District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – The owner of a local excavation and plowing company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a multi-year scheme to underreport income on his tax returns and to obtain loans based on false loan applications.

Peter Tufts, 55, of Medford, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion and two counts of submitting false loan applications. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.

According to the charging document, Tufts, the owner of Tufts Construction, Inc. underreported income on his corporate and personal tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2021, resulting in an income tax loss of more than $465,000. In addition, Tufts used the proceeds of his income tax evasion scheme to fund an off-the-books cash payroll that Tufts used to avoid employment taxes, causing a payroll tax loss of more than $539,000.

It is further alleged that, while perpetrating his tax evasion scheme, Tufts obtained loans from a local community bank and from the Small Business Administration (SBA) based on false loan applications. In his loan applications, and associated loan documents, Tufts falsely told the bank and the SBA that he had never declared bankruptcy, owed no back taxes, and was not involved in litigation. In fact, as alleged, Tufts was involved in ongoing bankruptcy proceedings when he obtained his loans and was engaging in a multi-year income and employment tax evasion scheme.

The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false loan applications provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million 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; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service in Boston made the announcement today. The United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General; the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigations Bureau; and the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Honduran man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegal reentry.

Blas Antonio Celaya-Padilla, 41, of Chelsea, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 45 months in prison. His sentence will be served concurrently with a 37 month federal sentence he is currently serving for conspiracy to commit alien smuggling in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Padilla was previously deported from the United States on five prior occasions between 1999 and 2015 and has three prior federal convictions for illegal reentry: a 2004 conviction in the Western District of Texas; a 2011 conviction in the District of Arizona; and a 2012 conviction also in the District of Arizona. Sometime after his 2012 deportation, Padilla illegally reentered the United States. Padilla’s criminal conduct in North Carolina occurred after his three prior illegal reentry convictions. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith E. Houghton made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Winthrop man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to fraudulently obtaining a U.S. passport, and then using it to enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey in 2021.  

Azem Gigo Zebic, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of use of a fraudulently obtained passport. U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Nov. 30, 2023. Zebic was arrested by information and subsequently waived his indictment in May 2023.

Zebic was admitted to the United States from Croatia in 1997 after falsely claiming that he had been the subject of persecution by Serb forces during the Bosnian War. Zebic falsely claimed, among other things, that Serb forces had captured, interrogated, beaten him and forced him to pull wounded soldiers from the front lines. Further, once in the United States, Zebic continued to make false statements about his past, including that he had never assisted anyone else enter the country illegally. However, Zebic had, in fact, assisted another alleged Bosnian combatant – Kemal Mrndzic – enter the United States unlawfully by falsely claiming that he was Mrndzic’s half-brother. Mrndzic, who was recently indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston, allegedly engaged in the persecution of Serbs while a supervisor of guards at the notorious Celebic prison camp before he fraudulently applied for refuge in the United States. Zebic used this false history and his additional false statements, to obtain lawful permanent residency, American citizenship and a United States passport. 

The use of a fraudulently obtained passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, followed by 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; Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Jason A. Casey of Levy’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A real estate agent was charged yesterday and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a multi-year scheme to defraud his clients by engaging in fraudulent short sales of government and bank-owned properties to straw buyers acting at the direction of the defendant and a co-conspirator.

Sheldon Haag, 34, of Glastonbury, Conn., has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.

According to the charging document, Haag and a co-conspirator used straw buyers to acquire properties owned by the clients of the brokerage where he worked, which included banks and other mortgage holders. The straw buyers included a shell company set up by a co-conspirator as a purported construction company. Haag and his co-conspirators allegedly hid their involvement as the de facto buyers of short sale properties from their clients, the owners of the properties, and used their inside knowledge as the owner’s broker to minimize sale prices in order to maximize their gain from later “flipping” the properties.

It is also alleged that, while perpetrating the “flipping scheme,” Haag and his co-conspirators further defrauded clients by submitting fraudulent renovation bids from contractors to their own clients, including from the fake construction company they controlled through a co-conspirator. Once their clients accepted a fraudulent bid, Haag and his co-conspirators would allegedly hire different contractors at much lower cost and pocket the difference between the fraudulent bid and the actual cost of property repairs.

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Levy’s 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 – Two men have been charged in Worcester for allegedly conspiring to access a protected computer of their former employer, a non-profit substance use and mental health treatment provider that operates recovery centers throughout Massachusetts.

Nathan Howe, 42, of Rutland, Mass., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information and cause damage and one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer and impairing medical treatment. Patrick Edmonds-Morin, 31, of Union, Conn., was charged by Information on May 18, 2023, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information. Howe was taken into custody on May 16, 2023 and was released on conditions of pre-trial supervision. Edmonds-Morin will appear in federal court in Worcester on June 28, 2023.

According to the charging documents, Howe and Edmonds-Morin were employed by the non-profit until April 2021 and October 2020, respectively. It is alleged that, between September and December of 2021, Howe and Edmonds-Morin conspired to access records of the non-profit’s employees, listen to and view conversations between the employees, and create and deploy a computer program designed to impede a Vice President of the non-profit’s use of the network. In November 2021, Howe allegedly accessed the computer network and transmitted a command that shut down the network for the non-profit’s Westborough campus where individuals were receiving in-patient treatment. By allegedly shutting down the network, Howe made the non-profit’s electronic medical records system inaccessible at its sites across Massachusetts, impairing or potentially impairing the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients.

It is further alleged that, between July 2018 and November 2020, Howe and Edmonds-Morin conspired to commit wire fraud by obtaining cell phones from a cell phone provider which were intended for the non-profit’s staff and, instead, selling the cell phones to third parties for personal profit, typically in the amounts of hundreds of dollars per phone. 

The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information and cause damage, provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of intentionally causing damage without authorization to a protected computer and causing the potential impairment of medical treatment 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. The charge of conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information, provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, up to 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 Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of Levy’s Worcester Branch Office 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 – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a $501,161 settlement with the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), a nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., to resolve allegations that IPS falsely certified that it was eligible to receive a Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA). As part of the settlement, IPS admits that it certified to the SBA that it was not a think tank primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, when it had publicly stated otherwise.  

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Entities that applied for Second Draw PPP loans were required to certify their eligibility for the loan, including that they were not “primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities.”

IPS conducts research and publishes reports to influence public policy. As detailed in the settlement agreement, on Feb. 11, 2021, IPS submitted an application for a Second Draw PPP loan from SBA. In its application, IPS certified that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” But, as IPS admits, IPS has described itself as a “think tank” in various sections of its website, on LinkedIn, and in various public documents, including reports and press releases. Per its corporate bylaws, “The purpose of IPS is to conduct research to produce publications, and to educate the public on important matters of public policy.” Among many other objectives, IPS’ Strategic Plan for 2021-2022 included lobbying activities such as “leveraging public scholarship for social movements with progressives in Congress.” 

The United States contends that IPS was ineligible for a Second Draw PPP loan, which it received only after falsely certifying to SBA that it was not primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities. 

The settlement stems from allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, the relator will receive 10 percent of the recovery. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julien M. Mundele and Jessica J. Weber of Levy’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter. 

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. 

 

US v. Institute for Policy Studies - Settlement Agreement

BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today for fentanyl distribution. 

Christian Camacho, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to six months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Camacho pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

On or about March 30, 2022, in Hampden County, Camacho knowingly possessed 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution. Additionally, at the time of his arrest, Camacho was found in possession of more than 129 grams of fentanyl laced with heroin packaged for distribution in more than 8,000 bags as well as $14,282 cash.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Levy’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) – which has been one of the largest purchasers of opioids in the United States, among pharmacies – has agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by improperly filling prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids, and submitting false claims for payment to the Department of Labor. In addition, IWP will also enter into a five-year corrective action plan with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

As part of the settlement agreement, IWP admitted that between 2014 and 2019 it failed to adequately address prescriptions with “red flags,” including high doses of opioids, early refills and dangerous drug combinations, before dispensing them to injured workers. “Red flags” indicate prescriptions that may not have been issued for a legitimate medical purpose, such as abuse or diversion. IWP previously settled a parallel investigation by the Massachusetts Attorney General into its dispensing practices.

