleaded guilty today to concealing his history of evictions and using a family member’s credit report to obtain an apartment lease and then defrauding his landlord by intentionally withholding rent payments.

Robert Kennedy, 54, of Stoneham, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 4, 2024. Kennedy was arrested in March 2023 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023. 

Kennedy defrauded his last three landlords by providing materially false and misleading information in his rental applications to obtain the respective apartment leases. After moving in, Kennedy would intentionally withhold rent payments, despite making $141,000 - $187,000 a year from the Stoneham Police Department. As a result, Kennedy lived in the apartments rent-free by taking advantage of the slow eviction process.  

Specifically, Kennedy defrauded his most recent landlord by submitting materially false and fraudulent information during the rental application process. The landlord required Kennedy to submit to a tenant screening service, which included a credit check and eviction history check. Instead of providing his own date of birth and social security number to the tenant screening service – which would likely have shown Kennedy’s history of collections, delinquent payments, defaults and evictions – Kennedy provided the date of birth and social security number of a relative who shared his first and last name. The landlord relied on the information from the fraudulently obtained tenant screening report to approve Kennedy’s rental application and give Kennedy a lease for the apartment. Additionally, Kennedy immediately and intentionally violated the terms of the lease by giving the landlord bad checks for his rent and security deposit and failing to make subsequent rent payments. Kennedy lived in the apartment for approximately four months without making rent payments and currently owes the landlord approximately $14,000 in overdue rent.  

The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Stoneham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elysa Q. Wan and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for allegedly possessing fentanyl intended for distribution. 

Karyela Santiago, 26, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

According to the indictment, on March 30, 2022, Santiago possessed fentanyl intended for distribution. 

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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement today. 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 Springfield man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for drug trafficking and firearm offenses. 

Marcus Hicks, 43, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking felonies. 

According to the indictment, on Nov. 21, 2022, Hicks possessed cocaine and marijuana intended for distribution and a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun. 

The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge 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. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking felonies provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life 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, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement today. 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 previously convicted felon has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly possessing a firearm and ammunition. 

Tarik Muhammad, 29, of Boston, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Muhammad was previously charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 10, 2023. 

According to the charging documents, on the evening of Feb. 4, 2023, Muhammad was denied entry to the Encore Casino in Everett when security detected that he was carrying a firearm. Encore security alerted local law enforcement, but Muhammad left before they arrived. It is alleged that security cameras at the casino show Muhammad leaving in a blue Toyota Rav 4. The following day, a notice was dispatched to local law enforcement about the incident and with photos of Muhammad, the vehicle and license plate captured on casino security cameras. 

On Feb. 6, 2023, law enforcement spotted Muhammad driving the Rav 4 in Roxbury and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. It is alleged that Muhammad fled, leading to a high-speed chase that ended when Muhammad crashed into an occupied, parked vehicle. Muhammad allegedly tried to flee on-foot but was apprehended. It is alleged that a loaded semi-automatic pistol was found in Muhammad’s waistband. 

Muhammad is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to several felony convictions including a June 2022 conviction in U.S. District Court in Boston of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. Muhammad was on federal supervised release at the time of the alleged offenses announced today. 

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based 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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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 – The United States Attorney’s Office has filed a complaint against Brookline-based Bournewood Health Systems and First Psychiatric Planners (FPP) for allegedly paying kickbacks in the form of free sober housing to induce patients to choose Bournewood and FPP over other treatment facilities. 

The United States Attorney’s Office filed the complaint under the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute against Bournewood Health Systems and FPP, together doing business as Bournewood. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has also joined the complaint under the Massachusetts False Claims Act and other state laws.  

It is alleged that Bournewood and FPP paid kickbacks in the form of free sober housing to induce substance use recovery patients to choose and attend Bournewood’s and FPP’s Partial Hospital Program, over a myriad of other treatment options and facilities, in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the federal False Claims Act, the Massachusetts Anti-Kickback Statute and the Massachusetts False Claims Act. The governments contend that Bournewood and FPP paid the kickbacks to sustain and grow their daily patient census and increase the amount of reimbursement received from insurers, including federal healthcare programs, for the provision of partial hospital program treatment services. 

