District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man and the owner of a “virtual CFO” business has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to laundering tens of millions of dollars in proceeds from internet fraud schemes by creating shell companies and opening fraudulent business bank accounts.  

Craig Clayton, 73, of Cranston, R.I., has agreed to plead guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of obstruction of justice. Clayton was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.  

According to the charging documents, from 2019 to 2021, Clayton and others used his accounting and “virtual CFO” business, Rochart Consulting, as a front to launder the proceeds of internet fraud schemes. As part of the conspiracy, Clayton allegedly founded shell companies to open business bank accounts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, through which he laundered the proceeds of internet fraud schemes on behalf of his clients. In total, Clayton allegedly laundered more than $35 million.

In communications with one of his Rochart co-conspirators, Clayton allegedly stated that they were “money mules complicit in their [Rochart’s clients’] offenses.” In encrypted communications with one of his client co-conspirators, Clayton allegedly expressed concern that his phone was “tapped” by law enforcement and sought to obtain “dirt” on a victim who had reported the fraud scheme in order to “distract the police.” It is further alleged that, when banks and law enforcement began to investigate Rochart, Clayton falsely told investigators and bank personnel that his shell companies were legitimate businesses, among other things. After he became aware that a federal grand jury was investigating him, Clayton allegedly attempted to obstruct the ongoing investigation by making several false statements to federal agents during an interview.

    As proceeds of the money laundering conspiracy, Clayton has agreed to forfeit more than $330,000 and a Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle that he purchased.
   
The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the proceeds, whichever is greater. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. This case is the result of a multi-agency coordinated investigation led by the Homeland Security Investigations in New England, El Dorado Financial Task Force; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Ian J. Stearns of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Recovery 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 Methuen man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly trafficking counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition and using a firearm in relation of a drug trafficking offense.

Shawn Hart, 45, was charged with one count of distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl; one count of possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine; one count of using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Hart was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2023. He has remained in custody since. 

According to the charging documents, in August 2022, Hart was identified as a manufacturer and distributor of counterfeit pills containing controlled substances on the North Shore. On Sept. 15, 2022, Hart allegedly distributed approximately 500 counterfeit Adderall pills, containing 68 grams of fentanyl, during a controlled purchase in North Billerica. Additionally, on June 1, 2023, Hart allegedly distributed approximately 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing suspected fentanyl and well as a 9mm privately manufactured firearm (commonly known as a “ghost gun”) containing 19 rounds of ammunition during a controlled purchase at his home in Methuen. 

It is further alleged that three additional firearms, a pill press used for manufacturing counterfeit pills and suspected narcotics in various forms and quantities were seized from Hart’s residence following his arrest.

Hart is prohibited from possession firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous state felony convictions, including: possession with intent to distribute a class a controlled substance in December 2003; armed robbery in June 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; masked armed robbery, breaking and entering a vehicle at night and larceny in August 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; and assault and battery on a correctional institution guard in September 2004, for which he was sentenced to six months in prison. 

The charges of distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine provide for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense provides for a mandatory five-year sentence to run consecutive to any other sentence.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; 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 Methuen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering 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 New Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for receiving and possessing over 1,500 files of child pornography.  

Robert David Austin, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 87 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In May 2023, Austin pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

From approximately June 2019 until November 2021, Austin engaged with a number of groups on messaging applications through which child pornography is disseminated. Austin also possessed child pornography on two cell phones and a tablet. Approximately 1,252 images and 450 videos depicting child pornography were located across all three of the devices. Overall, the child pornography files depicted victims as young as infants through approximately 12 years old, with some files depicting bondage and vaginal and oral penetration of the victims.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane, Meghan C. Cleary and Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Marlboro man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly receiving, possessing and distributing child pornography.

Larry Stephen, 45, was indicted on one count each of receipt of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Stephen was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on July 18, 2023.

According to the charging documents, authorities identified Stephen as an individual allegedly using a social media platform to receive and post child pornography. On June 7, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Stephen’s Marlboro residence where Stephen’s cell phone was seized. A preliminary examination of the cell phone allegedly revealed the presence of child pornography. It is further alleged that Stephen repeatedly posted images and videos of child pornography videos on a social media platform.

Each of the three charges, possession of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and distribution of child pornography, provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Marlboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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 was sentenced today in federal court in Boston.

Estevao Semedo, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to six months in prison and one year of supervised release, with the first six months to be served in home confinement. Semedo was also ordered to pay a $17,000 forfeiture money judgment. In April 2023, Semedo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud.

Semedo, the owner of a driving school, conspired to defraud the RMV into issuing driver’s licenses to applicants who did not pass the road test. Specifically, Semedo paid a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not. Some of the applicants did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. In total, Semedo paid the road test examiner $17,000 in bribes in exchange for fraudulent passing scores on road tests.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General’s Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher A. Scharf made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF). Valuable assistance was provided by the Mattapoisett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – An Acton was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to use stolen identities to fraudulently obtain disaster loan funds from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to launder the funds.  

Edwin Acevedo, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Acevedo was also ordered to pay restitution of $251,684. In January 2023, Acevedo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Acevedo was arrested and charged along with co-conspirator Hector Garcia in August 2021.

According to charging documents, Acevedo’s co-conspirators allegedly used stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. It is alleged that Garcia used stolen identity information of a United States citizen to open a fraudulent bank account, which was then linked to other fraudulent bank accounts set up to receive the SBA funds. Acevedo coordinated co-conspirators’ receiving some of the debit cards associated with fraudulent bank accounts into which SBA funds were deposited.  Acevedo and co-conspirators laundered the SBA funds by using the debit cards to purchase iPhones, which Acevedo and others then re-sold for cash. It is also alleged that Garcia and other co-conspirators wired a portion of the funds to co-conspirators in the Dominican Republic.

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

On Dec. 8, 2022, Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; three counts of wire fraud – aiding and abetting; and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He has since pleaded not guilty is pending trial.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Orlando, Fla.; the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of State; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Massachusetts State Police; the New Hampshire State Police; and the Acton, Nashua (N.H.), Manchester (N.H.) and Ocala (Fla.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna Nuzum and Adam Deitch of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. 

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 
 
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

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 New Bedford man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fentanyl distribution charges.

Hector Diaz, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2023, Diaz pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

On two occasions between December 2020 and January 2021, Diaz distributed and possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl in the New Bedford area.

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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Worcester woman was sentenced today for her participation in a scheme to defraud the Massachusetts Medicaid program, commonly known as MassHealth. 

Robin Cronin, 61, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to two years’ probation. In September 2020, Cronin pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of health care fraud. 

Cronin was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in January 2020 along with co-conspirators Dr. Anthony DiStefano III and Dr. Scott Cale, dentists practicing in Worcester. DiStefano was barred from participating in the MassHealth insurance program because of concerns regarding the substandard and dangerous dental care DiStefano delivered to patients. In order to circumvent his exclusion from the MassHealth provider network, DiStefano recruited another co-defendant, Cale, to join his practice. 

From 2014 to 2018, dental services that DiStefano personally delivered were billed to MassHealth using Cale’s provider identification credentials. Cronin, DiStefano’s office manager, was aware of the arrangement and personally billed MassHealth for services that were not reimbursable, knowing that the claims were false. The purpose of this arrangement was to deceive MassHealth into paying for dental services that were not reimbursable as DiStefano had previously been terminated from the MassHealth provider program over concerns regarding the quality of care he provided to patients. As a result of this scheme, multiple MassHealth patients were harmed and received dangerously poor care from DiStefano.