The settlement also concerns IWP’s claims for payment submitted to the Department of Labor, which administers the federal workers’ compensation program. In 2017, in an effort to curb opioid abuse among injured federal workers, the Department of Labor began reviewing claims and flagged concerning prescriptions – a process called a Drug Utilization Review (DUR). Before paying claims flagged for a DUR, the Department of Labor requires pharmacies to represent that a pharmacist or the prescribing medical professional addressed the concerns raised by the DUR. As part of the settlement, IWP admitted that, between 2017 and 2019, IWP’s claims employees routinely represented to the Department of Labor that IWP consulted with prescribers about DURs when, in fact, IWP did not consult with those prescribers. Instead, claims employees, who lacked clinical pharmacy experience and training, submitted codes representing “prescriber consulted” without consulting IWP pharmacists or prescribers.

Under the terms of the settlement, over the next five years, DEA is allowed to conduct unannounced inspections of IWP without Administrative Inspection Warrants. The DEA monitors pharmacy prescribing practices to ensure compliance with federal law. Pharmacies found in violation face escalating penalties including revocation of their DEA Registration number – the authorization that allows them to write prescriptions for controlled substances.  

To address issues uncovered in the investigation, IWP made improvements in its pharmacy practices. For example, the company developed additional procedures to review high-risk prescribing; increased training for all employees; eliminated production quotas for pharmacists and staff; implemented a drug diversion team to implement, establish and maintain diversion controls throughout the pharmacy; and established protocols to reduce losses of prescriptions shipped through the mail. The company also retained additional personnel to address high-risk prescribing, including a new chief compliance officer and a pain management specialty pharmacist. Prior to the settlement, IWP stopped dispensing prescriptions through the Department of Labor’s workers compensation program. 

“Last week brought disturbing reports that opioid overdose deaths only increased last year in Massachusetts. Pharmacies are on the front lines of the prescription pill and opioid epidemic devastating our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Pharmacies that distribute dangerous prescription pills have a solemn responsibility to comply with measures enacted to curb abuse and addiction. Prosecutors in our office in the Civil and Criminal Divisions are working every day to fight the scourge of opioids, whether it is prosecuting traffickers, holding pharmacies and manufacturers accountable, or ensuring access to treatment for substance use disorder. We will not relent in our effort to protect the people of Massachusetts from these dangerous drugs.”

“The DEA is committed to ensuring that all registrants are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety.  DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”

“Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) enriched themselves by submitting false claims to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) between December 12, 2017, and September 26, 2019. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs to protect the integrity of the DOL’s benefit programs,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

“This settlement allows the OWCP to recover medical bill payments under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act and return these funds to the Employees’ Compensation Fund,” said Office of Workers’ Compensation Director Christopher J. Godfrey. “It also shows the commitment of the Department of Labor to ensuring that program funds are used as the law requires, and the benefits of having the department’s Office of the Inspector General devote significant investigative resources to detecting cases of possible abuse within the FECA program.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA SAC Boyle, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone and OWCP Director Godfrey made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. LaMacchia and Jessica J. Weber of Levy’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter. 

 

US v. Injured Workers Pharmacy - Settlement Agreement

BOSTON – A former DePuy Synthes sales representative and team lead was arrested today for allegedly defrauding a Boston area hospital and lied to federal authorities investigating his interference with the hospital’s sterilization processes. 

Matthew Capobianco, 45, of Winchester, Mass., was indicted on eight counts of wire fraud and one count of making material false statements. Capobianco was arrested today and, following an initial appearance and arraignment in federal court in Boston this afternoon, was released on conditions.   

According to the indictment, from January 2016 through June 2017, Capobianco defrauded a Boston area hospital out of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of spine products that he falsely represented were used in spine surgeries he covered. As a sales representative at DePuy, Capobianco was present in operating rooms at the hospital during spine surgeries dressed in scrubs and a surgical mask. In that role, Capobianco was responsible for tracking the type and quantity of DePuy products used in the spine surgeries on usage forms that he submitted to the hospital’s billing department, among other things. It is alleged that Capobianco’s compensation was tied to the volume of products that surgeons at the hospital and elsewhere used in their surgeries. To boost his sales numbers, increase his compensation, and attain higher rankings within DePuy’s sales organization, Capobianco falsely represented on usage forms that more—and more expensive—DePuy products were used during the spine surgeries than were actually used. Capobianco’s alleged fraudulent overbilling caused the hospital to pay DePuy for products that were not used in spine surgeries and caused DePuy, in turn, to pay Capobianco commissions that he was not entitled to. 

It is further alleged that, in late 2016, Capobianco instructed a subordinate DePuy sales representative to bring certain DePuy spinal implants into an operating room at the hospital for a surgery, without those implants first being sterilized. As Capobianco and his sales colleagues understood, using unsterile implants in a spine surgery could lead to serious infection or death. It is alleged that on May 30, 2017, after this 2016 incident, , Capobianco himself brought DePuy spinal implants that were not in compliance with the hospital’s sterilization policies to an operating room at the Boston area hospital. Concerned about the dangers posed by unsterile implants, hospital employees confiscated the spinal implants to ensure they were not used in a scheduled surgery that day, and Capobianco was banned from the hospital that afternoon. During a subsequent interview with federal agents that day about the sterilization incident and his interference with the hospital’s sterilization processes in the months leading up to it, Capobianco allegedly made false statements, including about his actions earlier that day.   

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Robert 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 today. Patrick M. Callahan, Deputy Chief of Levy’s Health Care Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Brady of Levy’s Health Care Fraud Unit are 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 Taunton woman has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) into issuing driver’s licenses to applicants who did not take the road test.

Neta Centio, 55, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. 

According to the charging document, Centio used CashApp to pay 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 did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. It is alleged that after Centio’s fraud was discovered, she told the road test examiner, “Don’t say nothing about the CashApp. . . . Break the phone.”

The charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charging document also seeks a $20,215 forfeiture money judgment. 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; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. The Mattapoisett Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of Levy’s Public Corruption Unit 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 in a court of law.

BOSTON – An attorney and former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives was arrested today in connection with a scheme to defraud a business-to-business supply company based in India of millions of dollars and using client funds for business and personal expenses, including the purchase of a $2.7 million home in Boca Raton, Fla.

Abhijit Das, a/k/a “Beej,” 50, of North Andover, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on June 20, 2023 on 10 counts of wire fraud. Das was arrested today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and appeared in the Southern District of Florida this afternoon. In June 2021, Das was arrested for allegedly violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and false statements. 

According to the indictment, Das was an attorney and principal manager of a boutique law and advisory firm called Troca Global Advisors with offices in Boston and New York.  Beginning in or about May 2020, Das began providing legal representation and escrow services to two twin brothers and their logistical supply company in India that was coordinating large shipments Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.

The indictment alleges that Das diverted more than $5 million in escrow funds from his clients’ accounts to other accounts and used the funds for personal expenses – including expenses for his law firm, a yacht owned by one of his hotels, as well as $2.7 million for his Boca Raton home. . Das allegedly induced his clients to transfer funds to accounts he controlled in multi-step, layered transactions under the guise of legal advice about the risk of potential litigation and provided clients with fraudulent and forged account statements to conceal the scheme. 

The indictment further alleges that Das committed nine of the 10 counts of wire fraud while on court mandated pre-trial release conditions resulting from his June 2021 indictment. That earlier indictment charged Das with campaign finance violations, embezzlement of campaign funds and making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of Levy’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions 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 Worcester man who was previously charged with unlawfully possessing a machinegun has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester on drug charges.

Jose Rivera, 24, was charged in a superseding indictment with possession of a machinegun, receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment for a felony, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Rivera will appear in federal court in Worcester at a later date. 

According to the charging documents, during a search of Rivera’s residence on March 7, 2023, three Glock switches – including one attached to a Glock .40 caliber firearm were recovered. Glock switches convert semi-automatic Glock pistols into fully automatic machineguns and are considered machineguns under federal law. It is alleged that Rivera also possessed cocaine intended for distribution. It is further alleged that Rivera received the Glock .40 caliber firearm at some point on or after Oct. 9, 2021, while he was under indictment in state court for a felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of over a year.      