It is further alleged that Bournewood and FPP contracted to send patients to certain sober homes to support their revenues, even when they knew that some of the sober homes were unsafe and threatened patients’ sobriety. Patients expressed to Bournewood and FPP, and Bournewood and FPP were otherwise aware of, concerns regarding sexual solicitation and harassment, drug overdoses, prescription medication theft, bed bugs and overcrowding.      

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits providers from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration—which includes money or other things of value—to induce Medicare and Medicaid patients to select the provider’s services. The governments do not contend that any substance use patient knowingly accepted the defendants’ kickbacks.

“The government’s complaint today alleges that Bournewood and FPP paid illegal kickbacks to induce vulnerable patients to drive business to their sober home operations,” said Joshua S. Levy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. “This kickback scheme negatively impacted the Medicare and Medicaid programs financially, and more importantly it jeopardized patients’ health at a vulnerable time in their recovery.”

“Kickbacks can adversely influence the medical decision-making process,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Together with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we remain committed to investigating allegations of improper arrangements that can put patient safety at risk.”

“Massachusetts is no place to take advantage of vulnerable populations, especially those suffering from substance use disorder,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “These entities referred patients to certain unsafe sober homes and jeopardized their healing to support their own revenue. By taking action, my office and the USAO are reaffirming our commitment to ensure those seeking help have access to treatment and a safe path to recovery.”

The government’s investigation was prompted by False Claims Act allegations brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HHS-OIG SAC Coviello and Attorney General Campbell made the announcement today. This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Sharobem and Julien Mundele of the Affirmative Enforcement Unit; Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Dorchak and Anuj Kheturpal of the Civil Rights Unit; and Assistant Attorney General Katie Cooper Davis of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Division.  

BOSTON – A Fall River man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for robbing four separate banks in Massachusetts within a five-day period and attempting to rob a fifth bank. 

William Sequeira, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 22, 2023, Sequeira pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. 

Between Sept. 26, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2022, Sequeira robbed four separate banks in the Fall River and Boston areas. On Sept. 26, 2022 at approximately 1:52 p.m., Sequeira entered the Stop & Shop on Rodman Street in Fall River. There, he approached the Citizens Bank counter and demanded money stating, “listen, this is what's gonna happen, I have a gun and I'll put it against your forehead.” On Sept. 27, 2022 at approximately 2:35 p.m., Sequeira entered the Santander Bank on located on Berkley Street in Boston and threatened to shoot the employees. Specifically, he ran up to a teller and stated, “give me a $100 bill or I’ll put a bullet in your head.” Sequeira did not present a firearm. 

The next day, on Sept. 28, 2022 at approximately 4:01 p.m., Sequeira entered the M&T Bank located on Boylston Street in Boston, approached a teller and stated, “I'm going to put a gun to your head if you don't give me the $100 bills.” On Sept. 30, 2022 at approximately 3:15 p.m., Sequeira entered the TD Bank located on Union Street in Boston. There, he told the teller, “give me all the $100s in the drawer,” and “give me all the money before I blow your brains out,” before fleeing on foot with money from the teller.

An investigation by law enforcement led to the identification of Sequeira as the suspect in each of the robberies. As a result, on Oct. 5, 2022, upon being informed that Sequeira was on a train enroute to Boston, law enforcement conducted surveillance in the Back Bay area suspecting that Sequeira was planning another robbery. Sequeira was subsequently spotted entering the Citizens Bank located on Boylston Street in Boston. There, he approached the teller, said “Give me hundreds,” and threatened to shoot the teller if they did not move fast enough. Sequeira was immediately apprehended.

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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Dorchester woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for tax and fraud offenses in connection with her operation of a temporary employment agency.
 
Dam Ngoc Luong, 70, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Luong was also ordered to pay $3,993,169 in restitution to IRS and $155,870 in restitution to Traveler’s Insurance Co. On April 18, 2023, Luong pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false corporate and individual tax returns, three counts of failure to collect and pay over employee taxes and one count of mail fraud. 
 
From at least 2015 through 2019, Luong owned and operated Four Seasons Temp, Inc., an agency providing temporary workers for client businesses. A temporary employment agency is responsible for paying wages to the employees, processing employee payroll, collecting and paying all employee payroll taxes and maintaining workers’ compensation insurance to protect employees who suffer work-related injuries. The agency collects payments from the client businesses to cover the agency’s expenses and a profit for the agency. 

