District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – Two Massachusetts individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers that took place on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass., and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass.

Myesha Lewis, 22, of Boston, and Kenneth Demosthene, 22, of Stoughton, were charged with two counts each of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting; two counts each of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. Following an initial appearance today in federal court in Boston, the defendants were released on special conditions.

According to the charging documents, USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 13 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS arrow keys from letter carriers in at least 10 instances. Additionally, of these 10, six of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both.

On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, it is alleged that Demosthene and Lewis followed and then forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene allegedly approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. It is alleged that the force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Demosthene and Lewis allegedly fled the scene in a rental vehicle. 

It is further alleged that, on Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Demosthene and Lewis followed and then robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene allegedly approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” It is alleged that the letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Demosthene and Lewis then allegedly attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose, and fled the scene on foot.  

The charges of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States each provide for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Darnell Edwards, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Springfield woman was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for reselling stolen goods on eBay and money laundering. 

Mimi Mai, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Mai was also ordered to pay $3,472 in restitution and to forfeit $1.5 million to the United States. On Dec. 20, 2022, Mai pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods, four counts of money laundering, and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. 

Mai owned and operated a pawn shop in Holyoke, Mass., called EZ Exchange. Mai purchased stolen goods from people she knew had stolen the items and resold them on eBay at a price well above what she had paid the sellers. The stolen goods included a variety of household goods, including power tools, electronic devices, sunglasses, and beauty and personal care products. Between 2018 and 2021, Mai earned more than $2.1 million from the sale of items she had listed for sale as “new” on eBay. Mai then used her eBay earnings to buy property in Florida. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Springfield Police Department, New England State Police Information Network and investigators from Home Depot, CVS, Target and Stop & Shop. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.

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

Jason Cruz, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2023. Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022 and has remained in custody since.   

Between approximately April 2022 and approximately June 2022, Cruz purchased fentanyl from the DTO that he then redistributed to others. Intercepted communications depicted Cruz discussing purchasing fentanyl from the DTO. In addition, surveillance footage showed other members of the DTO visiting the Cruz’s residence for brief periods of times, which is consistent with illegal drug trafficking.  

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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; 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 Rollins’ 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 Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a scheme to steal thousands of customers’ debit and credit card account numbers and other personally identifying information via a network of electronic equipment clandestinely installed at gas stations across New England.
 
Luis Angel Naranjo Rodriguez, 32, of Hialeah, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Naranjo Rodriguez was also ordered to pay $21,267 in restitution to victims of the scheme. On Jan. 18, 2023, Naranjo Rodriguez pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of possessing 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices (the debit and credit card account numbers) and one count of possessing device-making equipment (the card skimming devices).  
 
Naranjo Rodriguez secretly and unlawfully installed card skimming devices in gas pumps in Massachusetts gas stations and in other New England states. The devices were programmed to send Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone a text message with stolen account information after customers had used their debit or credit cards to purchase gas at the compromised fuel pumps. Card skimming devices linked to Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone were traced to at least 11 different gas stations located in Lynnfield, Concord, Malden, Taunton, Randolph and Raynham; Portland, Maine; Nashua, N.H.; and Willington, Conn.
 
Between April 2019 until November 2019, Naranjo Rodriguez traveled frequently from Florida to Massachusetts to maintain this network of card skimmers. During the course of the scheme, Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone received at least 4,878 text messages containing stolen debit and credit card account numbers. Many of these text messages also included the account holders’ names and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs).   
 
Naranjo Rodriguez cloned the account information belonging to the unwitting victims onto gift cards and other prepaid cards in order to steal money from them, typically by using the cloned cards to make ATM withdrawals, to purchase expensive consumer goods that could be resold in secondary markets, and to request cash back on debit card transactions. On Nov. 16, 2019, security cameras at a Framingham gas station and CVS captured Naranjo Rodriguez using four cloned cards to withdraw money from victims’ bank accounts at ATMs. Naranjo Rodriguez was arrested the same night at the Concord Rotary Gulf gas station, where he was tampering with a fuel pump after the gas station had closed. In Naranjo Rodriguez’s car, the four cloned cards from the ATM withdrawals earlier that night were found, along with fuel pump keys, black latex gloves, four card skimming devices, and the mobile phone that was receiving the text messages with the stolen credit and debit card account numbers.
 
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Concord, Lunenburg and Raynham Police Departments in Massachusetts, Nashua (N.H.) Police Department and the Portland (Maine) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – An Everett man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for committing the February 2021 armed bank of a TD Bank branch in Allston.

Jamaine Howell, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Jan. 5, 2023, Howell pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence. 

On Feb. 7, 2021, Howell entered a branch of TD Bank on Commonwealth Avenue in Allston and handed a demand note and a plastic bag to the teller. Howell threatened the teller and stated that he had a gun. Howell then threatened two bank customers and displayed a firearm. After taking the plastic bag –containing approximately $5,900 – from the teller, Howell instructed one of the customers to leave the bank with him. After walking about a block with Howell, the customer managed to flee while Howell was distracted. At the time, Howell was on probation for previous armed robbery convictions. 

Later that week, police received a report that Howell brandished a firearm at a guest at a hotel in Sharon. On Feb. 16, 2021, Howell was arrested and found armed with a loaded .45 caliber Ruger handgun. A loaded semi-automatic shotgun was also found in a vehicle that had previously been rented to Howell.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Boston, Sharon and Lynn Police Departments provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Providence man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl across Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Yeury Francisco Garcia-Rodriguez, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Aug. 8, 2023. Garcia-Rodriguez was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022.  

According to court documents, Garcia-Rodriguez was a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island before he was arrested. Specifically, on four occasions between March 2021 and May 2021, Garcia-Rodriguez delivered fentanyl to a federal co-operating source – with quantities ranging between approximately 49 grams to 127 grams of fentanyl. During a search of Garcia-Rodriguez’s residence on July 19, 2022, approximately 35 grams of fentanyl was recovered.  

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 life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; 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 Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A New York woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking five kilograms of fentanyl from New York City.

Shanese DeJesus, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2022, DeJesus pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more fentanyl. 

In October 2021, DeJesus drove from the New York City area to a hotel parking lot in Andover to deliver approximately five kilograms of fentanyl to a cooperating source. Upon arriving in the parking lot, DeJesus retrieved a shopping bag from her trunk and entered the source’s vehicle. Inside the shopping bag were two UPS boxes that were addressed to DeJesus’ home in Brooklyn, N.Y. and contained a total of five kilograms of fentanyl.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; 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; and Colonel Nathan Noyes, Director of the New Hampshire State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A New Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for evading more than $431,000 in federal income taxes over the course of seven years. 

Victor M. Cruz, 43, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (10 months in prison) followed by one year of supervised release. Cruz was also ordered to pay $431,835 in restitution to IRS. On Feb. 12, 2023, Cruz pleaded guilty to three counts of tax evasion. 