Cale also pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and, on Aug. 10, 2023, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Charges against DiStefano were dismissed.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Andrea Joy Campbell, Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Chris Looney of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Lownds, detailed from Campbell’s office, prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon.

Kenji Ingram, 45, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2023, Ingram pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. 

In August 2020, Ingram was found in possession of a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44 special caliber revolver and five rounds of ammunition as he sat on a bench in the South Bay shopping mall area. At the time, Ingram was on probation in connection with a state felony assault conviction, as well as on pretrial release and electronic monitoring in connection with state drug and firearm charges. Due to his prior felony convictions, Ingram is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

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; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Kunal Pasricha of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Certified Nurse Assistant who owns and operates a home health care company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to underreporting his income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Patrick S. Kityo, 43, of Newtonville, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of aiding the preparation of a false tax return. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. 

According to the charging documents, Kityo owned and operated a home health care company named Every Step Home Care Inc. (Every Step).  It is alleged that, during the years 2016 and 2017, Every Step’s total gross receipts were at least $2 million.  Kityo, however, allegedly failed to report all of Every Step’s gross receipts to his tax preparer.  Instead, it is alleged that Kityo only reported those gross receipts that Kityo deposited into Every Step’s business bank account and did not report those he received via checks written to Kityo personally.  As a result, Kityo allegedly caused his tax preparer to underreport nearly $2 million in gross receipts and Kityo allegedly failed to pay at least $306,603 in personal income taxes.  

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

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

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

BOSTON – An individual pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with fraudulently using the identity of a U.S. citizen.

Alexander Villalona Diaz, 37, previously of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. Senior District Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Dec. 4, 2023. In December 2020, Villalona Diaz was indicted by a federal grand jury.

Villalona Diaz fraudulently used a Social Security number that was not his when applying for a renewal of a driver’s license with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in 2016.

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. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, in New England; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Connecticut man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to commit human smuggling.   

Fagner Chaves De Lima, 42, of East Hartford, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2023, De Lima pleaded guilty to one count of attempted human smuggling. 

De Lima conspired with others to illegally smuggle individuals from Brazil into the United States for money and profit. In exchange for payments of thousands of dollars, De Lima and conspirators made travel arrangements for clients to illegally enter the United States from Brazil by plane or bus, and arranged lodging accommodations for clients during their travel. In addition, De Lima extorted clients while their journey to the United States was underway by threatening to harm them and/or their family if they did not pay additional money. De Lima and his conspirators also created and transmitted false documents that were used as part of the illegal smuggling operation. 

In May and June 2022, an undercover agent-initiated communications with De Lima over WhatsApp under the guise that the agent sought to have his sister and niece smuggled into the United States. The undercover agent offered to pay $15,000 for De Lima’s services, and De Lima agreed to the arrangement. De Lima stated during these communications (translated from Portuguese) that he had been engaged in human smuggling “for 20 years,” and that he will smuggle individuals “whether you have a visa, no visa, or if . . .[they] are wanted by the police.” De Lima also acknowledged in later messages that human smuggling is “dangerous.” On June 16, 2022, De Lima traveled to Worcester to meet with the undercover agent, during which De Lima accepted two checks for the agreed upon total of $15,000 in exchange for his smuggling services and requested the sister’s passport and Social Security number.

“At its core, human smuggling operations exploit some of the most vulnerable people in our society purely for profit,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We are determined to hold people engaged in this conduct accountable.”

“No human being should ever be treated as a commodity but that is exactly what Fagner Chaves De Lima did when he conspired with others to exploit, endanger, and extort those seeking a new life in America to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars for himself,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that we have zero tolerance for people who run human smuggling operations.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI Acting SAC DiMenna made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Yuma Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations in Yuma; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and the Marlborough, Worcester, Hartford (Conn.) and East Hartford (Conn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human smuggling/trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

London Lee, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 71 months in prison and four years of supervised release. In April 2023, Lee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine. Lee was arrested and charged along with co-defendant Josiah Watkins in April 2021. 

In February 2021, an investigation began into drug trafficking activities conducted by Lee and Watkins. The investigation revealed that Lee and Watkins were actively selling cocaine and fentanyl in the Boston area. Between February and April 2021, Watkins sold or arranged the sale of fentanyl and cocaine in at least 10 separate controlled purchases. 

In April 2023, Watkins was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 51 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – Three individuals have been arrested and charged with sex trafficking and the interstate transportation of five separate victims for the purposes of prostitution. 

Jermall Anderson, 43, of Tewksbury, was charged with five counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and one count of coercion and enticement. Jennifer Fortier, 49, of New Haven, Conn., was charged with two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and one count of knowingly transporting any individual in interstate or foreign commerce, with intent that such individual engage in prostitution. Latasha Anderson, 37, of Lynn, was charged with two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. 

The defendants were arrested on Aug. 9, 2023. Following a hearing yesterday, Jermall Anderson was detained pending a final detention determination, and Latasha Anderson was released under conditions. Fortier will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. 

“This case is yet another manifestation of the opioid crisis plaguing our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Here these defendants are alleged to have exploited women’s addiction, lack of housing and economic stability to coerce them into the sex trafficking trade. Opioids and sex trafficking go hand in hand – and so does the destruction and trauma they inflict on our communities. This office and our law enforcement partners will spare no resource to ensure that harmful, exploitative traffickers are removed from our streets and held accountable.”

“These three are alleged to have specifically targeted vulnerable female victims — women going through substance abuse rehabilitation or facing homelessness. Human traffickers often seek out victims in unstable situations, using force, fraud and coercion to control their every move, making them feel that they are solely reliant on the trafficker,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Bringing those who prey on the vulnerable to justice is one of our core missions at HSI, but our work to support and seek care for those victimized is of equal importance.”

According to the charging documents, from 2012 through 2016, the defendants used physical violence, threats and the giving and withholding of heroin and cocaine to force five different victims to prostitute on their behalf. The defendants allegedly targeted vulnerable victims, specifically those struggling from drug addiction, homelessness and lack of economic resources and coerced them into providing commercial sex for the defendants’ benefit. The defendants are alleged to have trafficked these victims all over New England and into New York and New Jersey.  

The charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion each provide for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of coercion and enticement 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. The charge of knowingly transporting any individual in interstate or foreign commerce, with intent that such individual engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and HSI Acting SAC Krol made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the HSI Office in New Haven, Connecticut, the Lynn and Tewksbury Police Departments in Massachusetts and the Hampden, Connecticut Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Leah B. Foley of the Narcotics & Money Laundering 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 Sutton man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

Oliver Smith, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 66 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In March 2023, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. 

In November 2020, after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Swedish law enforcement authorities, a search warrant was executed at Smith’s Sutton residence, and several devices were seized. A forensic review of devices seized revealed images and videos depicting CSAM found on a memory card stored in Smith’s backpack. In addition to the images saved to the memory card, Smith had access to an email account which contained images of CSAM, and in July 2019, while Smith resided in Sweden, he had emailed CSAM from his email account to a separate account he also controlled. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Sutton Police Chief Dennis J. Towle made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office and William Clayman of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section 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 Sudbury man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for child pornography charges.