The charge of unlawful 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. The charge of receipt of a firearm while under indictment provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, to be run consecutively with the sentence imposed on the other counts, 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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of Levy’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

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 West Boylston man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to possessing cocaine intended for distribution and wire fraud with respect to COVID-19 relief programs. 

Augustus “Bobo” Kormah, 33, pleaded guilty on June 20, 2023 to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of wire fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Oct. 18, 2023. Kormah was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2021. 

On Sept. 11, 2020, Kormah was arrested following a suspected drug transaction. During a search of Kormah’s apartment, approximately 26 grams of cocaine and ammunition was seized.  Additionally, between approximately May and October 2020, Kromah used personal information of others to submit false claims for COVID-19 unemployment benefits and small business loans. 

The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of wire fraud provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General;  and Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of Levy’s Criminal Division and Danial Bennett of Levy’s Worcester Branch Office are prosecuting the case. 
          
This case is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

BOSTON – Three Springfield men were arrested and charged yesterday in connection with a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.  

Abraham Heredia, 23, and Jose Heredia, Jr., 34, were charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Lamiek White, 29, was charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The defendants appeared in federal court in Springfield yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson.

According to the charging documents Heredia and Heredia, Jr. conspired on at least two dates to distribute fentanyl. On one occasion on June 7, 2023, the defendants allegedly conspired to distribute more than one and a half kilograms of fentanyl. It is alleged that approximately 200 grams of fentanyl and a firearm with an obliterated serial number were found during a search of White’s residence.

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; the Holyoke, Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments; the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Offices; and the Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Levy’s Springfield Branch Unit is prosecuting the case.  

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

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 has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for fentanyl trafficking. 

Manuel Santana Vizcaino, a/k/a “Dave,” 38, was sentenced on June 21, 2023 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 151 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Feb. 11, 2023, Santana Vizcaino was convicted by a federal jury of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

In September 2020, Manuel Santana Vizcaino arranged for the distribution of more than a half kilogram of fentanyl to an individual. Specifically, on Sept. 3, 2020, Manuel Santana Vizcaino provided the individual with approximately 270 grams of fentanyl concealed inside a guava juice box at his apartment in Lawrence. Later, on Sept. 14, 2020, while outside the United States in the Dominican Republic, Manuel Santana Vizcaino arranged for his brother, Santo Santana Vizcaino, to sell the individual another 250 grams of fentanyl. Manuel Santana Vizcaino was arrested in December 2020 at Logan Airport upon returning from the Dominican Republic. Following a search of Manuel Santana Vizcaino’s apartment, an additional two kilograms of fentanyl was seized. 

In May 2022, Santo Santana Vizcaino was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to the same charges in January 2022.    

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Customs and Border Protection; Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Massachusetts State Police; and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and Lucy Sun of Levy’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

William Sequeira, 60, pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Sept. 12, 2023. Sequeira was charged by criminal complaint in November 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2022. 

Between Sept. 26, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2022, Sequeira robbed four separate banks in the Fall River and Boston areas. Specifically, Sequeira robbed: a Citizens Bank branch in Fall River on Sept. 26, 2022; a Santander Bank branch in Boston on Sept. 27, 2022; a M&T Bank branch in Boston on Sept. 28, 2022; and a TD Bank branch in Boston on Sept. 30, 2022. During the Santander Bank robbery on Sept. 27, 2022, Sequeira ran up to a teller and stated, “give me a $100 bill or I’ll put a bullet in your head.” Sequeira did not present a firearm. During the M&T Bank robbery on Sept. 28, 2022, Sequeira approached a teller and stated, “I'm going to put a gun to your head if you don't give me the $100 bills.” During the TD Bank robbery on Sept. 30, 2022 in Boston, Sequeira approached a teller and stated, “give me all the $100s in the drawer,” and “give me all the money before I blow your brains out,” before fleeing on foot with money from the teller.

On Oct. 5, 2022, law enforcement surveilling the Back Bay area in an effort to locate Sequeira, spotted him entering a Citizens Bank branch on Boylston Street in Boston. There, Sequeira approached the teller, said “Give me hundreds,” and then threatened to shoot the teller if they did not move fast enough. Sequeira was immediately apprehended.

The charges of bank robbery each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of attempted bank robbery 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; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced today that it has launched a Summer Violence Reduction Initiative to assist and support local communities in reducing gun violence that often accompanies the warmer summer months. 

As part of its Summer Violence Reduction Initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is convening a series of regional roundtable meetings with law enforcement in local communities across the state to discuss emerging trends in violence, impacts across the region, resource allocation and potential for collaboration. The goal is to foster cooperation, transparency and data driven solutions. 

As part of this initiative, Acting U.S. Attorney Levy is also establishing a Ghost Gun Task Force (GGTF) to address the emerging threat of trafficking in privately made firearms (PMFs), commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” PMFs are firearms assembled or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer, often without a serial number. According to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), PMF seizures have increased exponentially in Massachusetts over the last few years. Specifically, PMFs accounted for nearly 10% of total firearm recoveries in 2022, a tenfold increase compared to 2020. In response to this emerging threat, Levy is establishing the GGTF to convene ATF, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and the Attorney General’s Office to act as force multipliers and stem the flow of PMFs and other weapons into Massachusetts.  

Additionally, in May 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office convened its eight Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) cities, Boston, Brockton, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield and Worcester. The meeting focused on crime trends, hot spots, targeted enforcement efforts and ideas for sharing resources to reduce violent crime. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, and incorporates research, data analysis and lessons learned from other violent crime reduction initiatives to inform its decision-making on the most effective violence reduction strategies. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources, and follows four key design elements: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement and accountability.  

Through PSN grants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is funding youth violence prevention and intervention organizations in Boston, Holyoke, Lawrence and Lowell.  PSN funding also supplemented existing resources in several PSN cities to support gunshot detection technology and equipment. 

In October 2023, as part of its PSN program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be convening a statewide Gang Investigators’ Summit.  One component of the Summit will be statewide training for local and state law enforcement on identifying armed criminals and de-escalation techniques. This training will include tactics to respond to the growing threat posed by ghost guns.

“One of the core missions of the Department of Justice and law enforcement generally is to keep communities safe. As we have learned over the years, the most powerful tool to accomplish that is our strong partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Levy. “With this week marking the beginning of summer, law enforcement is reminded that warmer weather typically correlates with a spike in violent crime, particularly in urban areas. While our PSN initiative packs a powerful punch in combatting violence by ensuring that impacted communities have the necessary tools and resources to reverse the trend and strengthen community safety, it is our hope that the Summer Violence Reduction Initiative will give local cities and towns the increased support and resources they need to have a safe and healthy summer.”

“In the USAO Summer Violence Reduction Initiative, ATF remains committed to identifying and disrupting sources of illegally manufactured firearms in order to stop the cycle of violence in its tracks,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson.

“Homeland Security Investigations is proud to join our federal, state, and local partners to take on the threat to public safety posed by privately made firearms. The proliferation of “ghost guns” as they’re also known, is a complex emerging issue that will require the collaboration of law enforcement agencies each leveraging their unique authorities and expertise,” said Michael Krol, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New England. “Public safety is our highest priority and we are ready to work together to tackle this challenge with our partners to make a safer Massachusetts.”

“The illicit trade of privately made firearms and firearms accessories poses a very real risk to U.S. Postal Service employees and the public we serve. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to working with our partners to identify those involved, remove these weapons from the community, and hold those involved accountable,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty D. Larco-Ward, USPIS Boston Division. 

“As we head into the summer, a time when we historically see an uptick in violence in our communities, violent offenders are on notice to put down their guns and stop dealing deadly, addictive drugs. Kids should be able to play in a park, swim at a community pool, or get ice cream on the corner without fear of being shot or poisoned,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners in this task force to remove dangerous weapons from our streets.”

“The Massachusetts State Police are committed to continuing our work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and interdict the flow of ghost guns. Too often these weapons, which can be personally manufactured, are used to facilitate illegal narcotics activity and to perpetuate gun violence in our communities. We value these partnerships and the joint efforts that result as we work collectively to make our neighborhoods, our communities, and our Commonwealth safer,” said MSP Colonel John E. Mawn Jr.