From 2015 through 2017, while earning between $183,000 and $212,000 in annual wages as a crewmember for various fishing vessels, Cruz failed to file federal tax returns on his income for any of the years. In addition, Cruz had previously failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2010 through 2014 while receiving an annual income of at least $150,000. Despite receiving at least two notices from the Internal Revenue Service directing him to file returns and pay delinquent taxes, Cruz failed to file any federal tax returns and took other measures to prevent authorities from tracing his income or determining his tax liabilities. In total, Cruz evaded paying more than $431,000 in federal taxes, not including delinquency penalties and interest.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. 

UPDATE: On June 2, 2025, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Dana Pullman's three wire fraud convictions and affirmed the other convictions. The case was remanded for resentencing.

UPDATE: On June 2, 2025, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Anne Lynch's convictions for three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of tax fraud and affirmed the other convictions. The case was remanded for resentencing.

BOSTON – The former President of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) and the union’s former Massachusetts lobbyist were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and tax crimes.

Dana A. Pullman, 60, of Worcester, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release and restitution. Anne M. Lynch, 71, of Hull, was sentenced by Judge Woodlock to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and restitution. Lynch was also ordered to pay a fine of $25,000.

In November 2022, Pullman and Lynch were convicted by a federal jury of one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of honest services wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Pullman was also convicted of two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. Lynch was convicted of an additional count of obstruction of justice and four counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. 

“Members of law enforcement have a duty to protect and serve – placing the needs of the community and others first. Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch’s actions violate these very obligations. The racketeering organization that these two individuals ran deprived hard working union members of honest services and defrauded vendors seeking to do business with the Massachusetts State Police. For six years, Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch used the State Police Association of Massachusetts as a criminal enterprise for their own personal financial benefit,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Pullman was elected to represent the members of his union and put their interests above everything else. He violated that trust when he and Ms. Lynch chose to pursue their own greedy and unlawful financial gain. Today’s sentences illustrate the criminality of both Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch’s conduct. My office will continue to ensure that those who put their own self interest above those they are bound to serve are held accountable. Trusting our law enforcement partners is imperative for public health and safety.”

“Former Massachusetts State Police Trooper and union boss Dana Pullman failed his department, his sworn oath, and taxpayers when he and lobbyist Anne Lynch joined forces to line their pockets with thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. Today’s sentences demonstrate that no one is above the law, and highlights the FBI’s ongoing efforts to preserve public confidence in law enforcement,” said Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.

“Dana Pullman and Anne Lynch conspired to enrich themselves on the backs of the brave law enforcement professionals who placed their trust in them. For nearly a decade, through a series of bribes and kickbacks, these defendants took advantage of their access and completely disregarded their responsibility to serve honestly and fairly. Today’s sentences affirm that this conduct will not be tolerated or go unpunished,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office.

SPAM is an association consisting of more than 1,500 Troopers and Sergeants from the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). SPAM acts as the exclusive bargaining agent between its members and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the terms and conditions of SPAM members’ employment. Pullman, who was an MSP trooper from 1987 to 2018, was the President of SPAM from 2012 until his resignation on Sept. 28, 2018. Lynch’s lobbying firm represented SPAM during the same time period, in exchange for monthly retainer payments. 

From at least 2012 until Pullman resigned as the President in September 2018, Pullman and Lynch turned SPAM into a racketeering enterprise, using Pullman’s position and power to defraud SPAM members, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and vendors looking to do business with the MSP. Among other things, Pullman and Lynch defrauded SPAM members and the Commonwealth of their right to honest services from Pullman when Lynch paid Pullman a $20,000 kickback in connection with a settlement agreement between SPAM and the Commonwealth. Pullman and Lynch defrauded two different companies that sought to do business with the MSP by hiding from the vendors the fact that Lynch was paying Pullman to direct vendors to use Lynch’s services. The defendants hid the payments from Lynch and her lobbying firm to Pullman in a manner designed to avoid reporting and paying taxes on that income to the IRS. Pullman and Lynch also attempted to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation of this matter by manipulating subpoenaed records, and Lynch attempted to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation by lying to investigators.  

Additionally, Pullman embezzled and misused SPAM funds for personal use by using a debit card tied to a SPAM bank account to pay for thousands of dollars of meals and travel for an individual with whom Pullman was having a romantic relationship.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and IRS SAC Simpson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Chelsea man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with selling five kilograms of fentanyl to an undercover agent after unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. 

Luis Alberto German-Peguero, a/k/a “Alberto Chirry,” 32, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien. Peguero was previously charged by complaint and arrested by federal authorities on April 14, 2023. He has been in federal custody since his arrest and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
    
According to the charging documents, German-Peguero is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and, in November 2020, was removed from the United States following a state drug trafficking conviction out of Plymouth Superior Court, for which he served more than one year in prison.

It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, German-Peguero unlawfully reentered the United States. On March 22, 2023, German-Peguero allegedly sold five kilograms of fentanyl to an undercover agent in Peabody. German-Peguero was subsequently arrested in Newton on April 14, 2023 and determined to be unlawfully present in the United States. 
    
The charges of conspiracy and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl after committing a prior serious drug felony provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’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.

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

BOSTON – A Brockton man has been arrested in connection for allegedly lying that his United States passport had been lost in order to secure a replacement to enter the country, when actually it had been confiscated by prosecuting courts in Cabo Verde following his arrest for murder. 

Johnny Barros Brandao, 40, was charged with one count of passport fraud. Following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson, Brandao was detained pending a hearing set for May 12, 2023. 

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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins 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 Rollins’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 – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to drug distribution offense involving fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue known as para-fluorofentanyl.

Melvin Cordero, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Aug. 30, 2023. 

On March 15, 2022, Cordero delivered 7,000 pills containing fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl to an individual who was cooperating with federal law enforcement. The buy was part of a broader federal investigation into a drug-trafficking organization based in the Dominican Republic. Cordero delivered the pills to the cooperator in Boston’s South End. Cordero was arrested and charged in November 2022. Following Cordero’s arrest, law enforcement seized from him a machine used for manufacturing counterfeit pills that he had attempted to sell to an undercover officer. 
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA New York Field Office, the Boston Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Leominster man and woman have been arrested and charged for allegedly conspiring to distribute large quantities of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. 

Chanhda Onesyvieng, 48, and Bonnie Bounkong Namsaly, 45, were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances. Following initial appearances in federal court in Worcester on May 1, 2023, Onesyvieng was ordered detained pending trial and Namsaly was released on conditions.  

According to the charging documents, in early April 2023, federal law enforcement received information that Onesyvieng was distributing significant quantities of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine in Rhode Island using a phone subscribed under Namsaly’s name. On April 28, 2023, during a traffic stop of Onesyvieng and Namsaly in Worcester, it is alleged that approximately two kilograms of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine and approximately 135 grams of cocaine were seized. It is further alleged that, during a subsequent search of the defendants’ residence in Leominster, approximately one kilogram of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, approximately one kilogram of cocaine, and approximately $60,000 in cash were seized.    

The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and John. E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ 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 – A Wellesley man was sentenced in federal court in Boston for trafficking fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. 

Charialdi Tejeda-Lara, 25, was sentenced on May 4, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 54 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In November 2022, Tejeda-Lara pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, 400 or more grams of fentanyl and 100 or more grams of heroin. 