Tyson Tu, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 65 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In May 2023, Tu pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

In May 2020, Tu was identified as the subscriber of an IP address downloading child pornography from a peer-to-peer file sharing network. During an April 2021 search of Tu’s residence, multiple electronic devices were seized – one of which was actively downloading and sharing child pornographic files at the time. Three of the seized devices were found to contain approximately 1,000 child pornographic images and approximately 95 child pornographic videos, which Lu downloaded between approximately February through April 2021.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Sudbury Police Chief Scott Nix made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – Six individuals were indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed oxycodone pills, obtained from a source in the Houston area, across Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond.  

The following defendants were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. They were previously arrested on July 12, 2023:

• John Campbell, a/k/a Jizz, 40, of Taunton;
• Kenneth Veiga, 33, of Abington;
• Michael Atwood, 36, of Carver;
•  Austin Gonsalves, 36, of Fall River;
• Scott Lambert, 55, of Falmouth; and
• Christan Russell, a/k/a Christian Russell, a/k/a Bear, 32, of Tomball, Texas.

According to the charging documents, an investigation into Campbell began in April 2022 after law enforcement received information that he was allegedly distributing oxycodone pills. Intercepted communications allegedly revealed that Campbell distributed oxycodone pills to Atwood and Lambert, who then re-distributed the pills to others. On Feb. 24, 2023, law enforcement stopped Lambert in Bourne after he allegedly met with Campbell, and 73 oxycodone pills were found hidden in a Krazy Glue container inside the vehicle. 

It is further alleged that, on multiple occasions, Russell obtained oxycodone pills from pharmacies in the Houston area before travelling to the Boston area and distributing the pills to Veiga, who then re-distributed them to Gonsalves. Specifically, flight records allegedly show that Russell travelled to Boston and met with Veiga in February, March and May 2023 to distribute the pills in various locations, including the Twin River Casino, in Lincoln, R.I. and a Brookline hotel. 

The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

The indictment also includes a drug forfeiture allegation, aiming to seize the following items: a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS550; a 2017 BMW X6; over $998,000 in U.S. Currency; an Aero Precision Model X15 Pistol; a Kongsberg Norwegian M1914 Pistol; a Glock 22 .40 Caliber Pistol; and a Taurus .44 Caliber Revolver. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Falmouth Police Chief Jeffrey A. Lourie; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office; the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Recovery 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 document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misuse COVID-19-related unemployment assistance. 

Dquintz Alexander, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Alexander was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $318,281. In April 2023, Alexander pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors or gig economy workers).

From April to June 2020, Alexander conspired with his co-worker, Norman Higgs, to submit fraudulent PUA claims using stolen identifying information of other individuals. The PUA payments were directed into bank accounts controlled by Alexander and Higgs. In total, accounts controlled by Alexander and Higgs received over half a million dollars in fraudulent PUA payments. While the majority of the funds were frozen by banks or recovered through the efforts of law enforcement, Alexander and Higgs were able to use over $200,000 of the funds for their personal benefit, including to pay off credit card debt and to fund digital currency and online retail brokerage accounts. On August 2, 2023, Higgs was sentenced for his role in the scheme.  

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Labor Racketeering and Fraud made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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 Chelmsford dentist was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for engaging in a Medicaid Fraud Scheme.  

Dr. Scott Cale, 68, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Cale was also ordered to pay restitution of over $1.1 million. In April 2023, Cale pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud and one count of health care fraud.  

Cale was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in January 2020 along with co-conspirators Dr. Anthony DiStefano III, a fellow dentist practicing in Worcester, and Robin Cronin, a Worcester Dental Office Manager. DiStefano was barred from participating in the MassHealth insurance program because of concerns regarding the quality of dental care DiStefano delivered to patients. In order to circumvent his exclusion from the MassHealth provider network, DiStefano recruited Cale to join his practice. 

From 2014 to 2018, dental services that DiStefano personally delivered were billed to MassHealth using Cale’s provider identification credentials. Cale then paid DiStefano a share of the money that MassHealth had paid Cale. The purpose of this arrangement was to deceive MassHealth into paying for dental services that were not reimbursable (because MassHealth had terminated DiStefano from the MassHealth program). As a result of this scheme, multiple MassHealth patients were harmed and received dangerously poor care from DiStefano.  

Charges against the DiStefano were dismissed. Cronin pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy in September 2021. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023.  
    
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and Andrea Joy Campbell, Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit and Chris Looney of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Lownds, detailed from Campbell’s office, prosecuted the case. Additional attorneys and investigators in the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts played a significant role in conducting the investigation.

BOSTON – A Boston man was arrested and charged today 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 charged by criminal complaint with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Mohanty was arrested today and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. 

“Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right to not be exposed to lewd conduct when they are traveling,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “If you engage in the type of illicit behavior alleged here, you will be caught and held accountable wherever it happens.” 

“What Dr. Mohanty is accused of doing in front of a fourteen-year-old girl is reprehensible,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s arrest should make it crystal clear that the FBI takes crimes aboard aircraft seriously, everything from sexual misconduct as alleged in this case, to assault, interfering with the flight crew, and theft. If you’ve been the victim of a crime aboard an aircraft or have witnessed one take place, we ask you to report it to both your flight crew and the FBI.”

According to the charging documents, Mohanty is 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 U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI Acting SAC DiMenna 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 Vermont man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Dominick Bailey, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Bailey pleaded guilty in December 2021. 

“This office is committed to doing whatever we can to crack down on illegal gun possession,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “When someone repeatedly breaks gun laws, as this defendant clearly did, they will be held accountable.” 

“The Postal Service is part of the communities we serve,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “The combined efforts of the Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Boston Police Department has resulted in a significant sentence for a true threat to the safety of our community. While we are proud of the work in this case, we will not rest in our efforts to identity and bring to justice those who would misuse the U.S. Mail and threaten the safety of our communities.”

“This sentence should serve as notice to repeat offenders, determined to continue to illegally possess firearms. ATF and our law enforcement partners will not falter in our resolve to investigate and incarcerate offenders who illegally possess and traffic firearms,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division. 

“This previously convicted felon attempted to obtain methamphetamine in exchange for illegal firearms,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “As we all know, narcotics and unlawfully possessed firearms are serious threats to our communities in Massachusetts. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. These enforcement actions with our federal, state and local partners show what happens when law enforcement works together.”

In November 2019, Bailey was arrested in Boston in possession of four firearms, including an AR-15 style rifle capable of accepting a large capacity magazine. Bailey and his co-defendant had arranged to transport the firearms from Vermont to Boston in exchange for a quantity of methamphetamine. Bailey assumed he was negotiating with a Boston-area drug dealer, when in fact, he was communicating with an undercover federal agent. 

This was Bailey’s third federal conviction for being a felon in possession of firearms, having been twice convicted of the same charge in U.S. District Courts in Vermont and New Hampshire.  

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, USPIS INC Larco-Ward, ATF SAC Ferguson, DEA SAC Boyle and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and James E. Arnold of 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 Taunton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Michael Pacheco, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Nov. 1, 2023. Pacheco was indicted along with nine other co-defendants in August 2022.  

In March 2021, law enforcement began investigating a DTO allegedly led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Intercepted communications on numerous cellphones allegedly identified members of the DTO who regularly distributed multiple kilograms of fentanyl from a base of operations at a stash house in Fall River.

The investigation identified Pacheco as a regular DTO customer who re-distributed fentanyl to his own customer base in Southeastern Massachusetts. Intercepted communications showed Pacheco ordering fentanyl from the DTO and was soon after observed meeting with the DTO’s couriers. A search of Pacheco’s residence in July 2022 resulted in the seizure of approximately 41 grams of fentanyl.  