When collecting payments from business clients of her temporary employment agency, however, Luong cashed most checks rather than deposit the funds into her business account. Then, on annual corporate tax returns, Luong reported to the IRS only the amounts deposited to the business account and failed to pay federal taxes on more than $14 million of the company’s income. Additionally, because Luong created Four Seasons as an S-corporation, the net business income and expenses flowed through to her Form 1040 individual tax returns. As a result, Luong failed to report more than $3 million in pass-through income and failed to pay $885,000 in personal income taxes.    

As the owner of the company, Luong also had an obligation to withhold taxes from wages paid to the employees. Despite this obligation, Luong paid more than $12 million of employee wages in cash “under the table.” She failed to withhold taxes from the cash wages and failed to pay more than $3 million in employment taxes she owed to the IRS.  

Finally, Luong defrauded the insurance carrier she engaged to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage for employees, by concealing the cash wages paid to her employees. By concealing the wages she paid, Luong paid lower workers’ compensation insurance premiums and defrauded the insurance carrier of $155,000 in premiums she should have paid.   

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Mexican man has been charged with illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Ramon Alfaro-Orona, 38, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon, Alfaro-Orona was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 19, 2023 at noon. 

According to the charging documents, Alfaro-Orona was deported from the United States on eight prior occasions, with the most recent being Sept. 30, 2014.  It is alleged that sometime after his September 2014 removal, Alfaro-Orona unlawfully reentered the United States. On Aug. 23, 2023, Alfaro-Orona was taken into custody by immigration authorities following his arraignment in Leominster District Court for three counts of larceny by check over $1,200.

Alfaro-Orona was convicted for unlawful reentry on two prior occasions in November 2013 and March 2014.  

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

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

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

BOSTON – A previously convicted felon has been charged with allegedly contacting a law enforcement officer – whom he believed was a drug customer – to coordinate a drug deal after being released from state prison. 

Ruben Depina, 23, of Rockland, was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

According to the charging documents, in May 2023, a law enforcement officer – who previously worked in an undercover capacity – allegedly received a call from Depina who introduced himself as “Jake.” Depina allegedly told the officer that he recently got out of jail and was contacting his best customers because he was selling drugs again. On or about May 16, 2023, Depina allegedly sold at least 40 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness during a controlled purchase. 

Weeks later, on June 11, 2023, local law enforcement allegedly observed the same vehicle Depina had used to participate in the controlled purchase speeding in East Bridgewater. It is alleged that the vehicle sped off after being stopped by law enforcement. While being pursued Depina’s vehicle collided with a van at an intersection. 

It is alleged that, when law enforcement approached the vehicle, Depina was observed reaching towards the passenger side floor before complying with instructions to show his hands. Depina was immediately removed through the passenger side window and arrested. During a search of Depina’s vehicle, a loaded firearm, multiple cellphones, a digital scale and a satchel containing at least 20 grams of cocaine base were allegedly recovered. 

The charge of possession with intent 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 $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and 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 District Attorney’s Office; the Massachusetts State Police; the Suffolk, Plymouth and Bristol County Sheriff's Departments; and the Boston, Brockton, Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Rockland and Westport Police Departments.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Brockton man currently under indictment for state charges, was arrested yesterday and charged in U.S. District Court for firearm and fentanyl distribution offenses.

Antonio Denziah Fernandes, 22, was indicted on one count of illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment and two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday, Fernandes was detained pending a hearing set for Sept. 19, 2023.

According to the indictment, in January 2022, while under indictment in state court for trafficking more than 10 grams of fentanyl, Fernandes allegedly received a Glock Model 48, 9mm pistol. Additionally, in January and February 2022, Fernandes is alleged to have distributed and possessed with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office; the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office; and the Brockton, Taunton, Whitman, West Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Bridgewater and Bridgewater State University Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

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 – The owner of a construction company doing business on the South Shore, Cape Cod, and in Rhode Island has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to a multi-year tax evasion and cash payroll scheme.