In May 2022, law enforcement opened an investigation into Tejeda-Lara’s distribution of fentanyl. During a search of his residence, approximately 5 kilograms of fentanyl, 327 grams of heroin and 46 grams of cocaine was seized.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; John E. Mawn, Colonel Massachusetts State Police; and Wellesley Police Chief Jack Pilecki made the announcement.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – Three Essex County men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a drug conspiracy involving distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analog and cocaine. 

Daniel Lopez-Gonzalez, 27, of Methuen; Erickson Castro Perez, 30, of Lawrence; and Gustavo Adolfo Reyes Gonzalez, 21, of Haverhill, have been indicted on one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Castro Perez was also indicted on three additional counts: one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute para-fluorofentanyl; one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

Reyes Gonzalez was arrested on May 4, 2023 and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester that day. Lopez-Gonzalez was arrested on state charges on Jan. 23, 2023 and remains in state custody. Castro Perez is in state custody on an unrelated matter. Lopez-Gonzalez and Castro Perez will appear in federal court in Worcester at a later date.

According to the charging document, between June 2022 and January 2023, Lopez-Gonzalez, Castro Perez and Reyes Gonzalez conspired to distribute controlled substances. Lopez-Gonzalez is allegedly responsible for distributing 400 grams of more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of substances that are chemically analogous to fentanyl known as acetyl fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl. It is further alleged that, on June 30, 2022, Castro Perez distributed para-fluorofentanyl in Haverhill; that on July 20, 2022, Castro Perez distributed fentanyl and cocaine in Haverhill; and that on Aug. 25, 2022, Castro Perez distributed fentanyl in Haverhill.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of and possession with intent to distribute para-fluorofentanyl, distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provide 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 distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl, and 100 Grams or more of para-fluorofentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins 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 Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Stoughton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges in connection with using the identifying information of another person to apply for a driver’s license and United States passport. 

Wilfrido Baez Villar, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of making a false statement in an application for a passport. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Sept. 12, 2023.

In January 2019, Baez Villar falsely represented another individual’s Social Security number as his own on a renewal application for a Massachusetts driver’s license. Additionally, in December 2019, Baez Villar used the victim’s name, date of birth and Social Security number on an application for a U.S. passport.

The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of making a false statement in an application for a passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Philip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Regional Office, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Rollins’ Criminal Division 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 Nigerian man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for his role in online fraud schemes.

Happy Chukwuma, 30, was sentenced on May 5, 2023 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to eight months in prison (time served). On April 10, 2023, Chukwuma pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. Chukwuma was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2019. He was arrested and detained in the United Kingdom in September 2022 and extradited to the United States in March 2023.  

Between November 2015 and January 2019, Chukwuma and his co-conspirators participated in a variety of online fraud schemes, including “phishing” and romance scams. They exchanged victims’ personally identifiable information, including identification and financial documents, and engaged in financial transactions with that information. Several of the victims whose information was compromised were from Massachusetts.  

Phishing schemes mimic the appearance of legitimate websites to gather victims’ online credentials, including usernames, passwords, financial account information, social security numbers and other types of personal identifiable information. In romance scams, perpetrators generally create fictitious online personas to develop online romantic relationships with individuals in the United States, and then leverage those relationships to obtain money and property.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police National Extradition Unit provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Chukwuma.

BOSTON – A former nurse was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for diverting opioids from two Boston-area hospitals.

Lisa Tarr, 33, of St. Petersburg, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to five years of probation, with the first year spent in home detention. In October 2022, Tarr pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception and subterfuge. 

In August 2018, Tarr was a Student Nurse working at a Boston-area hospital. Tarr admitted to investigators at the hospital that she had stolen and self-injected fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, from the hospital. 

In 2020, while working for another Boston-area hospital, Tarr stole an infusion bag containing fentanyl that was being used to treat a patient. On another occasion in 2020, while still working at the second hospital, Tarr stole multiple syringes of hydromorphone, a Schedule II controlled substance, from a locked drug cabinet.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Robert H. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Begg Lawrence, Chief of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Each year, we set aside time to honor crime victims and recognize the work of those who serve and advocate for survivors. The 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme—“Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.”—called upon communities to amplify the voices of survivors and commit to creating an environment where survivors have the confidence that they will be heard, believed and supported.
 
At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we are committed to highlighting that theme in our work not just one week a year, but every day. We take a trauma-informed approach to our prosecution and enforcement work that centers the experience of survivors. We seek to elevate and engage survivors to lift their voices, inform policy and practice and effect change. We also stand firmly with families who have lost their loved ones to violent crime by seeking justice, amplifying their voices and ensuring that their loved ones will never be forgotten.

It is equally as important that we honor the resilience, courage and love of survivors and their families, who have suffered devastating loss. Some of these moments are well known. For example, as we recognized the 10th anniversary of the tragic events at and following the April 2013 Boston Marathon, we bore witness to the capacity of survivors to conquer the unimaginable. We publicly honored law enforcement, first responders and the medical community, while privately uplifting and acknowledging the bravery and strength of the hundreds of victims. Of course, there are countless other victims whose names are never forgotten, such as Philip McCloskey, Jonathan Rizzo and Robert Whitney; and the 19 known murder victims of James “Whitey” Bulger, just to name a few.

However, many acts of inspiration and strength are not as publicized or documented. I am moved, for example, by families like those of Jeremiah Hurley and Francis Foley, two Boston Police Officers who were killed and maimed, respectively, by a bomb when they responded to a call to investigate a suspicious device in 1991. These families not only endured the initial and continuing devastation and trauma caused by those responsible for the bombing, but also bravely weathered the challenges of the legal system as the case progressed through investigation, trial and the post-conviction process. Members of both families continue to serve as first responders – a testament to the enduring legacy of Officers Hurley and Foley.

Often, as time passes, attention shifts away from survivors. For us at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the victims and their families will always remain the center of our focus and the motivation for our work. As we recognize all crime victims, we recommit ourselves to ensuring that our approach and services to victims and survivors are meaningful, responsive and centered on their individual needs.

For assistance locating community based services for victims of crime, please see the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime resource directory and the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance resource directory at https://ovc.ojp.gov/directory-crime-victim-services/search and https://www.mass.gov/orgs/askmova.

BOSTON – A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a scheme to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles and apply for and utilize credit cards. 

Ricardo Acevedo, 34, of Manchester, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 13, 2023, Acevedo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. 

Acevedo and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. The defendant was also charged in the State of New Jersey.

According to court documents, between October 2017 and January 2019, Acevedo visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, Acevedo provided stolen biographical information of real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards in those identities, as proof of identification. Acevedo used the stolen identities to illegally open bank accounts and credit cards and to purchase vehicles, many of which were exported out of the United States. Acevedo used stolen identities to obtain car loans and purchase at least 19 vehicles, resulting in losses between $550,000 and $1.5 million.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A New Bedford man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to receiving and possessing over 1,500 files of child pornography.  

Robert David Austin, 42, pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 16, 2023. Austin was arrested and charged in December 2021. 

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

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

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

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

BOSTON – Two men were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for a multi-year fraud scheme that caused more than $6 million in losses to investors. 
 