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of 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 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, Boston Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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 Southbridge man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for attempting to distribute a kilogram of cocaine.

Revel Pedro Rivera, 43, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to six months in prison and two years of supervised release, with the first six months to be served in home confinement. On Feb. 15, 2022, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. 

In early July 2020, a package containing a kilogram of cocaine that was shipped to Rivera’s residence from Puerto Rico was intercepted by law enforcement, who replaced the cocaine with a counterfeit substance. On July 6, 2020, Rivera accepted delivery of the package and was arrested as he left the property with the package that he believed contained cocaine.   

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Middleboro financial adviser was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for defrauding his elderly and otherwise vulnerable clients and stealing the victims’ retirement assets.

Paul R. McGonigle, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 54 months in prison and two months of supervised release. McGonigle was also ordered to pay restitution of $652,987. In February 2023, McGonigle pleaded guilty to one count of investment adviser fraud, two counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

“Among the highest priorities of this office is protecting vulnerable victims from pernicious fraudulent schemes. This defendant took advantage of the elderly, including individuals living with dementia and other cognitive impairments, to line his own pockets. The conduct is despicable. The judicial system has now held him accountable and anyone embarking on such conduct is forewarned that you will be investigated and prosecuted,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. 

“What Paul McGonigle did is despicable. He preyed on his elderly and vulnerable clients, betrayed their trust, and stole over $1.2 million from their retirement accounts,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Last year, investment scams cost consumers nationwide $3.31 billion, and here in Massachusetts, victims reported losing almost $76 million. This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to holding fraudsters accountable.”

McGonigle served as a financial adviser for the victims, many of whom were elderly, one of whom had dementia, and another who suffered a traumatic brain injury. Beginning no later than February 2015, McGonigle caused unauthorized withdrawals from victims’ annuities and induced victims to give him money to invest on their behalf, which he then used for personal and business expenses. To carry out his scheme, McGonigle posed as clients on calls with their annuity companies and signed their names on forms requesting withdrawals from their annuities.  When some of his clients began to ask questions, McGonigle concealed his scheme by falsely assuring clients that their investments were growing.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI Acting SAC DiMenna made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Malden man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for operating a drug trafficking enterprise in which he sold fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base to an undercover officer on multiple occasions.
 
Dhamari Jordan, a/k/a/ “DMO,” a/k/a “DMO Crashout,” 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (approximately three years in prison) and five years of supervised release. In August 2021, Jordan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Jordan and other members of his conspiracy were captured on recording selling fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base to an undercover officer on three occasions in January 2021. During these sales, Jordan was on pretrial release for a pending firearms case in Cambridge District Court from June 2019.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk District Attorney’s Office, Boston Police Department and Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Sarah Hoefle 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.

BOSTON – A Brockton woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for accepting money in exchange for agreeing to issue passing learner’s permit test scores to applicants regardless of whether they actually passed at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton. 

Mia Cox-Johnson, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to four months in prison and one year of supervised release, with the first six months to be served under home confinement. Cox was also ordered to pay a $5,500 fine. Cox-Johnson pleaded guilty on March 30, 2023 to two counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiring to commit extortion.

Cox-Johnson, a former manager of the RMV service center in Brockton, took money in exchange for passing scores on learner’s permit tests for both passenger vehicle driver’s licenses and Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). Between December 2018 and October 2019, Cox-Johnson conspired to take money in exchange for agreeing to give customers passing scores on their multiple-choice learner’s permit tests even if they did not pass. Customers were told to request a paper test instead of taking the test on the RMV computer.  Cox-Johnson personally graded these customers’ paper tests and gave the applicants passing scores. 

On Dec. 28, 2018, Cox-Johnson accepted $1,000 in cash – delivered from a friend on behalf of another individual – in exchange for a passing score for the individual’s relative who had failed the passenger vehicle learner’s permit test six times when taking it in their native language. Cox-Johnson agreed to score the relative as having passed the permit test regardless of whether they had truly passed. Cox-Johnson did, in fact, pass the relative’s test, which was taken on paper in English.

On Oct. 21, 2019, a customer came to the Brockton RMV and took three multiple-choice tests they needed to pass in order to get a commercial learner’s permit – a prerequisite to taking the road test for a CDL.  Cox-Johnson accepted $200 in cash from an individual to score the customer as having passed the tests even if they did not actually pass. In fact, the applicant failed one of the tests, but Cox-Johnson falsely gave the applicant a passing score.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF). Valuable assistance was provided by the Mattapoisett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers, Adam Deitch and Eugenia M. Carris of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Duane of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for the armed robbery of a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier in Massachusetts. 

Anthony Diaz, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2023, Diaz pleaded guilty to forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating and interfering with a United States Postal employee, while they were engaged in the performance of their official duties, and did so by use of a deadly weapon, a firearm; and assaulting a person having lawful charge, custody and control of United States mail, money and other property of the United States, with the intent to rob, steal and purloin that mail, money and other property of the United States, and in doing so put the life of that victim in jeopardy by the use of a firearm. 

USPS has seen a rise in the use of Arrow Keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An Arrow Key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These Arrow Keys are the property of USPS, and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 12 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. 

In January 2023, in Peabody, Mass., Diaz approached a USPS letter carrier and stated, “Give me the keys,” while pointing a semi-automatic pistol at the victim. After the victim handed Diaz the USPS vehicle key, Diaz responded, “Give me the rest of the key,” and “Hurry up or I’ll shoot you.” The victim removed his keychain, which was attached to his belt, containing his USPS Arrow Key and asked if he could have his vehicle key back. Diaz did not respond, placed the firearm in his right jacket pocket and departed in a nearby vehicle. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Three men have been charged for their alleged roles in a cocaine distribution conspiracy.  

Leonardo Lara, 43, and Leandro Martinez, 41, both of Lawrence; and Merced Navarro-Morfin, 42, of Lunenberg, were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.  

With respect to Lara and Navarro-Morfin, the conspiracy is alleged to have involved five kilograms or more of cocaine.  Martinez and Navarro-Morfin were also indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Following initial appearances on Aug. 4, 2023, in federal court in Boston, Lara was detained pending a further hearing scheduled for Aug. 7, 2023.  Martinez was released by the court on conditions. Navarro-Morfin will have an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Aug. 9, 2023.

It is alleged that in April 2022, approximately $40,000 in suspected drug proceeds were seized from Lara’s vehicle following a traffic stop in Sturbridge. Shortly after Lara was released, Martinez and Navarro-Morfin allegedly travelled to a Methuen residence used by Lara, and removed eight kilograms of cocaine. Martinez and Navarro-Morfin also allegedly possessed approximately $196,000 in suspected drug proceeds and one additional kilogram of cocaine.

According to court records, Lara has two prior federal convictions. In 2017, Lara was convicted of money laundering and theft of public funds for which he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. In 2004, Lara was convicted in federal court of one count of bank robbery for which he was sentenced to two years’ probation.  Navarro-Morfin was also convicted in federal court in Boston in 2015 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of marijuana and cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 97 months in prison.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, involving five kilograms or more of cocaine, provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million.  The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute cocaine provide for a maximum of 20 years incarceration, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting 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 was provided by the Massachusetts State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to traffic fentanyl and cocaine in central and eastern Massachusetts. 

Hector Torres Rosario, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2023, Torres Rosario pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. 