“Gun violence is an epidemic that affects us all, and one that tragically tends to spike during the summer,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “I commend the U.S. Attorney's Office for establishing a new task force to address gun trafficking and ghost guns as part of their Summer Violence Reduction Initiative. We look forward to a strong partnership, and progress on our shared goal of protecting communities throughout the Commonwealth.”

To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn. 

BOSTON – A New Hampshire woman employed at a daycare in Tyngsborough, Mass., was arrested this morning on child exploitation and child pornography charges. 

Lindsay Groves, 38, of Hudson, N.H., was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. Groves, who is currently in custody, will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Groves worked at Creative Minds located in Tyngsborough, Mass. It is alleged that, between May 2022 and June 2023, Groves took nude images of children at the day care and sent the photos to an individual with whom she was previously in an intimate relationship. Specifically, Groves allegedly used natural bathroom breaks for the children (routine diaper/pull-up changes prior to “naptime”) to take multiple photos of the prepubescent children in a private bathroom and then sent the photos to the individual via text message. 

A preliminary forensic review of Grove’s cellphone allegedly revealed over 2,500 text messages between Groves and the individual. These messages allegedly included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken of children while employed at Creative Minds – including at least four sexually explicit images of children who appear to be approximately three to five years old. This investigation is continuing.  

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

The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, 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 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; and Nashua (N.H.) Police Chief Kevin Rourke made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hudson, N.H. Police Department. Creative Minds Early Learning Center cooperated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne Paruti and Jessica L. Soto of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

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.

 

​US v. Lindsay Groves - Complaint Affidavit

BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today for his role in an attempted robbery of a Rockland-based glassware dealer.

Keith Johnson, a/k/a “Eike,” 41, of Worcester, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 98 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery.  Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2019 along with co-defendants Shaun Walker, Junior Melendez and Grace Katana.

In March 2019, Johnson, Walker, Katana and Melendez conspired to rob the home of a high-end glassware dealer in Rockland. Between March 18, 2019 through March 25, 2019, court authorized intercepted communications over a cellphone used by Melendez revealed that Johnson and his co-conspirators were planning an armed home invasion and robbery of the Rockland residence.

During the afternoon of March 25, 2019, the four men traveled over 60 miles from Worcester to Rockland in two vehicles. Katana and Melendez first scoped out the robbery target location, a residence which at that time was occupied by a female resident. Katana and Melendez then proceeded to a nearby hardware store and purchased a two-foot iron crowbar, a screwdriver and razor blades. Law enforcement arrested the four men in the parking lot of the hardware store – disrupting the attempted robbery. In addition to the items just purchased at the hardware store, a loaded .380 firearm was seized from the glove compartment of the vehicle occupied by Johnson.   

In June 2022, Katana was convicted by a federal jury of Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced in October 2022 to 64 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2022, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and, in November 2022, was sentenced to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 13, 2023, Melendez was sentenced to 156 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 & Explosives, Boston Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr. Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Rockland Police Chief John R. Llewellyn made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm and Kristen M. Noto of Levy’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Hyde Park man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for the armed robbery of a Hyde Park bank.

Paul Whooten, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release. On January 12, Whooten pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery. 

On Dec. 21, 2019, Whooten entered a branch of Rockland Trust Bank in Hyde Park wearing a long, dark coat over a yellow and black reflective jacket with a bright yellow hood, as well as a knit hat, black sunglasses, a mask and gloves. Whooten was also carrying something that looked like an assault rifle but that later turned out to be a BB-gun. Upon entering the bank, Whooten pointed it at the teller and stated, “Give me all of your money.” The teller filled Whooten’s bag with $13,603 in cash, and Whooten fled the bank on foot. Bank surveillance cameras captured images of Whooten throughout the robbery. 
 
Shortly after leaving the bank, Whooten was observed on the street wearing clothes consistent with those observed inside the bank and still holding what appeared to be a rifle in his hand. Law enforcement immediately apprehended Whooten and a black rifle-type BB gun and bag of cash were recovered from him.  

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Levy’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Brockton man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly lying that his United States passport had been lost in order to secure a replacement to enter the country, when in fact, the passport had been confiscated by prosecuting courts in Cabo Verde following his arrest for murder.

Johnny Barros Brandao, 40, was indicted on one count of passport fraud. Brandao was previously charged by criminal complaint on May 7, 2023 and arrested on May 9, 2023. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. 

According to the charging documents, on March 27, 2014, in Cabo Verde, Brandao shot an individual in the head using a .45 caliber revolver, took one million and five hundred thousand Cape Verdean Escudo and then dumped the victim’s body on the side of a road. It is further alleged that on July 26, 2021, Brandao shot and killed another individual using a 9mm caliber firearm and threw the victim’s body over a cliff.

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

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

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – Two operators of a loan brokerage businesses pleaded guilty yesterday today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to defraud a Massachusetts-based bank and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Ted Capodilupo, 57, of South Easton, and Joseph Masci, 71, of Boston, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Sept. 8, 2023. The defendants were charged in January 2022 along with co-conspirator Brian Ferris, a loan officer at a Massachusetts-based bank. 

Between 2015 and 2018, Capodilupo, Masci and Ferris agreed to defraud the bank and the SBA by submitting fraudulent loan applications to the bank, which administered the SBA’s small business express loan program, to secure bank loans guaranteed by the SBA. Specifically, Capodilupo and Masci submitted dozens of fraudulent loan applications to the bank on behalf of borrowers who were ineligible for traditional business loans. These loan applications misrepresented, among other things, the identity of the real loan recipients and the businesses for which the loans were sought. 

Capodilupo and Masci also fabricated federal tax forms submitted in support of the fraudulent loan applications, falsified applicant signatures and falsely indicated that no broker had assisted in preparing or referring the loan applications. Capodilupo and Masci charged borrowers fees for obtaining these fraudulent loans. Ferris, who worked as a loan officer at the bank, caused the bank to issue loans for which Capodilupo and Masci submitted applications and received a kickback from Capodilupo and Masci of approximately $500 per loan. The scheme generated approximately $270,000 in fees for Capodilupo and Masci. Many of the loans that the bank issued as a result of the fraudulent applications ultimately defaulted, resulting in substantial losses to the bank.

On April 21, 2023, Ferris pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 3, 2023. 

The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison; five years of supervised release; a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater; restitution; and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), New York Region; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian Tucker, Special Agent-in-Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection; and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of SBA OIG’s Eastern Region, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – Three New Hampshire men have been charged in connection with a conspiracy to harass and intimidate two New Hampshire journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The alleged harassment and intimidation of the victims included the vandalism – on five separate occasions – of the victims’ homes, as well as the vandalism of the home of one of the victim’s immediate family members with bricks, large rocks and red spray paint.

Tucker Cockerline, 32, of Salem, N.H., Michael Waselchuck, 35, of Seabrook, N.H. and Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, N.H. were each charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to commit stalking through interstate travel. Cockerline and Waselchuck were arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon, were detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 20, 2023 at 2 p.m. Saniatan remains at large.

“The critical role that the press plays in our society goes back to the founding of our nation. Today’s charges should send a clear message that the Department of Justice will not tolerate harassment or intimidation of journalists. If you engage in this type of vicious and vindictive behavior you will be held accountable,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

“Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of any healthy democracy and these three men are now accused of infringing on that freedom by conspiring to harass and intimidate two New Hampshire journalists who were simply doing their jobs,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division. “Everyone has a right to express their opinion, but taking it over the line and committing vandalism will not be tolerated."