Thomas D. Renison, 69, of South Glastonbury, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. Renison was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $526,120 and restitution of $6,240,983. In October 2020, Renison pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of filing false tax returns.  

Timothy J. Allcott, 65, of Peabody, Mass., was sentenced by Judge O’Toole to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Allcott was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $5,052,661 and restitution in the amount of $6,098,173. In July 2020, Allcott pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In January 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Allcott and Renison with fraudulently misleading investors in connection with the same conduct. 

Renison was the former owner of ARO Equity LLC, a privately-held investment company that purportedly pooled money from investors and then invested it in various New England-based businesses. Between 2015 and 2018, Renison and Allcott fraudulently raised and solicited funds for ARO Equity LLC by misrepresenting to victims how their money would be invested, ARO’s investment track record and the safety of the investments. Allcott and Renison also concealed Renison’s ownership interest and affiliation with ARO because the SEC and regulators in Maine had previously barred Renison from working in the securities industry.  

Over the course of the scheme, ARO took in over $6 million from investors but only invested half of that amount. Of the investments that ARO actually made, the substantial majority yielded significant losses. Despite these losses, Allcott and Renison failed to inform the victims of the poor performance of prior investments. Instead, they told the victims on many occasions that the investments were doing well and remained safe. ARO paid required monthly payments to earlier investors using funds raised from later investors.   

The defendants generally told victims that ARO would use their investments to fund one of three different businesses. Instead, Renison and Allcott paid themselves exorbitant commission fees, satisfied monthly interest obligations to other investors and invested in different undisclosed businesses.  As part of the scheme, Allcott and Renison disguised commissions paid to Renison as loans to Renison’s wife, which allowed them to continue to conceal Renison’s ownership stake in the company. In addition, Renison failed to declare more than half a million dollars of commission income and failed to pay over $150,000 in taxes.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Office; 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 Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The former information technology manager of a Quebec City, Canada-based telecommunications company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a fraud scheme that involved the theft of over $1.4 million in computer equipment from his employer. 

Tod Erickson, 60, of Londonderry, N.H., has been charged, and has agreed to plead guilty, to wire fraud and filing a false tax return. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. 

According to the charging documents, Erickson served as the information technology manager at a telecommunications company that, until February 2019, had an office located in Chelmsford, Mass. As information technology manager, Erikson was responsible for submitting requests to purchase equipment – such as computers and hard drives. It is alleged that from at least January 2012 through February 2019, Erickson fraudulently submitted purchase requests for computer equipment that the company did not need. Thereafter, without the knowledge or approval of his employer, Erickson allegedly sold the items to third parties and used the illicit proceeds for his personal benefit. Erickson also filed income tax returns for the tax year 2016 in which he intentionally underreported his income by failing to disclose money he received from the sale of his employer’s property.  

The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, restitution, and forfeiture. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field 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 Mackenzie A. Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A former member of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) who was, at the time, an academic dean in the Boston Public Schools was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on racketeering charges. The defendant attempted to murder a student that he had recruited into the gang and who was selling marijuana in the high school at the defendant’s direction.  

Shaun Harrison, a/k/a “Rev,” 63, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 218 months in prison, with credit for 98 months’ time served, and three years of supervised release. In August 2022, Harrison pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. 

“The level of betrayal and dishonesty exhibited here is astonishing. Harrison was in a position of trust, but was actually a dangerous predator. As the academic dean at a Boston Public high school he lured and manipulated teenagers into a criminal enterprise that specialized in street terrorism.  Harrison was the architect of ruin for an entire generation of promising young lives – exclusively targeting and grooming vulnerable, at-risk youth. The very thing he was hired to work against. When one of his students – the victim in this matter – resisted his recruiting efforts, Harrison attempted to murder him in cold blood. In response to that student bravely doing the right thing and rejecting a life of crime, Harrison shot him point blank in the back of the head. Miraculously, he lived but now has partial face paralysis, neuropathy in his neck and face and permanent hearing loss among other significant injuries. The fact that Harrison continued to associate with Latin Kings members while in state prison for this attempted murder shows a callous disregard for the law and the harm he caused,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Today’s sentence is a testament to the tireless efforts of our state, local and federal law enforcement partners. The dismantling of the Latin Kings organization is a significant milestone in our collective efforts to combat violent crime. We will continue to work to ensure that our schools and communities are safe.”

“Shaun Harrison led a double life – using his position as a high school dean to engage in violence and recruit at-risk youth into a violent criminal enterprise.  Today’s sentence ensures he will stay in prison and off our city streets for a significant period of time,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The convergence of gangs, guns, and drugs are a serious threat to our communities which the FBI and our law enforcement partners are working hard every day to address.”

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against dozens of leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. 

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

In 2015, Harrison was hired by the Boston Public Schools to serve as an academic dean at English High School. In that role, Harrison was to act as a mediator between teachers and students, contact families when students struggled, work with at-risk students and run an anger management program for 10 boys after school. While working at the Boston Public Schools, Harrison was a member of the Latin Kings, known as “Rev” or “King Rev,” and used his position as academic dean to recruit a number of the at-risk students into the gang. Harrison directed the recruited students to distribute marijuana and other drugs, which he provided, in the high school and collected the drug proceeds. A number of the students that Harrison recruited included Wilson Peguero, a/k/a “King Dubb,” who later became the “Inca” or the leader of the D5K Chapter of the Latin Kings; Alexis Peguero, a/k/a “King Lexi,” who became the “Cacique” or the second-in-command of the D5K Chapter of the Latin Kings; Dante Lara, a/k/a “King Nasty;” Oscar Pena, a/k/a “King O-Block;” and others. Wilson Peguero, Alexis Peguero, Lara and Pena were each charged in this case and sentenced to serve 30 months, 21 months, two years and 32 months in prison, respectively. 

In March 2015, Harrison came to believe that one of the students distributing drugs for him had stolen money from him, no longer wished to sell drugs and may tell the police about Harrison’s crimes. On March 3, 2015, Harrison met up with this student,  pulled out a handgun and shot the student in the back of the head at point blank range. This shooting was captured on video by a surveillance camera in the area. The student survived.  

Harrison was arrested soon thereafter and charged in Suffolk Superior Court with crimes related to the attempted murder. In 2018, Harrison was convicted by a jury and sentenced to approximately 25 years in state prison. 

While in state prison following his conviction, Harrison continued to associate with Latin Kings members, including through jail calls to other co-defendants. The Latin Kings supported Harrison during his state incarceration, discussed Harrison’s loyalty to the Latin Kings and refusal to implicate others and put money into his jail accounts.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. In total, 60 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty. Of the 62 charged defendants in the indictment, two remain fugitives. All of the remaining 60 defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing. Harrison is the 59th defendant to be sentenced. 

U.S. Attorney Rollins; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced today that it has secured a settlement resolving allegations that Salazar Dos Santos, a Chicopee, Massachusetts landlord, violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants for at least 11 years. The settlement also resolves claims against the Trusts of Salazar Dos Santos and America Dos Santos, which held the properties where the harassment occurred. 