Christopher Pomavilla Minchala, 31, of New Bedford, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of failure to pay over taxes.  A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.  

According to the charging document, from 2017 to 2021, Pomavilla, the owner of Rossy Construction Corporation based in New Bedford, cashed customer checks and did not deposit the receipts in his business bank accounts. Pomavilla allegedly hid from his tax preparer that he was cashing large numbers of checks from customers. By hiding his income in this manner, Pomavilla underreported income from the business on his tax returns, resulting in his failure to pay more than $1.1 million in federal income taxes he owed for the tax years 2017 to 2021.  Pomavilla also allegedly ran an unlawful cash payroll, paying Rossy employees in cash while failing to pay over to the IRS more than $670,000 in payroll taxes.

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 today. The Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts and the United States Department of Labor, Criminal Investigations Team provided valuable assistance in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian J. Stearns 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 previously convicted felon residing in Newton, Mass. pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to cocaine distribution and firearm offenses.

Shawn Craig, 38, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2023. Craig was charged in January 2022. 

Craig coordinated three drug transactions with an undercover agent between September and October 2022. Craig met with the undercover agent near his Newton residence on three separate occasions – Sept. 12, Oct. 20 and Oct. 26, 2022 – to conduct the deals, during which Craig provided cocaine in exchange for cash. Prior to the third meeting, on Oct. 26, 2022, Craig sent an image of a firearm to the undercover agent and indicated that he could sell it to the agent. During the subsequent meeting, Craig provided the undercover agent with a firearm, ammunition and a quantity of cocaine.

At the time of the conduct, Craig was on federal supervised release for a 2014 federal conviction for possessing a stolen firearm and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Craig was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release in that case. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan; and Newton Police Chief John F. Carmichael Jr. made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Ludlow man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for sharing child sexual abuse material with an undercover agent and others online.

Robert Avrett, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release. In March 2023, Avrett pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography.  

Avrett was identified as the owner of a Kik messenger account that shared numerous videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to an undercover law enforcement agent. The CSAM Avrett distributed depicted the sexual exploitation of minor victims as young as approximately three-years-old. During search of Avrett’s residence on Nov. 21, 2022, Avrett admitted that he was the operator of the Kik messenger account and that he used the account to share and receive CSAM.  

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 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 Dominican man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Manny Bautista-Arias, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Oct. 26, 2023. Bautista-Arias was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023. 

Bautista-Arias was removed from the United States in September 2017 after being convicted of possession of a controlled drug with intent to sell in New Hampshire. Sometime after his removal, Bautista-Arias unlawfully returned to the United States. In November 2018, Bautista-Arias was removed from the United States again following an illegal reentry conviction in the Northern District of Georgia. 

Bautista-Arias unlawfully reentered the United States for a second time and in November 2022, he was arrested in Quincy for trafficking cocaine, possession to distribute methamphetamine, trafficking fentanyl and conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act. He was subsequently transferred into the custody of immigration authorities in June 2023. 

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

BOSTON – A Canton man was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston of sex trafficking a minor who had been reported missing.

Keion Rowell, 24, was convicted following a four-day jury trial of one count of sex trafficking of a child. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2023. Rowell was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022. 

“Justice was delivered today. Mr. Rowell preyed on a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, grooming her and then trafficking her and pocketing the money. This conduct is despicable and has no place in a civilized society. This prosecution should send an unmistakable message that this office and our law enforcement partners are dedicating all the resources needed to make sure predators like Mr. Rowell will face the full weight of the law,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Sex trafficking causes immeasurable physical and long-term emotional suffering, and this office will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice for the brave survivors.”

“Keion Rowell forced a 15-year-old child into sexual servitude, for his own greed and financial gain,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “While FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force can’t erase the harm he’s done, we’ve made him answer for it. We thank the jury for bringing justice for his victim and ensuring Mr. Rowell can’t claim anymore.”

According to evidence presented at trial, on or about Jan. 18, 2021, Rowell met the 15-year-old victim, who had recently run away from home. Almost immediately, Rowell created and posted numerous online commercial sex advertisements that contained photos of the victim, including nude photos, and told her that she would have to engage in prostitution. Rowell then communicated with sex buyers and sent the victim to meet with those men to have sex in exchange for money he kept. On Jan. 28, 2021, approximately 10 days after the victim had been reported missing, law enforcement participated in an undercover operation to rescue her. When she was recovered, the victim had Rowell’s phone which contained photos of the victim, photos of Rowell and information about his personal bank accounts, links to online advertisements for commercial sex and communications with sex buyers. 