According to the charging document, after a year-long investigation, an NHPR journalist (Victim 1) published an article in March 2022 detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, identified in the charging document as Subject 1. Another NHPR journalist (Victim 2) also contributed to the article, which appeared on NHPR’s website during and after March 2022. Thereafter, it is alleged that Cockerline, Waselchuck and Saniatan conspired with each other and with at least one other individual – allegedly identified as a close personal associate of Subject 1 — to retaliate against NHPR and Victims 1 and 2 by vandalizing the victims’ homes with bricks and large rocks, as well as spray-painting lewd and threatening language on the homes’ exteriors. It is alleged that the following acts of vandalisms occurred in April and May 2022:

• At approximately 11:00 p.m. on April 24, 2022, a brick was thrown through a front exterior window of Victim’s 1’s former residence in Hanover, N.H. The word “C*NT” was spray-painted in large red letters on the front door;
• On the evening of April 24, 2022 or during the early morning hours of April 25, 2022, the word “C*NT” was spray-painted in large red letters on the front door of Victim 2’s home in Concord, N.H. The exterior of the home was also damaged by a large rock, which appeared to have been thrown at the house;
• Shortly before midnight on April 24, 2022 or during the early morning hours of April 25, 2022, a softball-sized rock was thrown through a front exterior window of Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H. The word “C*NT” was spray-painted in large red letters on one of the garage doors;
• At approximately 12:54 a.m. on May 21, 2022, Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead was vandalized a second time. The word “C*NT” was spray-painted in large red letters on one of the garage doors. Although no windows were broken, a brick was discovered on the ground near the house’s foundation as if it had been thrown at the house; and
• At approximately 5:54 a.m. on May 21, 2022, a brick was thrown through an exterior window of Victim 1’s house in Melrose, Mass. The phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” was spray-painted in large red letters on the front of the home.

The charging documents allege that Cockerline, Saniatan and Waselchuck are responsible for committing all five of these vandalisms.

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

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI Acting SAC DiMenna made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments and the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of Levy’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Middleborough man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges stemming from his stealing and selling three firearms from FedEx packages he was responsible for delivering.

Frank P. O’Toole, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession or sale of a stolen firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Sept. 26, 2023. O’Toole was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022. 

O’Toole previously worked as a FedEx delivery truck driver out of a FedEx facility in Middleborough. Between October 2021 and June 2022, O’Toole stole three packages he was responsible for delivering, each containing a firearm intended for a Federal Firearms Licensee. On Aug. 9, 2022 and Aug. 12, 2022, O’Toole sold the three firearms to an undercover agent during two separate controlled purchases.

The charge of possession of a stolen firearm 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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A California man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for assaulting two women aboard a redeye flight from Los Angeles to Boston.  

Jairaj Singh Dhillon, 43, of Modesto, Cal., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson to one year of probation, with the first six months to be served in home confinement. On March 20, 2023, Dhillon pleaded guilty to two counts of assault while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. 

During an overnight flight from Los Angeles to Boston on May 31, 2022, Dhillon engaged in unwanted sexual contact with two female passengers sitting next to him. The first victim reported that Dhillon, seated in the aisle seat next to her, touched her thigh and groin area while she was taking care of her infant child who was in a car seat in the window seat next to her. The first victim called for help and stated out loud, “this man just groped me.” The second victim, who was seated in the aisle seat opposite Dhillon, reported that Dhillon reached out with both hands and simultaneously grabbed her groin and buttocks when she was standing in the aisle. Flight crew intervened and moved Dhillon to another part of the plane for the duration of the flight. Dhillon was immediately taken into custody upon the flight’s arrival in Boston. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Levy’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – Two Nigerian men were found guilty yesterday by a federal jury in Boston for their roles in expansive online fraud schemes targeting individuals in the United States, including pandemic unemployment assistance fraud, romance scams and other online scams. 

Osakpamwan Henry Omoruyi, 37, and Osaretin Godspower Omoruyi, 36, both previously of Canton, were each convicted following an eight-day jury trial of one count of bank fraud, one count of bank fraud conspiracy, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris ordered that the defendants be taken into federal custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 22, 2023. The defendants were charged by criminal complaint in March 2021. 
 
The defendants opened multiple bank accounts in the names of fake people using fraudulent foreign passports. The defendants then used those accounts to receive the proceeds from various frauds perpetrated by their co-conspirators, including pandemic unemployment assistance fraud, romance scams, and other online scams. The majority of the fraud proceeds came from romance scams, which occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and steal from the victim. In total, between 2019 and 2021, the defendants received more than $1.7 million in fraud proceeds and transferred most of the money overseas.  

The charges of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; 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; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Supervisory Special Agent Gregory Batman, Chief of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Criminal Investigations Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.  

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, 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 Methuen man was arrested today for allegedly trafficking counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and unlawfully possessing ammunition.

Shawn Hart, 45, was charged with one count distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He will appear in federal court in Worcester this afternoon.

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 this morning 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 charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of unlawful possession of ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 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; 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 Levy’s Narcotics & Money Laundering 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 Texas man was sentenced on June 13, 2023 in federal court in Boston for operating an illegal money transmitting business that laundered the proceeds of international investment and romance fraud schemes

Charles Ochi, 28, of Grand Prairie, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Ochi was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $141,021 and restitution, which will be determined at a later date. On April 12, 2023, Ochi pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of conspiring to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. 

In or about 2016, Ochi organized and led a group of money transmitters that laundered over $1 million in proceeds from fraud schemes. Some of these fraud schemes purported to offer trading and Bitcoin investing services when, in fact, investor funds were stolen and later victims’ investments were used to pay purported returns to earlier investors. Ochi recruited at least five individuals in Texas and Maryland to join his operation, and directed them to use bank accounts to receive fraud proceeds and then to withdraw and transfer the money to numerous other persons, often by cashier’s check or through electronic transfers. Ochi also engaged in illicit currency exchange business activity, in which he, a co-conspirator, and others exchanged fraud proceeds for Nigerian Naira on the black market. 

In total, the scheme laundered over $1,168,000 from at least 123 victims of investment and romance fraud schemes in Massachusetts, California, Florida, and Canada.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Division of Enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for being a convicted felon in possession of a 10 mm Glock pistol, which he used to shoot a victim.

Joel Polanco, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 80 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2022, Polanco pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

In October 2020, Polanco was arrested after police responded to the area of Snow and Cherry Streets in Fitchburg following a report of a person suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. A witness reported seeing someone fitting Polanco’s description shoot the victim. In addition, surveillance videos showed a person fitting Polanco’s description carrying what appeared to be the black fanny-pack and holding an item in his hand that appeared to be a gun. Polanco shot the victim using a 10 mm Glock pistol which was later recovered from a black fanny-pack in the area of Snow Street.

Polanco is prohibited from possessing a firearm after being convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition and distribution of cocaine base in March 2011.

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 Fitchburg Police Chief Ernst Martineau made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Danial E. Bennett of Levy’s 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. 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.

A member of the U.S. Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly retaining and transmitting classified national defense information on a social media platform beginning in or around 2022 and continuing until his arrest in April.

Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information). Teixeira was arrested on April 13, 2023, and charged by criminal complaint with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. On May 19, 2023, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy granted the government’s motion for detention. Teixeira remains in federal custody.

“As laid out in the indictment, Jack Teixeira was entrusted by the United States government with access to classified national defense information — including information that reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if shared,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Teixeira is charged with sharing information with users on a social media platform he knew were not entitled to receive it. In doing so, he is alleged to have violated U.S. law and endangered our national security.”

“Individuals granted security clearances are entrusted to protect classified information and safeguard our nation’s secrets. The allegations in today’s indictment reveal a serious violation of that trust,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI and our partners remain firm in our commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our national security and the security of our allies around the world.”

“The unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security. Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens, and its allies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “We are committed to ensuring that those entrusted with sensitive national security information adhere to the law.”

According to the charging documents, Teixeira enlisted in the USANG in September 2019 and has held a Top Secret security clearance since 2021. It is alleged that, beginning in or around January 2022, Teixeira willfully, improperly, and unlawfully retained and transmitted National Defense Information classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information, which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a social media platform to persons not authorized to receive such information.

According to the charging documents, Teixeira transmitted the classified National Defense Information on the social media platform in two ways. First, Teixeira allegedly accessed classified documents containing National Defense Information from a classified workstation at the Otis USANG Base and transcribed and transmitted the information in written paragraphs to other users on the social media platform. Teixeira also posted images of classified documents to the social media platform, which bore standard classification markings – including “SECRET,” “TOP SECRET,” and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified United States government information. At least one of the documents containing national defense information was allegedly found in digital form in a particular account associated with Teixeira.

Each charge of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information 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. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Boston and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations provided valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan, and Jason A. Casey for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A member of the United States Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly retaining and transmitting classified National Defense Information on a social media platform beginning in or around 2022 and continuing until his arrest in April 2023.

Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Mass., was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information). Teixeira was arrested on April 13, 2023 and charged by criminal complaint with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. On May 19, 2023, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy granted the government’s motion for detention. Teixeira remains federal custody. 

“The unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security. Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens and its allies,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We are committed to ensuring that those entrusted with sensitive national security information adhere to the law.” 

“The American people entrust security clearance holders with our nation’s secrets, and anyone who flagrantly violates their duty to protect those secrets by unlawfully communicating classified national defense information to people who are not entitled to receive it will be brought to justice to answer for their criminal conduct,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.

“As laid out in the indictment, Jack Teixeira was entrusted by the United States government with access to classified national defense information — including information that reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if shared,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Teixeira is charged with sharing information with users on a social media platform he knew were not entitled to receive it. In doing so, he is alleged to have violated U.S. law and endangered our national security.”

“Individuals granted security clearances are entrusted to protect classified information and safeguard our nation’s secrets. The allegations in today’s indictment reveal a serious violation of that trust,” said Christopher A. Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The FBI and our partners remain firm in our commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our national security and the security of our allies around the world.”

According to the charging documents, Teixeira enlisted in the USANG in September 2019 and has held a Top-Secret security clearance since 2021. 

It is alleged that, beginning in or around January 2022, Teixeira willfully, improperly and unlawfully retained and transmitted National Defense Information classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a social media platform to persons not authorized to receive such information. 

According to the charging documents, Teixeira transmitted the classified National Defense Information on the social media platform in two ways. First, Teixeira allegedly accessed classified documents containing National Defense Information from a classified workstation at the Otis USANG Base and transcribed and transmitted the information in written paragraphs to other users on the social media platform. Teixeira also allegedly posted images of classified documents to the social media platform, which bore standard classification markings – including “SECRET,” “TOP SECRET,” and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified United States government information. At least one of the documents containing national defense information was allegedly found in digital form in a particular account associated with Teixeira.

The charges of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information 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. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC DiMenna; Attorney General Garland; FBI Director Wray; Matt Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan and Jason A. Casey of Levy’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section 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 Swampscott man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston today for his alleged fraudulent claims of persecution to become a United States refugee and, later, a United States citizen. 

Kemal Mrndzic, 51, was charged with using a fraudulently obtained U.S. passport; possessing and using a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate and fraudulently obtained Social Security card; making a false statement to federal law enforcement officers; and engaging in a scheme to conceal his involvement in persecution during the Bosnian War. Mrndzic was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 17, 2023. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. 

According to the charging documents, Mrndzic served as a supervisor of the guards at a notorious prison camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the sectarian war which fractured the country in the 1990s. The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found that guards at the Celebici prison camp had committed numerous murders, rapes, and had engaged in torture and other forms of persecution of Serb prisoners held at the camp. Three of Mrndzic’s fellow guards were convicted by the ICTY after a trial in the Hague at which survivors testified to the harrowing prison camp conditions. According to the documents filed in this matter, numerous survivors have since identified Mrndzic as being involved in the beatings and other abuses committed there. 

According to the charging documents, after the war ended, investigators from the ICTY interviewed Mrndzic in Sarajevo and allegedly accused him of being involved in the abuses at Celebici. Mrndzic subsequently concocted a scheme to flee the country by crossing the border into Croatia and allegedly applying as a refugee to the United States using a fabricated story. It is alleged that in his refugee application and interview, he falsely claimed that he fled his home after he was captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, and could not return home for fear of future persecution. He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009.     

“This prosecution demonstrates that the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will spare no effort in detecting and prosecuting those who engage in wartime persecution and then cross our borders to conceal their history. Emigrating to the United States is a privilege and if you conceal your criminal conduct to deceive your way into this country, you will ultimately be detected,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy 

“Mrndzic is alleged to have lied about his past as a supervisor of camp guards at a Bosnian prison camp known to be the site of violence and persecution, concealing these facts to flee to the United States and begin a new life,” said Michael Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Our special agents spend years investigating cases of alleged human rights violators and war criminals, interviewing survivors and working alongside historians, in an effort to uncover the true history of perpetrators and hold them accountable for their actions.”  

Celebici Camp survivors and family members who have information about the operation of the Camp, or have questions regarding this matter, should call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 888-221-6023 or send an email to: usama.victimassistance@usdoj.gov. Please indicate if you would prefer to be contacted in English or Serbo-Croatian.

Bivši logoraši koji su bili u logoru u Čelebićima ili članovi njihovih porodica koji imaju informacije o logoru ili pitanje o ovom predmetu, mogu nazvati Jedinice za pomoć žrtаva kod kancelarije federalnog tužioca tel. 888-221-6023 ili putem e-mailom:  usama.victimassistance@usdoj.gov. Molim obavjestite nas ako želite da mi vas kontaktiramo na engleskom ili na srpskom-hrvatskom-bosanskom jeziku.

Бивши логораши који су били у логору Челебићима или чланови њихових породица који имају информације о логору или питање о овом предмету, могу назвати Јединице за помоћ жртава код канцеларије федералног тужиоца тел. 888-221-6023 или путем е-маилом: usama.victimassistance@usdoj.gov.  Молим обавјестите нас ако желите да ми вас контактирамо на енгелеском или на српском-хрватском босанском језику.

The charges of using a fraudulently obtained passport and fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The three remaining charges each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The ICTY judgment which provides a detailed recitation of crimes committed at Celebici can be found here.  

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI Acting SAC Krol; Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center. The Swampscott Police Department also provided important assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Jason A. Casey of Levy’s National Security 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 – An Easton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiring to distribute cocaine in Massachusetts and Maine as part of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy.

Christopher Riley, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 42 months and five years of supervised release. On March 22, 2023, Riley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute cocaine.

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and John E. Mawn, Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Levy’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

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

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

BOSTON – The general manager of a Massachusetts-based electrical company pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a false invoicing scheme that defrauded Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis) of over $4 million. 

John Rafferty, 69, of Hale’s Location, N.H., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Sept. 18, 2023. Rafferty was charged on April 4, 2023 and his alleged co-conspirator, John P. Pigsley, was charged in a separate case on the same day. 

Keolis has operated the MBTA commuter rail system since 2014 under an annual contract of $291–$349 million. Rafferty was the general manager of LJ Electric, Inc., an electrical supply vendor to which Keolis paid over $17 million between 2014 through 2021. 

Between July 2014 and November 2021, Rafferty and, allegedly, Pigsley defrauded Keolis of over $4 million through a false LJ Electric invoicing scheme. Specifically, Rafferty spent more than $3 million on items allegedly for Pigsley and others – including: at least nine trucks; construction equipment including at least seven Bobcat machines; at least $1 million in home building supplies and services; and a $54,000 camper.  Rafferty then recovered the cost of these items by submitting false and fraudulent LJ Electric invoices to Keolis, which also included a percentage profit that Rafferty kept for himself. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General’s Special Agent-in-Charge is Christopher A. Scharf made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Elysa Q. Wan of Levy’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the cases.

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 Lowell woman has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for attempting to sell at least nine firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, to individuals cooperating with law enforcement.
 
Leticia Alcantara, 25, was sentenced on June 9, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to one year and one day in prison, deemed served. On March 22, 2023, Alcantara pleaded guilty to one count of selling or transferring firearms to a prohibited person. 

In October 2021, investigators identified Alcantara as a firearms dealer in Massachusetts. On Feb. 15, 2022, Alcantara offered to sell a 9mm handgun to two individuals who, unbeknownst to her, were cooperating with law enforcement. On March 15, 2022, Alcantara met with the cooperating witnesses at a prearranged meeting location in a parking lot in Falmouth to conduct the transaction. There, Alcantara was observed entering the vehicle occupied by the cooperating witnesses and produced a black trash bag from her purse containing the firearm.  

On multiple occasions in July 2022, Alcantara communicated with one of the cooperating witnesses regarding additional firearms she was offering for sale, including sending photos of: a 9mm handgun on July 2, 2022; a small holster-grip revolver and one large black pistol on July 7, 2022; and two handguns on July 9, 2022. At the direction of law enforcement, the cooperating witness agreed to purchase the last two handguns Alcantara offered for sale. On July 12, 2022, Alcantara met with the cooperating witnesses during a controlled purchase in Plymouth. There, Alcantara was observed entering the vehicle and producing one .45 caliber pistol and one 9mm pistol from a dark colored bag.