The United States’ lawsuit alleged that, from 2008 through 2019, Dos Santos subjected multiple female tenants to unwelcome sexual contact, which included coercing them to engage in sex acts, physically sexually assaulting them, exposing himself and locking them in his office to sexually assault them. The lawsuit asserted that Dos Santos implicitly offered to provide relief from rental payment obligations in exchange for engaging in sexual acts with him, and threatened tenants who resisted or objected to his unwelcome sexual harassment. It is further alleged that some victims were sexually harassed dozens of times for months (one tenant on more than 40 occasions), and that Dos Santos evicted some tenants after they refused his advances.

Under the proposed consent decree agreed upon by all parties, subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the defendants are required to pay a total of $425,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the harassment and a $25,000 civil penalty. The consent decree also bars future discrimination and retaliation, requires that property management responsibilities be turned over to an independent manager, mandates the implementation of a sexual harassment policy, complaint procedure, and Fair Housing Act training and requires detailed reporting regarding property management activities and compliance with the terms of the consent decree. The consent decree permanently bars Dos Santos from participating in any property management responsibilities at any residential rental property.

“Sexual harassment and the conduct alleged here is repugnant and completely unacceptable. Stable and safe housing is fundamental for positive outcomes in life. Insidiously, sexual harassment and violations in the context of housing often target vulnerable tenants who fear eviction and homelessness.  Although not present in this case, there are also times that immigration status is the manipulation utilized to target and victimize vulnerable tenants,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Under the Fair Housing Act, the federal government has the authority to investigate and hold to account predatory landlords and property managers who engage in this despicable conduct. The District of Massachusetts is committed to actively and aggressively investigating these types of cases. Last, but certainly not least, I want to commend the brave women who came forward in this matter.”

“Coercing tenants to engage in sex acts and retaliating against those who resist are among the most egregious forms of sexual harassment that we see today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to combating sexual harassment in housing, and securing relief for those whose lives have been upended by such dehumanizing and unlawful conduct.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins and AAG Clarke made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings, Christopher Morgan and Hillary Harnett handled the matter.

The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2015 with the mission of enhancing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights. For information specific to the Fair Housing Act and the Department of Justice’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, please visit this website, which also includes information on how to report a violation.

BOSTON – The owner of tobacco wholesale businesses in Massachusetts was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for defrauding the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of substantial tobacco tax revenue.

Khalid Siddique, 67, of Attleboro, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to one year probation. Siddique was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $120,536 as well as restitution to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in an amount that will be determined as a later date. Earlier in the hearing, Siddique pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. 
 
Between 2006 and 2012, Siddique defrauded Massachusetts by failing to pay excise taxes on smokeless tobacco and cigars he purchased from co-conspirator Syed Bokhari, as well as other tobacco wholesalers, which he received at his Attleboro warehouse. In connection with the fraud scheme, Siddique filed false tobacco tax returns with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which vastly under-stated the amount of tax he owed.   

On Aug. 11, 2022, Bokhari was sentenced to one year of probation. The government recommended a sentence of 18 months in prison. In a related civil forfeiture action, Bokhari agreed to forfeit seized tobacco, currency, and other assets, which resulted in the recovery of $2,197,985 by the government. 

In addition, seven other co-conspirators of Bokhari were previously sentenced by the Court to one year probation. To date, Judge Mastroianni has ordered three of those co-conspirators to pay restitution. On April 11, 2023, the Court ordered Harbhajan Singh to pay $19,507 in restitution to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. On April 26, 2023, the Court ordered Sukhdev Singh to pay $1,378,876 in restitution to the State of Connecticut. On April 27, 2023, Judge Mastroianni ordered Satish Kumar to pay $1,736,623.92 to the State of Connecticut. The issue of restitution remains pending before the Court as to the remaining four co-conspirators of Bokhari’s fraud who have been sentenced. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Commissioner Geoffrey E. Snyder of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue; and Commissioner Mark D. Boughton of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. Morgan and Michael J. Mazur of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Beverly man was arrested today on child pornography offenses.

Robert Miller, 59, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson, Miller was detained pending a hearing set for May 10, 2023. 

This case arose from an investigation of a secure online chat platform often used for, among other things, accessing and exchanging child pornography. According to the charging documents, Miller was identified as a member of a large-scale group chat trading child pornography on the platform. During a search of Miller’s residence today, approximately 15 electronic devices were seized and allegedly found to contain multiple videos depicting child pornography.

In September 2018, Miller was convicted of possession of child pornography in Essex County Superior Court, for which he received a three-year probationary sentence and was required to register as a sex offender in Massachusetts.   

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fentanyl conspiracy charges.

Sergio Garcia, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 46 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In March 2022, Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. 

In April 2020, Garcia received one kilogram of fentanyl through the U.S. Postal Service. Garcia directed his brother-in-law to procure the package and deliver the fentanyl to his home in Haverhill. During a subsequent search of Garcia’s home, the kilogram of fentanyl was found in Garcia’s basement.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division made the announcement. The Haverhill Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today charging an Everett man with sex trafficking four female victims.  

Trevor Jones, 45, was indicted on four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Jones was arrested on related state charges on March 23, 2023 and has remained in state custody since. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. 

“The allegations against Mr. Jones are incredibly serious and disturbing. As alleged, he specifically targeted victims suffering with substance use disorder, intensified their drug dependency to gain control, violently forced them to engage in sex acts for his own profit and, in some instances, used sexual violence to ensure their compliance,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Sex trafficking is a very real and present threat in our Commonwealth. Every single day, Massachusetts residents are being subjected to unimaginable harm and trauma at the hands of traffickers. My office has dedicated substantial resources and created a dedicated team of prosecutors to combat this horrific conduct, hold traffickers accountable and bring justice to victims and survivors of these awful crimes.”

“The conduct we allege in this case is horrific. Trevor Jones is accused of preying on, drugging, and sexually victimizing women for his own financial gain. No human being should ever be lured into servitude, exploited, and forced to live their lives in fear where escape seems all but impossible, but that’s exactly what we believe happened here,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The resiliency his victims have shown is commendable, and as a result, Jones will now face justice. Make no mistake, FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force will do everything in its power to help them get the services they need to heal.”

According to the charging documents, Jones ran a sex trafficking operation targeting victims who were suffering from substance use disorder. As part of his sex trafficking operation, Jones allegedly provided his victims with controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl and cocaine to intensify their drug dependence and gain their compliance, while prohibiting the victims from obtaining controlled substances from other sources. He also routinely confiscated their identifications and other personal items to impede their ability to leave. Jones required victims to earn a daily quota and provide him with all the proceeds from their commercial sex acts. Jones allegedly enforced his requirements by punishing victims with acts of violence, threats of violence and withholding controlled substance from drug-dependent victims. 

The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of Rollins’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit is prosecuting the case along with Essex County Assistant District Attorneys Jessica Strasnick and Marina Moriarty, who are serving as Special Assistant United States Attorneys.

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 Springfield man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for child exploitation offenses.

Bairon Ubeda, 42, was indicted on one count of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. 

According to court documents, from December 2018 through February 2019, Ubeda employed, used, persuaded, induced and coerced a three-year-old minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. During that time period, it is alleged that Ubeda knowingly received and possessed child pornography. 