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

The charge of sex trafficking of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office; the Boston and Belmont Police Departments; and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Tochka are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in connection with distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl, including thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills, to a cooperating source.

Luis Sonier Bautista Moreta, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2023, Bautista pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

Bautista’s relative negotiated two sales of fentanyl to an undercover officer. Bautista handled the sales transactions, which took place on Oct. 22, 2021, in Attleboro and on Nov. 1, 2021, in Dorchester. Both times, Bautista entered the car of a cooperating source acting on behalf of the undercover officer and delivered fentanyl. The first transaction involved one kilogram of fentanyl and 6,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl; the second transaction involved an additional kilogram of fentanyl. Bautista’s relative arranged for Bautista to sell 1,000 more pills to the undercover officer on Nov. 5, 2021, but Bautista left before completing the deal. On Nov. 10, 2021, a search of Bautista’s residence resulted in the seizure of 1,000 pills containing fentanyl.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation 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 Wayland woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for her role in a scheme to defraud multiple insurance providers for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients.  

Anna Barenboym, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year of probation with one month of home confinement. Barenboym was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $648,852. In March 2022, Barenboym pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Barenboym was indicted in February 2021 along with co-defendants Gyulnara Bayryshova, Slava Pride and Raya Bagardi.

Barenboym was a licensed physical therapist employed at Brighton Physical Therapy (BPT), a physical therapy clinic owned by Bayryshova. Pride and Bagardi were also employed at BPT as licensed physical therapist assistants. From October 2018 through June 2020, Barenboym and her co-defendants conspired to cause an insurance company to reimburse them for physical therapy services that were not actually provided and/or were not medically necessary and, in some cases, were provided by individuals not licensed to provide the services. Specifically, Barenboym and her co-defendants falsely billed for services purportedly rendered to patients injured in automobile accidents when the services were not actually provided. BPT paid patients for referrals, referred patients to attorneys to assist with patients’ insurance settlements and accepted kickbacks from those attorneys in return. 

On July 12, 2023, Pride was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of over $2.3 million. On July 19, 2023, Bagardi was sentenced to two years of supervised release, with the first year to be spent in home confinement and was also ordered to pay restitution of over $2.3 million. On July 26, 2023, Bayryshova was sentenced to three years in prison and two years of supervised release. Bayryshova was also ordered to pay restitution of $7,383,756 and forfeiture of $7,834.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A consent decree requiring the City of Holyoke to reduce future sewage discharges into the Connecticut River from sewer collection and stormwater systems has been approved in U.S. District Court.

The consent decree was the result of an enforcement action brought by the Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. 

As stated in the consent decree, Holyoke discharges pollutants from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Connecticut River in violation of its federal and state wastewater discharge permits. In full cooperation with federal and state environmental agencies, the City has taken steps in recent years to address these discharges, including finalizing a CSO long term control plan and eliminating the Jackson Street CSO. The consent decree requires the City to undertake further sewer separation work that will eliminate or reduce additional CSO discharges.

Holyoke will also conduct sampling of its storm sewer discharges, work to remove illicit connections, and take other actions to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff. The consent decree also includes a $50,000 penalty for past permit violations as a result of CSO discharges. 

In 2019, at the request of the Department of Justice and the Massachusetts Attorney General, the court entered a partial consent decree whereby Holyoke agreed to develop a long-term plan for reducing sewer discharges. The consent decree approved by the court on Aug. 31, 2023 represents the parties’ final plan for Holyoke to reduce sewer discharges and supersedes the prior decree.

“Protecting our precious waterways from dangerous pollutants is a vital part of the Department’s work. This consent decree will better ensure that Holyoke residents and every single community that enjoys the Connecticut River is safer,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We commend Holyoke for their ongoing cooperation in developing this improvement plan and for their commitment to protecting the future of the Connecticut River moving forward.” 