On July 12, 2022, Alcantara sent additional photos of two firearms for sale which, at the direction of law enforcement, the cooperating witness agreed to purchase. On July 19, 2022, Alcantara arrived at the same prearranged meeting location in Plymouth where she entered the cooperating witnesses’ vehicle and provided two 9mm pistols. Following the transaction, Alcantara continued communicating with the cooperating witness about additional firearms for sale, including a handgun and an AR-15 rifle. Alcantara was arrested on July 29, 2022.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Plymouth and Falmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Levy’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Danvers man has been arrested and charged with money laundering in connection with allegedly running an unlicensed, “no questions asked” money transmitting business that converted more than $1 million in cash to the digital currency Bitcoin, including on behalf of scammers and drug dealers.   

Trung Nguyen, a/k/a “DCS420”, 46, was indicted on one count of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business, one count of concealment money laundering, and one count of money laundering. Nguyen was arrested on June 9, 2023 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was released on $250,000 unsecured bond with conditions. 

According to the indictment, between September 2017 and October 2020, Nguyen owned and operated National Vending, LLC. Through National Vending, Nguyen accepted cash from customers and, in exchange for a fee, sent them Bitcoin in return. Exchangers of virtual currency, including Bitcoin exchangers, were money transmitters under federal law and were subject to federal anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, which, among other things, required them to register as money service businesses with the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and to maintain effective AML programs, including by filing Suspicious Activity Reports with FinCEN, and by filing Currency Transaction Reports for Bitcoin-for-cash exchanges of more than $10,000.  

It is alleged that Nguyen purposely failed to register National Vending with FinCEN, despite being required to do so. In approximately 15 transactions in 2018, Nguyen allegedly accepted a total of $200,000 to $300,000 in cash from an individual who identified himself to Nguyen as a methamphetamine dealer. In another series of transactions between October 2018 and September 2019, Nguyen allegedly accepted cash from an undercover law enforcement agent who told Nguyen that his business was delivering the controlled substance Adderall to gamblers at a Massachusetts casino. In a third series of transactions in 2020, Nguyen allegedly accepted approximately $60,000 from a 59-year old romance scam victim who believed she was sending cash to a romantic partner overseas. It is alleged that Nguyen failed to file Suspicious Activity Reports or Currency Transaction Reports on any of these transactions, including cash transactions of more than $10,000.  

Nguyen allegedly concealed his money transmitting business by, among other ways, holding National Vending out to banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and state authorities as a vending machine business, using encrypted messaging apps to communicate with customers, using technologies that made it more difficult to trace Bitcoin transactions, and breaking cash deposits of more than $10,000 into smaller cash deposits of less than $10,000 over consecutive days or at different branches of the same bank. Nguyen also allegedly enrolled in a paid course on concealing his business that recommended, among other things, that Nguyen purport to operate “a business for which cash deposits from around the country make sense” and that he “develop [his] cover story”, “create a list or your suppliers  Fictitious of course”, and “Don’t say the word ‘Bitcoin’”.  

The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The charge of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Joleen Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, is prosecuting the case.  

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

BOSTON – A Revere man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with drug trafficking activities involving cocaine. 
    
Edgar Castro, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2022, Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

An individual in Puerto Rico attempted to ship a box containing approximately 29 kilograms of cocaine to an automotive repair garage in Lawrence. After a routine inspection of the box, employees of the shipping company found packages appearing to be narcotics wrapped in plastic and notified law enforcement. A search of the package revealed a total of 29 kilograms of cocaine. Following a controlled delivery of the package to the recipient address in Lawrence, Castro and his co-conspirator Julio Ortiz were observed unpacking the box and moving containers of cocaine into another vehicle. Ortiz and Castro were arrested on site.   

In November 2022, Ortiz was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. 

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 provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Massachusetts State Police and the Woburn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Lindsey E. Weinstein of Levy’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Harwich man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston on child pornography offenses.

Jonathan Fleischmann, 35, was indicted today on one count of possession of child pornography. Fleischmann was previously arrested and charged on May 16, 2023 and remains in federal custody.

According to the charging documents, Fleischmann’s co-workers reported to law enforcement that, between March 17 and March 18, 2023, Fleischmann’s cellphone was allegedly observed downloading suspected child pornography media files while his phone was left open and charging on a counter at their workplace. During a subsequent search of Fleischmann’s cellphone allegedly identified approximately 255 image files and 55 video files that contained suspected child pornography.   

Fleischmann is currently facing separate state charges in Barnstable Superior Court for allegedly invading a Yarmouth home and forcibly taking a 16-year-old female at gunpoint into her house as she arrived home from school in 2020. That investigation allegedly revealed that Fleishmann had accessed a dark web hidden service on his cellphone dedicated to the trafficking of child pornography. The case remains pending.

Fleishmann is a Level 3 sex offender due to prior convictions in Barnstable District Court of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14 in 2006 and Open and Gross Lewdness in 2017.

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

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Peabody man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking in fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.

Donald Ruby, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley to 27 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Ruby was also ordered to forfeit $28,110 which was previously seized during a search of his Peabody apartment. On Jan. 13, 2023 Ruby pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance involving 40 grams or more of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

Ruby was arrested in May 2022 after he had distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in a number of separate controlled purchases at his home. A subsequent search of Ruby’s residence in Peabody resulted in the seizure of 85 grams of fentanyl disguised as counterfeit oxycodone pills, 132 grams of methamphetamine disguised as counterfeit Adderall pills and 85.3 grams of powder cocaine. It was later revealed that Ruby had been trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine for a decade.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Peabody Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.  

BOSTON – A New Bedford man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Edwin Collazo, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl; and to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Sept. 5, 2023. Collazo was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022.

Between approximately March 2022 and June 2022, Collazo purchased fentanyl from the DTO that he then redistributed to others. Intercepted communications revealed Collazo discussing purchasing fentanyl from the DTO and surveillance footage showed other members of the DTO visiting Collazo’s residence for brief periods of times, which is consistent with illegal drug trafficking. Fentanyl was also seized during a search of Collazo’s residence in July 2022. 

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess 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, New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Levy’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Wakefield, Mass. man was arrested today for knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources that he intended to go to a foreign terrorist organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Mateo Ventura, 18, was charged today in a criminal complaint with one count of knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. Ventura will appear in federal court in Worcester at 12:30 p.m. today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy. 

According to the charging documents, Ventura provided multiple gift cards to an individual he believed was an ISIS supporter, with the intention that the gift cards be sold on the dark web for a little less than face value and resulting profits be used to support ISIS. Ventura allegedly stated that he wanted the proceeds to go to ISIS “for war on kuffar,” (disbelievers). In total, it is alleged that between January and May 2023, Ventura donated $705 intended to support ISIS.

The charge of knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Massachusetts State Police and Wakefield Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Laura J. Kaplan of Levy’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorneys Charles Kovats and Andrea Broach of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

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 Framingham man was indicted today for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

Edwin Alago, 42, was indicted on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Alago was previously arrested on related state charges and will appear in federal court at a later date.

According to the indictment, in May 2021, Alago possessed a SCCY .9mm CPX-2 semi-automatic pistol bearing a defaced serial number and seven rounds of .9mm ammunition. It is further alleged that, in November 2022, Alago possessed a Colt, automatic, .25mm pistol and six rounds of .25 caliber ammunition. 

Due to multiple previous felony convictions for drug distribution and possession and assault with a dangerous weapon, Alago is considered an armed career criminal and is prohibited from possessing firearms.

The charge of being a felon in possession provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Due to Alago’s status as an armed career criminal, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Framingham Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

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

BOSTON – The former branch manager for a Boston bank pleaded guilty today to stealing over $100,000 in funds from customer bank accounts.
 
Nathan Wadsworth, 32, of Syracuse, N.Y., pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. United States District Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 7, 2023. Wadsworth was charged by an Information on May 17, 2023.
 
From June 2020 through November 2021, Wadsworth was employed as a branch manager for PNC Bank in Boston. Beginning in or around March 2021, Wadsworth used his position to identify dormant accounts of foreign account holders, transfer the funds in those dormant accounts to a new account he opened in the customers’ names and then moved the funds to his own accounts for personal use. In total, Wadsworth stole approximately $121,000 in customer funds. All the funds have since been repaid to the affected customers. 