From April to July 2022, Torres Rosario was responsible for brokering and assisting co-conspirators in the sale and transportation of cocaine and fentanyl in furtherance of a criminal drug conspiracy. Torres Rosario was indicted in September 2022 along with 21 other co-defendants from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, Southbridge Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Essex County Sherriff’s Department and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. 

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

BOSTON – A former nurse pleaded guilty in federal court today in Boston to diverting opioids from a Boston-area hospital.

Andrea Falzano, 39, of Winchester, pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception, and subterfuge. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 14, 2023. Falzano was indicted on Feb. 24, 2023.

According to admissions made in connection with her guilty plea, beginning in May 2019, Falzano used her capacity as a nurse in the emergency department at a Massachusetts based hospital to withdraw controlled substances from a locked drug cabinet. These substances included morphine, fentanyl, and hydromorphone, all of which are opioids and Schedule II controlled substances. In total, Falzano withdrew these substances 412 times for 299 already discharged patients over an approximately five-month period. 

The charge of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud provides a sentence of up to four 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; and Robert Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

Robinson Alberto Baez-Nova, 39, of Jamaica Plain, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children, one count of distribution of child pornography, and two counts of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Nov. 17, 2023. Baez-Nova was charged by criminal complaint on Apr. 29, 2021.

On Nov. 5, 2020, police received 13 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline reports associated with a Google account and email addresses linked to Baez-Nova. These reports indicated that the Google account uploaded suspected child pornography to Baez-Nova’s Google Photos between Nov. 14, 2018 and Aug. 27, 2020. A subsequent search of Baez-Nova’s cellphone revealed images and videos of child pornography.  

A further review of Baez-Nova’s cellphone revealed a WhatsApp chat with an individual saved in Baez-Nova’s phone with the initials “Y.P.” who has since been identified as a 17-year-old male living the in the Dominican Republic.  Y.P. had access to his niece, referred to the Indictment as “MINOR A.”  Within this chat, Baez-Nova and Y.P. discussed MINOR A’s ninth birthday and Y.P. requested money from Baez-Nova for MINOR A’s birthday celebration.  Y.P. continually told Baez-Nova how much his family and MINOR A needed money and requested that Baez-Nova send money to him.  Baez-Nova, in turn, beginning in or around July 2020, told Y.P. that he would send money if Y.P. exploited MINOR A by producing child pornography of MINOR A.  Ultimately, Y.P. sent Baez-Nova five different videos of MINOR A in response to the Baez-Nova’s specific requests.

In addition to the chat outlined above with Y.P., while searching Baez-Nova’s device, law enforcement located another WhatsApp chat with another minor female who has been identified as a 14-year-old female residing in the Dominican Republic, hereinafter referred to as “MINOR B.”  During this conversation, Baez-Nova solicited MINOR B to obtain images and videos of “little kids” engaged in sexual conduct in exchange for money.

On August 27, 2020, Baez-Nova distributed child pornography to MINOR B.  Additionally, on August 28, 2020, Baez-Nova distributed child pornography of MINOR A to MINOR B.  

Ultimately, over 200 images and over 400 videos of child pornography were found on Baez-Nova’s cell phone and in his Google Photos account.

The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years and up to 30 years in prison.  The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Each charge also provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Nashua Police Department; Hillsborough County (N.H.) District Attorney’s Office; and Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie Duane and Mark Grady of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Jamaica Plain man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a May 2022 robbery of a TD Bank in Cambridge.

Jalonni Shabazz, a/k/a “Jalonni Tucker,” 41, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Shabazz was charged by criminal complaint in July 2022 and was subsequently indicted in October 2022. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Nov. 16, 2023.

On May 2, 2022, at approximately 12:49 p.m., a suspect wearing a royal blue baseball hat, gray short-sleeved T-shirt, a camouflage pattern garment around his neck, and medical mask entered the TD Bank on Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. The suspect handed the teller a note that read, “All of the Money - No Dye packs - or alarms,” and then told the teller, “This is a robbery honey.” The teller complied with the suspect’s demands and gave cash to the suspect.  The man then fled on foot after taking $2,200 cash from the teller. 

During a search of the area surrounding the bank, investigators located a royal blue baseball hat consistent with that worn by the suspect during the robbery. DNA obtained from the hat belonged to Shabazz. In addition, analysis of the bank’s surveillance footage and the defendant’s Facebook account identified Shabazz’s features – including his tattoo, hair and an article of clothing – to be consistent with that of the robbery suspect.

At the time of the robbery, Shabazz was on supervised release following a 2017 federal conviction for two bank robberies for which he was sentenced to 54 months in prison.

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Massachusetts State Police Interim Colonel John E. Mawn, Jr.; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

BOSTON – A career criminal was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston to a total of 11 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl while still on supervised release for a previous federal drug trafficking conviction. 

Ozair Pereira, 35, of Brockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison and eight years of supervised release. In September 2022, Pereira pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and four counts of distribution of fentanyl. For committing the offense while on federal supervised release, Pereira was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to an additional term of one year in prison, to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed by Judge Sorokin. 

In 2018, Pereira and several other defendants were arrested as part of a wide-ranging investigation targeting drug trafficking and violence in Brockton. Pereira was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap ordering heroin from a drug supplier. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, Pereira was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. 

On four occasions in February and March 2021, while on federal supervised release for the drug trafficking conviction, Pereira worked with co-defendant Robert Roscoe and others to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl to cooperating witnesses and undercover agents. In October 2022, Roscoe was sentenced to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for concealing business income and filing multiple false tax returns. 

Albert Casiello, 57, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to two months in prison and one year of supervised release. Casiello was also ordered to pay restitution of $315,856. In January 2023, Casiello pleaded guilty to three counts of filing false tax returns.

Between 2013 and 2015, Casiello was the president, sole shareholder and primary operator of Cassco Development Group, Inc., a Massachusetts construction business. For each of the tax years 2013, 2014 and 2015, Casiello concealed his business income by depositing customer payments in bank accounts held in the names of other entities. Casiello then filed false tax returns for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015, resulting in a tax loss of $315,856.

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

BOSTON – A Dudley man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misuse COVID-19-related unemployment assistance. 

Norman Higgs, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to one year in prison and one year of supervised release. Higgs was also ordered to pay $353,551 in forfeiture. In September 2021, Higgs pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors or gig economy workers).

From April to June 2020, Higgs conspired with Dquintz Alexander to submit fraudulent PUA claims using stolen identifying information of other individuals. The PUA payments were directed into bank accounts controlled by Higgs and Alexander. In total, accounts controlled by Higgs received over $353,551 in fraudulent PUA payments. While the majority of the funds were frozen by Higgs’ banks or recovered through the efforts of law enforcement, Higgs and Alexander were able to use a portion of the funds for their personal benefit, including to pay off credit card debt and to fund digital currency and online retail brokerage accounts. 

On April 28, 2023, Alexander pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 10, 2023. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Labor Racketeering and Fraud made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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 convicted felon has pleaded guilty in connection with firearm and drug offenses that occurred in 2019 and later possessing a variety of firearms and narcotics while on pre-trial release for the charged offenses.

Christian Soares, a/k/a “Eazy,” 30, of Brockton, pleaded guilty on July 27, 2023 to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and buprenorphine (suboxone); and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine) and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2023.

In 2019, Soares fled on foot from law enforcement during a traffic stop. Soares threw a backpack during the chase before he was ultimately apprehended, arrested and searched. A firearm with rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as a digital scale, firecrackers, a hooked knife and buprenorphine (Suboxone) strips were recovered from Soares’ backpack. Additionally, cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution were recovered from Soares’ person. As a result, Soares was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug and firearm offenses.