“The U.S. EPA is very pleased that the work called for under this settlement will achieve a cleaner and healthier environment for people living in and downstream from Holyoke. This work is especially important because Holyoke includes historically disadvantaged communities. It’s a significant priority for EPA to help ensure that all our citizens are able to enjoy a clean and healthy environment,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash.

“We are grateful to our federal partners for working with us to reach this settlement that will improve the water quality of the Connecticut River, and thus the overall health of Holyoke residents,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “My office is committed to creating healthier, safer communities across Massachusetts by fighting environmental injustices like contaminated water and we appreciate the City of Holyoke’s parallel commitment to these important efforts.”

Holyoke owns and operates a sewer collection system that services approximately 70% of the City, two-thirds of which carries both sewage and stormwater. Most of the time, the combined system transports all wastewater to the facility for treatment. However, during periods of heavy rain the wastewater volume can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or the treatment facility and the excess wastewater will discharge to the Connecticut River without treatment. CSO discharges contain raw sewage and are a major water pollution concern.    

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division; EPA Regional Administrator Cash; Attorney General Campbell; and MassDEP Acting Commissioner Gary Moran made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. LaMacchia of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit; Assistant Attorney General I. Andrew Goldberg of Campbell’s Environmental Protection Division; Tonia Bandrowicz of EPA; and Henry Friedman of the Environmental Enforcement Section of the Department of Justice handled the matter.

BOSTON – A Boston man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly masturbating and exposing himself within the view of a 14-year-old female seated next to him onboard a flight from Honolulu to Boston in May 2022. 

Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was indicted on one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Mohanty was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 10, 2023 and was released on conditions.  

According to the charging documents, at the time of his arrest Mohanty was an internal medicine and primary care doctor with a practice in Boston. It is alleged that, on May 27, 2022, Mohanty was a passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Flight enroute from Honolulu to Boston with a female companion. Mohanty was allegedly seated next to a 14-year-old minor travelling with her grandparents, who were seated nearby. 

About half-way through the flight, the minor allegedly observed that Mohanty had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that Mohanty’s leg was bouncing up and down. Shortly thereafter, the minor observed that the blanket was on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating. The minor moved herself to an empty seat in a different row for the remainder of the flight. 
            
After arriving in Boston, the minor informed members of her family about the incident and law enforcement was notified.

The charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States provides for a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A previously convicted felon was charged today in connection with the armed robberies of two Boston and Brockton businesses in March.  

Fernando Bost, 32, of Boston, was charged with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Sept. 18, 2023 at 12 p.m.  

According to the charging documents, on March 29, 2023 at approximately 11:05 p.m., a man allegedly entered RJ Smoke and Convenience Store in Dorchester, held the victim cashier at gunpoint and took cash before fleeing the store. While investigating the robbery, law enforcement learned that a 7-Eleven in Brockton was robbed approximately 40 minutes earlier that same day. Surveillance footage depicts the robber wearing the same unique clothing worn in the RJ Smoke and Convenience store robbery. 

A subsequent investigation identified a Kia Sorento captured in the vicinity of both businesses prior to the robberies and leaving after each robbery took place. Records allegedly determined that the vehicle had been rented out to Bost’s girlfriend at the time of the robberies. Law enforcement allegedly learned that Bost’s EBT card had been used at a gas station and a Target the same day of the robberies. Surveillance footage obtained from those locations allegedly show Bost wearing clothing identical to that worn by the robber. 

Bost was arrested by state law enforcement during a traffic stop near Springfield. During the stop, a loaded Glock 43x with a high-capacity magazine was allegedly located in Bost’s front sweatshirt pocket. 

Bost is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to two previous armed robbery convictions from 2012 and 2017. Additionally, at the time of the alleged conduct, Bost had several pending charges for armed and unarmed robbery as well as three outstanding warrants issued out of three different courts for armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering daytime for felony, receiving stolen property and shoplifting.

The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and 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 Massachusetts State Police Department; the Hamden County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A New York man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to leading a sophisticated international money laundering organization that also distributed large quantities of cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy).

Jin Hua Zhang, 36, of Staten Island, N.Y., pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Feb. 1, 2024. Zhang was among 10 others charged in October 2022 in connection with the conspiracy. The defendants and one other were subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in May 2023.