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $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 Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. PNC Bank cooperated with the government’s investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Colombian man has been extradited to the United States from the Republic of Colombia to face charges related to his alleged role in a sophisticated money laundering organization that laundered approximately $1 million in proceeds from drug trafficking through United States banks. 

Luis Fernando Galindo Ramos, 55, was arrested in Cali, Colombia on Nov. 9, 2021 and extradited to the United States today. Galindo was detained after appearing in federal court in Boston earlier today. On Aug. 19, 2021, Galindo was indicted by a federal grand jury on money laundering conspiracy, laundering of monetary instruments and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.

According to the charging documents, in or about August 2016, an investigation began into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Cali, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization allegedly laundered approximately $1 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). 

Galindo allegedly arranged the domestic transfer of substantial amounts of bulk cash within the United States. He maintained the security of those funds during the transfers through the exchange of passcodes. The funds were subsequently integrated into bank accounts located in the United States and held in the names of businesses and individuals in order to repay drug suppliers in Colombia. It is alleged that, by using the BMPE, Galindo conspired to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement. Approximately $550,000 in laundered bulk currency was seized during the investigation.

The charges of money laundering conspiracy and laundering of monetary instruments each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. The crime of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the amount involved. 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 Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Galindo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of Levy’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. 

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

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

BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly distributing methamphetamine.

Vincent Lambert, 40, has been indicted on three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lambert was arrested today and appeared in federal court in Boston. Lambert was detained pending further proceedings. 

According to the charging document, Lambert distributed methamphetamine in Boston on Feb. 15, 2023 and April 4, 2023, as well as in Cambridge on March 2, 2023. It is alleged that the February transaction involved five grams or more of methamphetamine, and that the March and April transactions involved 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to the charging document, Lambert was previously convicted of narcotics offenses in Massachusetts state court.

The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine 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 charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $8 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Levy’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – Two individuals have been charged in a superseding indictment in connection with a nationwide conspiracy to traffic controlled substances from Arizona into Massachusetts. More than 16 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 700 grams of fentanyl pills were seized during the investigation. 

Denise Guyette, 30, of Woonsocket, R.I. and Gerardo Garza, a/k/a “Oso,” 47, of Yuma, Ariz., were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The superseding indictment alleges that 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine were attributable to Guyette.  

Guyette and Garza were originally charged along with co-defendant Nathan Boddie with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Feb. 7, 2023. Boddie pleaded guilty on May 19, 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 10, 2023 before United States District Judge Indira Talwani.    

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

At the time of Guyette’s arrest on Feb. 8, 2023, approximately 14 pounds of pure methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills weighing over 300 grams were located in a safe in her bedroom. A digital scale as well as multiple Rhode Island and Massachusetts driver’s licenses, Social Security cards and credit cards in the names of other individuals were also found during a search of Guyette’s residence. 

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

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

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

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

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

BOSTON – The leader of a Brockton-based drug-trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced on June 1, 2023 for gun and drug offenses committed while on pretrial release for two pending state gun charges.

Kevin Cardoso, 26, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 188 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On Feb. 1, 2023, Cardoso pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine; and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine. 

Cardoso oversaw a DTO that distributed wholesale quantities of controlled substances, including cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine in and around the Brockton area. Multiple locations where DTO members stored, prepared, or distributed narcotics were located during the investigation. Some of those locations were identified based on the electronic location monitoring data from the ankle bracelet Cardoso was wearing at the time while on pretrial release for two pending state gun charges. Specifically, the locations were determined according to the corresponding date and time of drug-trafficking communications Cardoso sent via his Snapchat. Additionally, a food delivery account that Cardoso and his associates utilized similarly revealed a commonality of locations – later determined to be stash locations – where Cardoso was directing food orders.   

During an October 2021 search of a stash location Cardoso operated and managed in Dedham, at least 2,000 grams of cocaine, at least 3,000 grams of fentanyl, at least 5,000 grams of methamphetamine, drug packaging materials, blender parts, multiple respirators, press equipment (including a hydraulic press, press plates and various symbols, logos and emblems for drug-labeling purposes) and approximately $72,000 cash were recovered. 

Additionally in October 2021, during a search of Cardoso’s apartment, a firearm and ammunition, at least 20 cellphones, over $26,000, an Audemars Piguet watch and a diamond pendant with the number “39” were recovered. A number of the seized phones contained drug-trafficking communications between Cardoso and others regarding the supply and/or distribution needs of the DTO’s members and its customer base.  Digital evidence also showed Cardoso instructing others to obtain legal documents from a lawyer’s office for purposes of smuggling drugs into the jail via attorney mail. At the time of Cardoso’s arrest, over $6,000 was recovered from his person and vehicle, as well as three additional cellphones. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John. E. Mawn Jr., Interim Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher D. Delmonte; East Bridgewater Police Acting Chief Michael Jenkins; Westport Police Chief Keith A. Pelletier; Dedham Police Chief Michael D’Entremont; Plymouth Police Chief Michael E. Botieri; Newton Police Chief John F Carmichael Jr.; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux; and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of Levy’s 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 Peabody man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with selling approximately 40,000 fentanyl pills.

Manuel E. Tejeda, 42, pleaded guilty on June 2, 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 7, 2023. In January 2020, Tejeda was arrested and charged with co-defendant Jose Esmerlin Diaz. 

In January 2020, Diaz delivered an estimated 13,800 fentanyl pills (weighing approximately 1.6 kilograms) disguised as Percocet 30s to a cooperating source on Jan. 17, 2020, at a price of $6 per pill. Shortly thereafter, Tejeda and another man arrived in the vicinity of the drug transaction to deliver additional pills, and were found in possession of an estimated 27,000 fentanyl pills (weighing approximately 3.1 kilograms). A subsequent search of a storage unit used by Tejeda in Salem resulted in the discovery of approximately two kilograms of suspected fentanyl and/or heroin, $150,000 in cash and an industrial/commercial grade pill press that could be used to press powder-form opiates into pills. Keys located on Tejeda at the time of his arrest opened locks to the storage unit.

On May 23, 2023, Diaz was sentenced to 52 months in prison and two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. 

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Peabody Police Chief Thomas M. Griffin; and Andover Police Chief Patrick Keefe made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno, Craig Estes and Kunal Pasricha of Levy’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

UPDATE: Charges against the defendant were dismissed in August 2023.

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BOSTON – A Millbury man has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing large amounts of ammunition, including armor-piercing ammunition, in violation of a 2021 restraining order.

Nial Luu, 31, was charged on June 2, 2023 with unlawful possession of ammunition by a person subject to a court order restraining him from harassing stalking, or threatening an intimate partner. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy, Luu was detained pending a hearing set for June 7, 2023. 

According to court records, Luu is subject to an active California State Court order restraining him from assaulting, threatening, abusing, harassing, following, interfering, or stalking a former intimate partner. As a result, Luu is prohibited from possession or receiving firearms or ammunition. During a search of Luu’s residence, approximately 200 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, capable of being fired from and AR 15-style rifle, which were marked as “green tipped” or armor-piercing, as well as approximately 300 rounds of 9 mm ammunition were seized. According to the charging documents, various component parts necessary to assemble multiple AR-15 style rifles and Glock-style handguns, and four 30-round magazines compatible with an AR 15 style rifle were also seized from Luu’s residence.

The charge of unlawfully possession ammunition while subject to a court order restraining him from harassing stalking, or threatening an intimate partner provides for a sentence of up to 15 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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Millbury Police Chief Brian Lewos made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Worcester Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of Levy’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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 defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced on May 31, 2023 in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Milton Jose Arias, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 21 months incarceration. Arias will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On Jan. 10, 2023, Arias pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry.

Arias is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who illegally entered the United States at an unknown time and location without inspection. In July 2019, Arias was convicted in federal court in Boston of fentanyl distribution and fentanyl distribution conspiracy and, in March 2020, was removed from the United States.

In January 2022, Arias was found to have unlawfully reentered the United States without the appropriate permission sometime after his removal.
  
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.