The charge of sexual exploitation of a child provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentenced of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mazur of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. 

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

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

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to illegally traffic and straw purchase firearms.

Shakim Grant, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL and one count of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Aug. 9, 2023. Grant was initially charged by complaint on Jan. 17, 2023 along with alleged co-conspirators Cory Daigle and Gustavo Rodriguez. He was subsequently charged by an Information on March 16, 2023. 

From in or about August 2022 through November 2022, Daigle and Rodriguez conspired to create false entries in records required to be maintained by Daigle, an FFL, in order to conceal the illegal sale of multiple firearms via Grant to Rodriguez, who could not lawfully purchase or possess firearms. Specifically, Grant and, allegedly, Daigle made and signed false representations on required forms to disguise Rodriguez’s identity as the true firearm purchaser. Rodriguez is prohibited from possessing a firearm. It is further alleged that the defendants attempted to coverup the illegal straw purchase by providing false information to law enforcement. 

The charge of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A tax preparer has pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to preparing false tax returns in the names of taxpayers.
 
Kwasi Kwarteng, 51, of Worcester, pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023 to 13 counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false federal tax returns. U.S. District Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 3, 2023.

From at least 2014 through 2018, Kwarteng operated under the name KK Tax Service –despite not being registered with the IRS as required by law – to file more than 1,195 tax returns in the names of clients, charging approximately $150 per return. Kwarteng added false information to hundreds of the returns to claim deductions for fictitious medical expenses, personal property taxes, gifts to charity, Individual Retirement Account (IRA) contributions, and unreimbursed employee business expenses. The false returns resulted in some clients paying lower taxes than they owed and, in most cases, resulted in clients receiving tax refunds for which they were not entitled. Kwarteng caused more than half a million dollars in losses to the IRS.

The charges of aiding and assisting in the filing of false federal tax returns each provide for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release a, fine of $250,000 and restitution to the IRS. 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain over $450,000 in COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.

Dquintz Alexander, 36, of Cranston, R.I., pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2023. Alexander was charged and arrested in November 2021. 

In March 2020, in response to the global coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which among other things, created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The PUA program, which in Massachusetts was administered by the Department of Unemployment Assistance, provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits. 

Alexander participated in a scheme that obtained over $450,000 in proceeds from fraudulent PUA claims submitted between April and June 2020 in Massachusetts. Alexander and co-conspirator Norman Higgs opened bank accounts to receive payments on the fraudulent PUA claims. Alexander and Higgs also used various methods to conceal their involvement in the scheme, including Virtual Private Network (VPN) services, overseas email accounts and phone numbers from Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

In September 2021, Higgs pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2023. 

The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Holyoke man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. 

Joe Anthony Montaner-Vazquez, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2023. Montaner-Vazquez was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022. 

On May 25, 2022, Montaner-Vazquez was found in possession of a Glock 9-millimeter caliber pistol and 20 rounds of ammunition after he attempted to flee from police. Montaner-Vazquez was previously convicted of a felony and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  

BOSTON – A former member and Enforcer of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced yesterday on racketeering charges.

Orlando Santiago-Torres, a/k/a “King Landy,” 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 151 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 28, 2022, Santiago-Torres pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute controlled substances.  

“The amount of teamwork required to indict and prosecute 62 individuals under racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges is hard to fathom. I commend my predecessor U.S. Attorney Lelling for spearheading this effort and I am proud to finish the job he started.  Keeping the people of Massachusetts safe is my highest priority and the rampant violence and drug dealing spearheaded by criminal enterprises is a clear and present danger to our communities. Mr. Santiago Torres was the enforcer of this particular criminal enterprise.  He actively led and promoted violence in order to instill fear among his adversaries and further the illicit influence of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Santiago Torres not only engaged in multiple racketeering incidents, including shootings and gang beatings, he then proudly boasted about his actions online while threatening future violence. This has become commonplace and we are watching.  Today’s sentence marks a critical step toward ensuring peace throughout our Commonwealth.”

“Guns and drugs take far too many lives in our communities, and Orlando Santiago Torres was contributing to the devastating impact of both. As a leader of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings, Santiago-Torres engaged in at least three shootings, two brutal gang beatings, and dealt drugs, destroying any sense of safety on this city’s streets,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Turf war gang violence is a serious threat to our communities, and the FBI is leveraging our law enforcement partnerships to thwart that threat. The lengthy prison sentence Mr. Santiago Torres received today sends a strong message that we will not tolerate criminal enterprises using violence to further their insidious needs.”

The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. The gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf. 
As Enforcer, Santiago-Torres was an officer in the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings and was responsible for organizing violence against rival gang members and instilling discipline among Latin Kings members in the commission of violence. Santiago-Torres also organized security for the Latin Kings’ apartment buildings, or “trap houses,” from which the gang members distributed cocaine and cocaine base.

Santiago-Torres participated in a series of violent acts and shootings that were committed in New Bedford in furtherance of the Latin Kings enterprise. In February 2019, Santiago-Torres assaulted a rival gang member and was captured on video chasing the rival gang member down, pushing him to the ground and kicking him. In May 2019, Santiago-Torres participated in the assault and shooting of a rival gang member and was captured on video surveillance with other Latin King members, one of whom engaged in a fight with the rival member and fired a handgun at him. In July 2019, Santiago-Torres fired multiple rounds of ammunition on a New Bedford street at rival gang members as they fled a fight with the Latin Kings. Later, in September 2019, Santiago-Torres participated in a shooting with other Latin Kings members in which a victim was struck with gunfire and casings from the scene were linked to a firearm recovered from Santiago-Torres’ apartment. Lastly, in November 2019, Santiago-Torres and other Latin Kings members assaulted a rival gang member, in which Santiago-Torres dragged the victim out of a vehicle to beat and kick him on the street. 

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. In total, 60 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty. Of the 62 charged defendants in the indictment, two remain in warrant status. All of the remaining 60 defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing. Santiago-Torres is the 58th defendant to be sentenced. 

U.S. Attorney Rollins; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Forfeiture Unit, prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – The former Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Lawrence, Mass., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for transporting and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Jhovanny Martes-Rosario, 48, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography. Martes-Rosario was previously arrested by state authorities on related charges and released on conditions. Martes-Rosario was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley. 

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transportation 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Colombian man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy connected with organized crime in the Republic of Colombia.

Mario Zapata Velez, 41, of Medellín, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to make extortionate threats, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, collection of credit by extortionate means and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2023. Zapata was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2020 along with co-conspirators Fabio de Jesus Yepes Sanchez, Miguel Colindres and Juan Pablo Ariasgil. 

Zapata and, allegedly, Yepes were members of La Oficina de Envigado (La Oficina), a criminal organization based in Medellín, Colombia. La Oficina originated in the 1980s when its members provided enforcement and collection services for the Medellín Cartel, including deceased Medellín Cartel leader Pablo Escobar. Today, La Oficina is allegedly involved in international narcotics trafficking, drug debt collection, money laundering, extortion and murder for hire. 