“Money is the lifeblood of any narcotics trafficking organization. Mr. Zhang targeted the critical flow of funds and the vicious circle that leads to deadly drugs being sold on our streets every day. This office is committed to dedicating the resources to do whatever we can to choke off the flow of money as part of our efforts to combat narcotics trafficking,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. 

“Today, Jin Hua Zhang admitted to leading a sophisticated, transnational criminal organization that flooded the streets of Massachusetts with kilos of cocaine and ecstasy and laundered at least $25 million through a global network in an attempt to conceal their criminal conduct,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “FBI Boston’s Organized Crime Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to unravel elaborate and complex schemes like this one, to ensure the individuals behind them are held accountable for the harm they’ve inflicted on our communities.” 

Zhang’s network was first detected in the greater Boston area, but alleged leaders and members of the organization were later identified throughout the United States and overseas. During a year-long investigation Zhang’s organization was infiltrated and it was determined that, for a fee, Zhang laundered bulk cash for drug dealers and laundered profits from other illegal businesses and internet-based scams. Zhang directed alleged co-conspirators to pick up hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash or transmit millions of dollars in wire transfers and bank deposits. Zhang then converted those funds into cryptocurrency, which he believed would enable his organization to transfer illicit funds without detection by banks’ security teams or law enforcement.

Over numerous recorded conversations and meetings, Zhang, and allegedly others, discussed efforts to launder funds from drug trafficking and other scams and laundered money from fraud operations based in Cambodia. In less than one year, Zhang and his organization laundered at least $25 million worth of drug proceeds and funds from other illegal businesses through undercover agents. To date, funds have been traced from the Zhang Organization to Hong Kong and elsewhere including China, India, Cambodia and Brazil, among other locations.

In addition to money laundering, Zhang, and allegedly others, were recorded distributing kilograms of cocaine and MDMA that Zhang intended for distribution in Massachusetts.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least eight 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to making extortionate threats toward victims in Massachusetts. 

Brandon D. Kane, 27, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to making extortionate threats in interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2024. Kane was arrested and charged in April 2023. 

Kane used an online dating website to meet victims locally in Eastern Massachusetts. During such meetings, Kane made unauthorized videos of his victims engaging in illicit drug use or sexual activity with him. Kane then threatened to release the videos to the victims’ families and employers unless his victims paid him.

The charge of making extortionate threats in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Soto and Benjamin Tolkoff of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A leader of a Lowell-based gang, One Family Clique (OFC), pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with fellow OFC gang members to traffic wholesale quantities of cocaine, and to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through casinos in Canada.

Virak Prum, a/k/a “Polo,” a/k/a “Capo,” a/k/a “Lips,” 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2023.  

In August 2018, law enforcement began investigating OFC in response to a dramatic spike in shootings and gang violence in Lowell. OFC is an alliance between several gangs in and around Lowell with ties to gangs in California and other states. In 2018 and 2019, at least 12 incidents of gunfire in the Lowell area are alleged to be attributable to gang-motivated hostilities between OCF and its rivals. 

Since at least 2019, Prum and his co-conspirators used the U.S. Postal Service to receive shipments of illegal narcotics, and, in return, to ship cash proceeds to the sources of supply. Members of the conspiracy maintained stash houses in Lowell, which also served as venues for gang meetings and other events furthering the gang’s illegal activities. Over the course of the investigation, agents seized or purchased approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.4 kilograms of cocaine, 2.1 kilograms of MDMA, 513 grams of heroin, and 169 grams of Fentanyl; $177,591 in cash; and seven firearms. 

In May 2021, Prum led a money laundering operation in which he and his co-conspirators provided “protection” to a shipment from Europe that purportedly contained 8 million Euros in drug proceeds from black tar heroin sales. Specifically, Prum and his co-conspirators helped pack a shipment of money into a truck and escorted it from New York to New Hampshire. 

Prum was charged with 14 others in June 2021. He is the final defendant in custody to plead guilty in the case. One defendant remains a fugitive. 
 