In December 2020, following a period of detention, the Court ordered Soares released on pre-trial conditions that included 24-hour confinement to a residence. Those conditions also prohibited Soares from possessing firearms, dangerous weapons, narcotic drugs, or other controlled substances.  

In March 2021, while still on pre-trial release, a search of Soares’ residence resulted in the recovery of over 100 grams of fentanyl, over 30 grams of MDA, over 40 grams of methamphetamine and over 70 grams of cocaine, as well as multiple firearms and numerous rounds of assorted ammunition.

Soares is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a 2013 state conviction of possession of a firearm, for which he served more than one year in prison. 

The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and buprenorphine, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA and 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 and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition each provide 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office; and the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell 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.

This effort is also 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 Maine man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with a fentanyl trafficking operation that spanned across northern New England. 

Douglas Morris, 33, of Bangor, Maine, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of p-Fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Nov. 14, 2023. Morris was indicted by a federal grand jury along with five co-defendants in March 2022.

According to court documents, in June 2021, Morris picked up nearly two kilograms of p-Fluorofentanyl intended for distribution in Maine, allegedly from co-defendant Ivan Rodriguez Osorio in a hotel parking lot in Amesbury. State law enforcement subsequently stopped Morris’ vehicle and seized the narcotics. In July 2021, Morris again picked up nearly two kilograms of fentanyl, allegedly from Rodriguez Osorio, in the same hotel parking lot in Amesbury. State law enforcement again stopped Morris’ vehicle and seized the narcotics.  

Morris is the third defendant to plead guilty in the case.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of p-Fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

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

BOSTON – The former Head of School for New Mission School in Hyde Park, an autonomous pilot school within the Boston Public Schools system, has been charged with one count of wire fraud for allegedly engaging in a scheme to defraud Boston Public Schools of approximately $38,806 by misusing school funds for her own personal use.

Naia Wilson, 60, of Mattapan, was charged by an Information with one count of wire fraud. Wilson, who has agreed to plead guilty and pay restitution, will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Wilson was employed as Head of School for New Mission School from 2006 until about June of 2019. Pilot schools like New Mission are granted maximum autonomy over their budget and spending. New Mission School receives a lump sum per pupil budget from Boston Public Schools and school administrators decide how to spend that money based on the needs of the school. 

Pilot school budgets are managed by an external fiscal agent that contracts with Boston Public Schools. The school funds managed by the external fiscal agent were held in a bank account. In order to spend school funds managed by the external fiscal agent, Wilson, in her role as headmaster of New Mission School, would be required to make a formal check request to the external fiscal agent for a check to be issued from the bank account holding the school’s funds.

Beginning in or about September of 2016 and continuing until at least May of 2019, Wilson allegedly requested checks from the external fiscal agent school account to be issued in the name of other individuals, fraudulently endorsed those checks to herself and then deposited them into her own bank account without the nominee ever knowing or authorizing her to do so.

Additionally, Wilson allegedly requested checks from the external fiscal agent that were used to pay for two all-inclusive personal vacations to Barbados for Wilson and her friends in 2016 and 2018. For both the 2016 and 2018 Barbados trips, Wilson requested that the external fiscal agent issue checks payable to other people who went on the trips and then converted that money to pay for the all-inclusive hotel and airfare. Wilson also fraudulently endorsed the checks used to pay for the 2018 trip.

“Protecting children is one of the very top priorities of this Office and threats come in all forms. Here, Ms. Wilson is accused of diverting school funds for her personal benefit. We will not allow this type of gross abuse of authority and responsibility fly under the radar. Individuals who take advantage of public trust to line their pockets will be investigated and held accountable,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

“Instead of working honestly on behalf of her students, Naia Wilson is accused of abusing her authority and using the school’s budget as her own personal slush fund to embezzle tens of thousands of dollars to fund two all-inclusive vacations to Barbados for herself and her friends,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s charges should serve as a reminder to municipal workers everywhere that there are serious consequences for such shameful conduct, and it is the taxpayers they serve and answer to at the end of the day.”

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, 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 U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI Acting SAC DiMenna and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Boston Public Schools were cooperative in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are 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.

BOSTON – A Worcester man has been sentenced in federal court in Springfield for drug and firearm offenses. 

Rodney Hall, 38, was sentenced on July 29, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 75 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Feb. 2, 2023, Hall pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    In September 2020, Hall was observed arriving in an SUV at a location in Worcester, exiting the SUV and entering the backseat of a Toyota Camry. The Camry then proceeded to drive around the block for approximately one minute and stopped at a corner where Hall exited the vehicle – an interaction consistent with conducting a drug deal. Hall was then approached by law enforcement and found to be in possession of $1,500 in cash. Approximately 27.9 grams of crack cocaine was obtained from the individual to whom Hall sold the cocaine.  During a subsequent search of Hall’s apartment, approximately 634 grams of crack cocaine, a loaded .25 caliber Beretta handgun, a homemade “ghost gun” pistol and ammunition, plastic baggies, $7,000 in cash and a digital scale were recovered. Hall is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his criminal history, which includes previous convictions for possession of a large capacity weapon and trafficking cocaine.

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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Evan D. Panich of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 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 – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts will join community organizers, neighbors and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on July 31, 2023 and Aug. 1, 2023. Staff members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be represented across the state, including Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy who will attend community events in Boston. 

“Our law enforcement partners are vital to our mission of keeping Massachusetts safe. As they serve our communities, it is important that they are seen and known, too,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “National Night Out is an important initiative to build trust and relationships between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. We look forward to joining our partners in Boston, and across the state.” 

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country. 

National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.

Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.

For more information, visit https://natw.org/.

BOSTON – Nine members and associates of the Asian Boyz (ABZ) gang have been charged in connection with drug trafficking conspiracies and dealing in firearms, including machinegun conversion devices – commonly known as “switches.”

The following were arrested and charged yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston:

• Anel Reyes, a/k/a “A-Tecc,” a/k/a “A.T.E.C.,” 24, of Lawrence, was charged with one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of p-Fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
• Samnang Son, a/k/a “Smiley,” 33, of Lowell, was charged with one count of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition; one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams of more of methamphetamine; one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and one count of transfer and possession of a machinegun;
• Billy Chan, a/k/a Juju,” 18, of Lowell, was charged with one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of distribution or and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and one count of transfer and possession of a machinegun;
• Bill Phim, a/k/a “Bonez,” 35, of Acton, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine;
• Erickson Dao, a/k/a “Silent,” 31, of Lowell, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine;
• Brian Gingras, a/k/a “Cheech,” 37, of Lowell, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine;
• Marcus Holder, a/k/a “Heartless” 28, of Newton, N.H, was charged with two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and
• Joseph Bagrowski, 35, of Chelmsford, was charged with two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

The following defendant was also charged yesterday and is currently in state custody: 

• Sary Rath, a/k/a “BG,” a/k/a “Bad Guy,” a/k/a “Baby Gangsta,” 37, formerly of Lowell, was charged with one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

As alleged in court documents, the ABZ gang is one of the nation’s largest Asian street gangs. Members and associates of the ABZ gang are known to engage in illegal drug and firearm trafficking as well as acts of violence against rival gang members and associates. While ABZ gangs around the country operate independently of each other as far a structure and leadership, they use their ABZ gang network to facilitate their interstate narcotics and firearms trafficking.