Zapata and, allegedly, Yepes conspired to use threats to extort approximately $750,000 in drug debt from two cocaine traffickers based in Massachusetts. Zapata and, allegedly, Yepes also conspired with Colindres and Ariasgil to obtain five kilograms of cocaine from the Massachusetts traffickers, sell those kilograms, and then repatriate the drug proceeds to Colombia, in partial satisfaction of the outstanding drug debt.

On April 24, 2023, Colindres was sentenced to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the cocaine conspiracy. In May 2022, Ariasgil was sentenced to four years in prison and four years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the cocaine conspiracy. Yepes has not pleaded guilty and is pending trial. 

The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins 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 Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department; Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and the Government of Colombia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared C. Dolan of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

The details contained in the charging 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 former detective sergeant for the Stoneham Police Department has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly concealing his history of evictions and using a family member’s credit report to obtain an apartment lease and then defrauding his landlord by intentionally withholding rent payments.

Robert Kennedy, 53, of Stoneham, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud. Kennedy was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of wire fraud on March 31, 2023. 

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

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

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Stoneham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Q. Wan of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Mexican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Jesus Ivan Jimenez Joachin, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 15 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Jimenez Joachin will be subject to removal proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In January 2023, Jimenez Joachin pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry after deportation.

Jimenez Joachin was arrested in Plymouth County in 2016 for charges including larceny of a motor vehicle and assault and battery on a family/household member. While in custody, Jimenez Joachin was determined to be illegally present in the United States and was subsequently deported.

At some point after his 2016 removal, Jimenez Joachin illegally reentered the United States. In August 2019, he was arrested in Plymouth County for charges including breaking and entering, domestic abuse and identity fraud as well as earlier charges from 2016.  

In April 2021, Jimenez Joachin was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in state prison. He was taken into federal custody upon completion of his sentence.

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

BOSTON – A former Inca, or first-in-command, of the North Shore Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced today on racketeering charges.

Israel Rodriguez, a/k/a “King Izzy,” a/k/a “King Imperial,” 41, of Lynn, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately four months in prison) and two years of supervised release. In February 2021, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. 

Rodriguez admitted to his role in an August 2018 conspiracy to “terminate” a leader of the Fitchburg Chapter of the Latin Kings who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. On intercepted phone calls, Rodriguez discussed an elaborate ruse to trick this leader into attending a meeting where he would be ambushed and beaten by other Latin Kings members.  

The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf. 
In December 2019, a federal grand jury in Boston returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. In total, 60 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing, and two remain fugitives. Rodriguez is the 57th defendant to be sentenced. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; 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 New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – The former Chair of Harvard University’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for lying to federal authorities about his affiliation with People’s Republic of China’s Thousand Talents Program and the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in Wuhan, China, as well as failing to report income he received from WUT.
 
Dr. Charles Lieber, 64, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (two days) in prison; two years of supervised release with six months of home confinement; a fine of $50,000; and $33,600 in restitution to the IRS. The government recommended a sentence of 90 days in prison and a $150,000 fine.

In December 2021, Lieber was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of making false statements to federal authorities, two counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return, and two counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts (FBAR) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

Lieber served as the Principal Investigator of the Lieber Research Group at Harvard University, which between 2008 and 2019 conducted more than $15 million in research sponsored by various U.S. Government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”) and the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”). Unbeknownst to his employer, Harvard University, Lieber became a “Strategic Scientist” at WUT and, later, a contractual participant in China’s Thousand Talents Plan from at least 2012 through 2015. China’s Thousand Talents Plan was one of the most prominent Chinese talent recruitment plans designed to attract, recruit and cultivate high-level scientific talent in furtherance of China’s scientific development, economic prosperity and national security.
 
In April 2018, during an interview with federal agents from DOD (one of the agencies that sponsored a portion of Lieber’s research), among other things, Lieber falsely stated that he had never been asked to participate in the Thousand Talents Plan. Later, in January 2019, Lieber caused Harvard to falsely tell the NIH (another sponsor of Lieber’s research) that Lieber was not, and had never been, a participant in the Thousand Talents Plan. Lieber knew these statements were false because he had signed a Thousand Talents contract with WUT in 2012, performed many of the duties and responsibilities required of him under that contract, and been paid a substantial salary by WUT in exchange for his work. Specifically, the terms of Lieber’s three-year Thousand Talents contract with WUT entitled Lieber to a salary of up to $50,000 per month, living expenses of up to $150,000 and approximately n $1.5 million to conduct joint research at WUT.  
 
In tax years 2013 and 2014, Lieber earned income from WUT in the form of salary and other payments made to him pursuant to his Thousand Talents contract, which he did not disclose to the IRS on his federal income tax returns. Together with WUT officials, Lieber also opened a bank account at a Chinese bank during a trip to Wuhan in 2012. Thereafter, between at least 2012 and 2015, WUT periodically deposited portions of Lieber’s salary into that account. U.S. taxpayers are required to report the existence of any foreign bank account that holds more than $10,000 at any time during a given year by the filing an FBAR with the IRS. According to Lieber, the balance of his Chinese bank account was approximately $200,000 in 2014 and 2015.  Nonetheless, Lieber purposely failed to file FBARs for those years.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division for the Boston Field Office; Michael Wiest, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Northeast Field Office; and Philip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of Rollins’ National Security Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Taunton man and Boston woman have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to fraudulently rent two apartments under stolen identities to be utilized for drug trafficking activities. 

Terrence Pyrtle, a/k/a “Big T,” a/k/a “T,” a/k/a “big_t558,” 40, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl and 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue; one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft; four counts of access device fraud; and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Following an initial appearance on April 20, 2023 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal, Pyrtle was detained pending a hearing set for April 27, 2023.

Ashley Roostaie, a/k/a “Lola,” a/k/a “dropdeadlola,” 36, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft; four counts of access device fraud; and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Roostaie was released on conditions following an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Boal on April 20, 2023.

According to the charging document, Pyrtle and Roostaie utilized the personal identification information (including Social Security number) of another individual to apply for and enter into lease agreements for two apartments in Braintree and Somerville, respectively. As part of their conspiracy, Pyrtle and Roostaie allegedly created an email account under the name of the individual’s identity that they had submitted in connection with the apartments as well as transmitted a purported driver’s license containing the individual’s name and some of their personal identification information, but depicting a different individual’s photograph. By placing the apartment leases under another individual’s personal identification information, Roostaie and Pyrtle were able to conceal their connection to and use of the apartments, which Pyrtle allegedly used to participate in a drug conspiracy involving distribution quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine.

It is further alleged that Pyrtle and Roostaie used another individual’s personal identification information (including Social Security number) to obtain and use a prepaid debit card to make certain payments associated with each of the apartments. 

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of access device 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. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year prison term consecutive to any term of imprisonment received on a predicate, substantive count, up to a one-year term 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Bridgewater and Westport Police Departments and the Bristol County and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang 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 New York man was arrested today for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization involving cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy). 

Qing Hua Sun, a/k/a “Ben,” 48, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Sun was arrested in Brooklyn today and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York. He will appear in federal court in Boston on May 30, 2023. 