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to twenty years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to twenty years in prison, supervised release for up to three years up to life and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered property. 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 Investigations, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Greg Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA-San Jose Task Force as well as the Long Beach (Calif.) and Santa Clara (Calif.), Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Moran and Fred Wyshak, III 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 defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for orchestrating schemes to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles and other merchandise and apply for and utilize bank accounts and credit cards.
 
Alvin Rivera, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 102 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $389,141 in restitution to victims. In March 2023, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; two counts of wire fraud; three counts of aggravated identity theft; and three counts of false representation of a Social Security number in his District of Massachusetts case; he also pleaded guilty to a similar scheme originating in the District of New Jersey that was transferred to the District of Massachusetts for resolution.
 
Between October 2017 and September 2020, Rivera was the leader of a conspiracy in Massachusetts that used stolen identity information of United States citizens to obtain credit and goods. Under Rivera’s direction, and with stolen identity information that he provided, co-conspirators visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, the co-conspirators provided stolen biographical information from real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards in those identities, as proof of identification. The co-conspirators used the stolen identities to illegally open bank accounts and credit cards and purchase vehicles, many of which were exported out of the United States.
 
Between October 2017 and February 2018, Rivera also personally used stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for credit and fraudulently purchase vehicles in a similar scheme in New Jersey. 

Together, the co-conspirators fraudulently purchased at least 47 vehicles from dealerships in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey – obtaining over $2 million in cars and other merchandise using the stolen identities.

Following Rivera’s arrest, the investigation revealed that in 2020, Rivera also allegedly led a conspiracy that used stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for and obtain over $450,000 in Economy Injury Disaster Loans, a form of pandemic relief, from the Small Business Administration. It is alleged that Rivera’s co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts to receive those funds, laundered the funds and shared a portion of the profits with co-conspirators in the Dominican Republic. Multiple individuals have been arrested, charged, and pleaded guilty with respect to that conspiracy, and Rivera’s sentencing also took that conduct into account.
  
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey; and the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 
 
The District of Massachusetts 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.
 
The District of New Jersey investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations.

BOSTON – Four New Hampshire men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for their roles in a conspiracy to harass and intimidate two journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The alleged harassment and intimidation of the victims included the vandalism – on five separate occasions – of the victims’ homes and the home of one of the victims’ parents with bricks, large rocks and red spray paint.

The following defendants were indicted for conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and/or the use of a facility of interstate commerce: 

• Eric Labarge, 46, of Nashua, N.H.;
• Tucker Cockerline, 32, of Salem, N.H.;
• Michael Waselchuck, 35, of Seabrook, N.H.; and 
• Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, N.H.

Labarge was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston this afternoon. Cockerline, Saniatan and Waselchuck were previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on June 16, 2023 and remain in custody.

According to the indictment, after a year-long investigation, an NHPR journalist (Victim 1) published an article in March 2022 detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, identified in the charging document as Subject 1.  Another NHPR journalist (Victim 2) also contributed to the article, which appeared on NHPR’s website during and after March 2022. In response to this reporting, Labarge – who is alleged to be a close personal associate of Subject 1 – Saniatan, Cockerline and Waselchuck allegedly agreed to harass and intimidate Victims 1 and 2 and their immediate family members. Among other things, the indictment alleges that:

• On or about April 22, 2022, Labarge solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s former residence in Hanover, N.H., using a brick and red spray paint.  Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2022, Cockerline allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and allegedly threw a brick through an exterior window of the home;
• On or about April 22, 2022, Saniatan allegedly agreed to vandalize Victim 2’s home in Concord, N.H., and Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., using large rocks and red spray paint. Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2022, Saniatan allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and threw a large rock at the exterior of Victim 2’s home; and he allegedly threw a softball-sized rock through a front exterior window and spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home;
• On or about May 18, 2022, Labarge allegedly solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., and Victim 1’s home in Melrose, Mass., using bricks and red spray paint. Cockerline, in turn, allegedly recruited Waselchuck to vandalize Victim 1’s residence; and
• Thereafter, on the evening of May 20, 2022, Cockerline allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home, and left a brick on the ground near the front door. Several hours later, Waselchuck allegedly threw a brick through an exterior window of Victim 1’s home and painted the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” in large red letters on the front of the house.

Each charge in the indictment carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine 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 and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments, the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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