According to court documents, Rath is a leader of the ABZ gang in Lowell and has been a self-admitted member of ABZ gang for at least the last 15 years. It is alleged that Son, Phim, Dao, Gingras and Holder are also members of the ABZ gang; Reyes and Bagrowski are associates of the ABZ gang and Chan is an associate of the Young Crip Hitters, a group aligned with the ABZ gang. 

According to court documents, the defendants were part of a large drug distribution network that profited primarily from the sale of thousands of homemade counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. It is alleged that the defendants worked together to manufacture, supply and distribute their significant supply of methamphetamine pills – including to an undercover officer on 12 different occasions between March 2022 and October 2022. Rath allegedly used a gang-affiliated business, “Money Affiliated,” to facilitate the distribution of narcotics. Rath produced and performed rap music, and he used “Money Affiliated” as a brand for the music, which prominently referenced the ABZ gang and featured other ABZ gang members, including Dao, Gingras, Phim and Holder. In total, the defendants are alleged to have distributed or possessed with intent to distribute approximately 12,100 counterfeit Adderall pills – weighing over 25 kilograms –  containing methamphetamine, over 900 grams cocaine, over 400 grams of fentanyl and approximately 500 grams of para-Fluorofentanyl. 

It is further alleged that, in addition to narcotics, the defendants also sold at least 15 firearms – including five machinegun conversion devices, an AR-type and “ghost guns” – magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition over the course of the investigation. 

A search of the defendants’ residences following yesterday's arrests allegedly resulted in the recovery of multiple cellular telephones, approximately $1,000 in cash, approximately 1,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing suspected methamphetamine, 300 Euros pills containing suspected MDMA/Ecstasy, a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number loaded with 9mm ammunition, a “ghost gun” pistol frame, magazines, firearms parts and a ballistics vest.

“The trafficking of firearms and deadly narcotics by violent criminal organizations is so corrosive and destructive.  It makes the hard-working residents of these communities feel unsafe when they go about their daily lives – heading to work or school or just out to play,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The defendants charged yesterday promoted violence and pumped poison into the Lowell community for a profit. This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to relentlessly investigate, identify and disrupt criminal organizations and do all that we can to ensure our communities are safe from violence and the proliferation of drugs and firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office offers the weight of the federal government, and we will not hesitate to bring our resources to the table to ensure our residents’ safety.”

“Yesterday, we charged nine members and associates of one of the nation’s largest Asian street gangs, who are alleged to have trafficked illegal firearms and controlled an illegal drug distribution network once belonging to their rivals.  Rivals we removed from the streets of Lowell two years ago,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “In peddling thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing methamphetamine, and selling illegal firearms and machine gun conversion devices, we believe this dangerous criminal enterprise posed a direct threat to the people of Lowell. The positive impact made by removing these criminals from the streets of Lowell should immediately be felt.”

“ATF is proud to work shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners to ensure everyone who is involved in illegal trafficking of firearms is held accountable, and this investigation highlights the power of this collaboration,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division.

“I would like to thank our federal law enforcement partners including the FBI and ATF, the US Attorney's Office and Middlesex County District Attorney's Office for their continued collaboration on these complex, years long investigations which help keep our community safe. This operation targeted the Lowell based set of the nationally recognized ABZ street gang, which is a violent and prolific drug and firearms trafficking organization.  The Lowell Police department is committed to working with all our law enforcement partners to disrupt these violent, drug and firearm trafficking organizations,” said Greg Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department. 

The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of p-Fluorofentanyl; distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine each provide for a sentence of at least five year and up to life in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years up to life in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and transfer and possession of a machinegun each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI Acting SAC DiMenna; ATF SAC Ferguson; and Lowell Police Superintendent Hudon made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts State Police; and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak 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 documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Chicago-area rap artist pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to his role in a nationwide wire fraud conspiracy that victimized businesses across the United States and then making a false statement to a federal agent to conceal his involvement.  

Herbert Wright, 25, a/k/a “G Herbo,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a federal official. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Nov. 7, 2023. 

Wright was initially indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020 along with five co-defendants, including rap promoter Antonio Strong, in connection with the alleged fraud conspiracy. Wright was subsequently charged with making false statements in May 2021. 

“Mr. Wright used stolen account information as his very own unlimited funding source, using victims’ payment cards to finance an extravagant lifestyle and advance his career. Mr. Wright’s conduct affected countless businesses and individuals across the United States who had to foot his nearly $140,000 bill in unauthorized transactions. Mr. Wright flaunted his lavish spending on social media, in music videos and in industry news. This office and our law enforcement partners are committed to ensuring that individuals and businesses are protected against fraudsters. This case should serve as a reminder that if you break the law, you will be prosecuted and held accountable – regardless of who you are,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

“The willful and intentional use of false statements during a federal criminal investigation threatens not only the integrity of an individual case but also a foundational tenet of our democracy at large,” said Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office. “Today’s announcement represents our communal dedication to the truth and I am proud of the investigative team of special agents and federal partners at the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office for the essential work behind these charges.”

Beginning in at least March 2017 through November 2018, Wright and, allegedly, his co-defendants conspired to defraud numerous businesses and individuals throughout the United States by using unauthorized and stolen payment card account information of real individuals – including the actual cardholders’ names, addresses, security codes and account expiration dates. Generally, because the payment card information was authentic, the defrauded businesses and individuals successfully processed the fraudulent transactions and provided the goods and services to Wright and his alleged co-conspirators. The actual cardholders discovered these transactions on their accounts and disputed the charges with their card companies who then charged back the transactions to the businesses and individuals, which consequently suffered losses in the amounts of the unauthorized transactions.

According to court documents, Wright frequently asked Strong for a number of luxury goods or services, such as flights, vehicles (“whips”), or accommodation (“cribs”), which Strong allegedly often procured by fraud using the stolen payment card account information. This included: four private jet charters for a total cost of over $80,000; over $34,000 in exotic car rentals including a Mercedes Benz 5560 and a Cadillac Escalade; as well as an over $14,500 villa in Jamaica for which Wright also requested that Strong provide vehicles and an additional credit card account for his incidentals. During text message conversations, Wright acknowledged that it did not cost Strong anything to rent a vehicle for him, stating: “Extend that whip bro that b**** ain't for no month why you be lying […] You know it don't be costing you s*** to do that s*** dude!”

Wright also used the fraud proceeds to travel to various concert venues and to advance his career by posting photographs and/or videos of himself on the private jets, in the exotic cars and at the Jamaican villa on social media as well as in music videos. In addition, Wright allegedly helped Strong obtain two designer Yorkie puppies for over $10,000 from a business by falsely representing that Wright was the actual purchaser of the puppies and by concealing Strong’s actual identity from the business.

Additionally, according to court documents in November 2018, Wright falsely told a federal agent that he never worked with or was assisted by Strong; he never provided Strong any money; he never received anything of value from Strong; and he had no direct relationship with Strong. In fact, since at least 2016: (1) Strong worked with and assisted Wright; (2) Wright provided Strong money; (3) Wright received valuable goods from Strong, including private jet charters, luxury accommodations, and exotic car rentals; and (4) Wright had frequent direct contact with Strong, including phone conversations, text messages and Instagram messages.

Wright admitted, as part his guilty plea, that he was responsible for $139,878 in victim losses. Strong has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. 