Today’s arrest marks the 12th defendant charged in connection with the conspiracy. In October 2022, a federal grand jury in Boston returned an indictment charging 11 individuals from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization led by Jin Hua Zhang.

According to the charging documents, Zhang’s network was first detected in the greater Boston area, but leaders and members of the organization were later identified throughout the United States and overseas. During the investigation, Zhang allegedly directed his co-defendant couriers, and others, to deliver to undercover agents hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and millions of dollars in wire transfers and bank deposits. In exchange, Zhang allegedly sought to obtain cryptocurrency, which he believed would enable his organization to transfer illicit funds without detection by banks’ security teams or law enforcement.

Over the course of several lengthy recorded meetings, Zhang, Sun, and others allegedly discussed efforts to launder funds from drug trafficking and other frauds by converting the funds to cryptocurrency for a fee. According to court documents, Zhang and Sun’s laundering operation included funds derived from fraud operations based in Cambodia, which Sun was responsible for cultivating. In total, Zhang, Sun, and other members of the money laundering conspiracy allegedly sought to launder at least $25 million.

It is alleged that, to date, funds have been traced from the Zhang Organization to Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, India, Cambodia and Brazil, among other locations. Additionally, a portion of the funds Zhang, Sun and their associates sought to launder, was seized. 

The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan Cleary of Rollins’ 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 defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Taunton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for sexually exploiting an 18-month-old toddler in his care and for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Cody Mercure, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 25 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release. In January 2023, Mercure pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography.  

“It is challenging to find the words that capture just how abhorrent and destructive this conduct was. This man sexually exploited an innocent 18-month-old child – a defenseless toddler who, at the time, was still in diapers – and recorded the abuse to watch again and again for his own sick gratification,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Cases of child exploitation are among the most difficult yet most important prosecutions our office handles. My office remains relentless in our work to ensure the safety of our children, remove dangerous predators like Mr. Mercure from our communities, and seek justice for victims.”

“Mercure committed monstrous acts against a child and caused irrevocable pain in the lives of so many. We hope that today’s sentence offers resolution and peace for the victim and their family in this incredibly difficult time,” said Michael Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI works every day to uncover the abuse and exploitation of children and seek justice for those who cannot advocate for themselves.”

On Feb. 19, 2021, Mercure sexually abused a toddler in his care and video-recorded the abuse. Mercure also distributed numerous files of CSAM over the internet using a messaging application. On Jan. 16, 2021, Mercure distributed CSAM depicting the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child to another user of the messaging application. Hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography were stored on both of Mercure’s phones which were seized at the time of his arrest and in a cloud storage account. In April 2021, Mercure was arrested on related state charges, and he has been in custody since.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and HSI Acting SAC Krol made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Rhode Island State Police and the Taunton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ 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.

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

Josiah Watkins, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 51 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Watkins previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine. 

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

On April 7, 2023, Lee pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2023.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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.

BOSTON – A Royalston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to child pornography charges.

Kevin A. Divoll, 51 pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2023. Divoll was arrested and charged in August 2022. 

Divoll, a former employee of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Leeds, was identified as the owner and user of a device distributing child pornography over the VA Medical Center’s public Wi-Fi from May 2022 through July 2022. During a search of his residence on Aug. 4, 2022, Divoll was found to be in possession of child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.  

The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography involving an image of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age provides for a sentence of 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.

United States Attorney Rachael Rollins 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. Significant assistance was provided by the Leeds VA Medical Center Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Dorchester woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to tax and fraud offenses in connection with her operation of a temporary employment agency.
 
Dam Ngoc Luong, 69, pleaded guilty on April 18, 2023 to two counts of filing false corporate and individual tax returns, three counts of failure to collect and pay over employee taxes and one count of mail fraud. United States Senior District Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2023.
 
From at least 2015 through 2019, Luong owned and operated Four Seasons Temp, Inc.,  an agency providing temporary workers for client businesses. A temporary employment agency is responsible for paying wages to the employees, processing employee payroll, collecting and paying all employee payroll taxes and maintaining workers’ compensation insurance to protect employees who suffer work-related injuries. The agency collects payments from the client businesses to cover the agency’s expenses and a profit for the agency. 

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

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

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

The charges of filing false tax returns each provide for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution to the IRS. The charges of failure to collect and pay over employee taxes each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution to the IRS. The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to distribute cocaine.

Miguel Colindres, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In January, Colindres pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Colindres was arrested and charged on July 15, 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on July 21, 2020.

Colindres conspired with members of La Oficina de Envigado (La Oficina), a criminal organization based in Medellín, Colombia to distribute five kilograms of cocaine. La Oficina originated in the 1980s when its members provided enforcement and collection services for the Medellín Cartel, including deceased Medellín Cartel leader Pablo Escobar. Today, La Oficina is allegedly involved in international narcotics trafficking, drug debt collection, money laundering, extortion and murder for hire.  

It is alleged that co-defendants Fabio de Jesus Yepes Sanchez and Mario Zapata Velez were members of La Oficina who were tasked with collecting a $750,000 drug debt from two cocaine traffickers in Massachusetts. It is further alleged that Colindres conspired with Yepes, Zapata and others, to obtain five kilograms of cocaine from the Massachusetts traffickers, sell those kilograms, and then repatriate the drug proceeds to Colombia, in partial satisfaction of the outstanding drug debt.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins 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 Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department; Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and the Government of Colombia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared C. Dolan of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – An Uxbridge man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a conspiracy to defraud the government of thousands of dollars from 2014 to 2018.

Thomas Bouchard, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of theft of government funds. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2023. Bouchard was arrested and charged in July 2020 along with co-defendant Chantelle Boyd.

Bouchard was the Contracting Officer in charge of the U.S. Army Natick Contracting Division, a full-service contracting organization for the Department of Defense. In 2014, Bouchard used his long-standing relationship with Evolution Enterprise, Inc., a government contractor, to allegedly have Boyd hired for a “no show” job as an assistant that specifically supported Bouchard. Boyd’s position cost the Department of Defense more than $490,000 during her time at Evolution from 2014 to 2018, during which Boyd performed little if any useful function. 
 
Bouchard and Boyd took numerous government-funded trips, ranging in duration from two to 15 days, under the guise that they were work related. This included 31 trips to Orlando, Fla., among other locations such as Clearwater Beach, Fla., and Stafford, Va., during which Boyd allegedly performed little if any work. For many of the trips, Bouchard and Boyd stayed in the same hotel room and spent time at the pool and Disney parks – all during business hours. In order to conceal the personal nature of the trips, Bouchard altered, created and approved false travel to reimburse the Boyd for out-of-pocket expenses. 

On April 3, 2023, Boyd pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, 10 counts of theft of government funds and false declarations before the grand jury. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2023. 

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph Dattoria, Special Agent in Charge of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and Scott Moreland, Special Agent in Charge of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man, previously convicted of numerous state drug distribution charges, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing cocaine base (crack cocaine).  

Jerry Cooper, a/k/a “Jerkz,” 30, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. On Nov. 8, 2022, Cooper pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. 

This case arose from a series of controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Cooper, who, in September 2021, was recorded conducting a controlled purchase of crack cocaine. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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