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

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and USSS SAC Murphy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and Kyle Crawford of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section 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 Chelsea man was arrested yesterday in connection with illegally selling machinegun conversion devices.

Michael Williams, 49, was charged with one count of transferring or possessing a machine gun. Williams will appear in federal court in Boston at 3 p.m. this afternoon. 

According to the charging documents, in January 2023, Williams agreed to sell several machine gun conversion devices and other firearm accessories to an undercover federal agent. It is alleged that, following a series of communications, Williams met the undercover agent twice at a pre-arranged location. It is further alleged that on Jan. 12, 2023, Williams sold the first machinegun conversion device to the undercover agent and the following day, on Jan. 13, 2023, Williams sold two additional machine conversion devices to the undercover agent. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to attempting to prevent a witness whom he allegedly exposed himself to from testifying against him in a federal proceeding.

Mark Pinnock, 32, had been charged with one count of witness intimidation. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. 

According to the charging documents, in 2014, Pinnock was sentenced to eight years in prison for a sex trafficking offense. In 2022, Pinnock was released and under federal supervision while working as an Amazon driver. It is alleged that in July 2022, while Pinnock was on supervised release for his 2014 sex trafficking conviction, a victim reported to local law enforcement that Pinnock allegedly exposed his penis to her while delivering a package to the condominium complex where the victim worked as a custodian. As a result, the U.S. Probation Office sought to revoke Pinnock’s term of supervised release and the Court scheduled a hearing to adjudicate Pinnock’s alleged offense.  

It is alleged that one week before the hearing, Pinnock sent a co-conspirator to the condominium complex on his behalf. The co-conspirator allegedly told the victim not to go to Court and stood with his hand in his pocket as if he had something in it. Pinnock also allegedly used an encrypted messaging application to send an anonymous message to the security officer at the complex to “let the cleaning lady know” she would be arrested by immigration officials if she were to go to court. Finally, Pinnock placed three separate phone calls to immigration officials in an attempt to have the victim detained for being unlawfully present in the United States.  Pinnock falsely claimed to ICE, among other things, that he had heard the victim was gang-affiliated.

The charge of witness intimidation provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today.  The Brockton Police provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division 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 Southbridge man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to traffic multiple kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine in Central and Eastern Massachusetts. 

Edgardo Ramirez, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On April 26, 2023, Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of p-Fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. 

Ramirez was indicted in September 2022 along with 21 other co-defendants for their alleged roles in drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that distributed cocaine and fentanyl throughout the North Shore and Central Massachusetts. It is alleged that the DTO regularly used the United States mail to conduct drug trafficking activities. Specifically, the DTO allegedly obtained large quantities of cocaine through packages mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses used by the DTO and mailed packages containing fentanyl to recipients in Florida and elsewhere. From April to July 2022, Ramirez was responsible for mixing, packaging and transporting fentanyl and cocaine in furtherance of this criminal conspiracy.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, Southbridge Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Essex County Sherriff’s Department and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

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

BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for extorting a minor to send him sexually explicit photos over Snapchat. 

Chayanne Nieves, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 210 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In June 2022, Nieves pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.

During a period of four days in November and December 2020, Nieves communicated on Snapchat with an 11-year-old child in Vermont. During those communications, Nieves obtained nude photographs from the victim and then extorted the victim to engage in graphic video chats with him while he masturbated, threatening to post her photographs if she did not comply. The victim’s mother intervened and reported the defendant to local police. During a subsequent search of Nieves’s residence in Lowell, Nieves confirmed that the Snapchat account used to communicate with the child was his. Nieves is a Level 3 registered sex offender based on a 2018 Middlesex Superior Court conviction for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, for which he was on probation when he committed the offense charged in the federal indictment.    

“Mr. Nieves is a danger to our communities. While already on probation for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, he targeted and exploited an innocent child for his own sexual gratification. This significant sentence ensures that Mr. Nieves is removed from our communities and unable to cause any more harm for the foreseeable future,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The safety of the public, especially our children, is of the utmost importance to this office. We will continue to do all that we can to hold predators like Mr. Nieves responsible and protect our communities from dangers both off- and on-line.”

“Nieves is a convicted sex offender who used social media to continue to harm children, even while on probation. This significant sentence ensures he will be off the streets and unable to prey on children,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Sextortion, typically a cyber-enabled crime, causes significant harm. HSI continues to work with our partners around the country and the world to track down predators like Nieves. HSI is committed to ensuring that affected individuals and families know that there is help and a way forward after such a troubling event.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI Acting SAC Krol; and Major Dan Trudeau, Commander of the Vermont State Police’s Criminal Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and Anne Paruti of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for racketeering.

Josue Carrasquillo, a/k/a “King Playboy,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately five months in prison) and three years of supervised release. In November 2020, Carrasquillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. 

The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf. Carrasquillo participated in the violent acts of the gang and distributing controlled substances on behalf of the gang.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Carrasquillo is the 60th and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. The two remaining defendants charged in the indictment remain fugitives. 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Carol Mici, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Bristol and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard 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.

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

BOSTON – A Holyoke man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with straw purchases of firearms.  

Tyler A. Augusto, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to two years of probation, with the first four months of the sentence to be served in home confinement. In February 2023, Augusto pleaded guilty to one count of false statements to acquire firearms from a licensed dealer; one count of false statements with respect to information required to be kept in the records of a licensed firearms dealer; and one count of false statements.

Between October 2020 and February 2022, Augusto conducted numerous purchases of firearms from three different federally firearms licensees on behalf of his father, who was not licensed to possess firearms. In February 2022, Augusto falsely told law enforcement that he had not purchased any firearms for his father and that his father had not asked Augusto to purchase any firearms.

As part of his plea agreement, Augusto will forfeit a Sig Sauer Model P365 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol; a Colt Model SP1 .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Taurus Model CT9-G2 9mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Glock model 17 frame; an IMI Uzi model A 9mm semi-automatic rifle; an FN model FS2000 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a FN model SCAR 16S 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; a Sig Sauer model SIG 556 SCM 5.56x45mm caliber semi-automatic rifle; and a Glock model 21 .45 caliber ACP semi-automatic pistol.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Holyoke Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.  

BOSTON – A Holyoke man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with drug and firearm offenses. 

Jonathan Mercedes, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams of more of fentanyl; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking felonies. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled for Nov. 16, 2023. Mercedes was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022.

On April 7, 2022, Mercedes possessed with intent to distribute 60 grams of fentanyl laced heroin and 59 grams of cocaine. Mercedes also possessed a Ruger .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with nine rounds of .22 caliber ammunition and a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $2 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of up to life 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – The former owner of a general contracting business based in South Boston and Quincy has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to concealing business income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

John Michael Sacco, 52, formerly of Quincy, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.

According to the charging documents, Sacco managed construction projects under the name JMS Contracting. It is alleged that, from 2014 through 2021, Sacco received over $9 million from JMS’s customers. Rather than depositing JMS’s gross receipts into business bank accounts, Sacco allegedly cashed most checks from customers, used proceeds to purchase supplies and pay subcontractors in cash, and retained remaining cash to pay personal expenses. Sacco allegedly failed to issue required tax forms to its subcontractors and failed to file required forms with the IRS with respect to amounts that JMS paid to its subcontractors. By not reporting JMS’s actual receipts on tax returns that he filed for certain years and by filing no tax returns in other years, Sacco underreported his personal income tax obligations, causing a loss to the IRS of over $3 million.

The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement. 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 defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.