District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).  

Andre Tilahun, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six years in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2022, Tilahun pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and one count of possession of child pornography. 

Following a search of Tilahun’s residence in April 2021, approximately 350 images of CSAM were found on the Tilahun’s computer and approximately 230 images of CSAM on his phone. The investigation determined that Tilahun used the Kik Messenger platform to receive and engage in communications about CSAM with others. In all, Tilahun participated in six Kik chatrooms where participants shared CSAM.   

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Quincy Police Department and Weymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced today for fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits.    

Charles Reid, 68, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to time served (approximately one day in prison) and three years of supervised release. Reid was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $38,601 to the Social Security Administration. Earlier in the hearing, Reid pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. Reid was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2021. 

From approximately April 2013 through September 2017, Reid stole approximately $38,601 in Social Security disability benefits. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Tolkoff and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for counterfeiting hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. currency.

Victor Cardona, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 41 months in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of $5,000. In October 2022, Cardona pleaded guilty to one count of counterfeiting U.S. currency, specifically, forged older-style $100 bills.

During a search of Cardona’s residence in October 2019, a counterfeit currency manufacturing facility was discovered, including equipment and materials used to create counterfeit bills, specifically, inkjet printers, a paper shredder containing counterfeit bills that had been discarded, a “counterfeit buster” detection pen and counterfeit bills, including one fake $100 bill in Cardona’s wallet. Several authentic $100 bills with serial numbers which were tied to counterfeit currency recovered from across the country were also found. Burned remains of counterfeit currency were also located in Cardona’s backyard.

According to court documents, Cardona admitted that he procured the materials to create the counterfeit currency and hosted one or more other individuals at his home on a weekly basis for the purpose of creating the fake bills. In total, Cardona produced, or participated in the production of, over 4,000 fake $100 bills that were identified as counterfeit and traced by serial number to the authentic bills found at Cardona’s residence. To date, the government has recovered over $467,000 in counterfeit $100 bills traced back to the authentic bills found at Cardona’s residence.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Many local police departments, including the Quincy Police Department and Salem Police Department, provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A partner in a Mumbai-based prescription drug company was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for operating an overseas pharmacy that sold unapproved prescription drugs and controlled substances, including opioids, and shipped them from Asia into the United States.

Manish Kumar, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 87 months in prison and three months of supervised release. Manish was also ordered to pay a fine of $100,000. In October 2022, Kumar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import misbranded prescription drugs and controlled substances; conspiracy to distribute Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances; and one count of making false statements to federal officers.

Kumar was a partner in Mihu Business Solutions Pvt., Ltd., a Mumbai-based drug company which he operated through multiple entities, including “All Herb Distributors,” “365 Life Group,” and “Health Life 365 Co.” From at least 2015 until 2019, when Kumar was arrested on unrelated charges, Kumar used these entities to ship millions of illegal and unapproved prescription pills into the United States to individuals who did not have prescriptions. Specifically, Kumar trafficked prescription drugs including generic erectile dysfunction drugs, and Schedule II controlled substances, such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and tapentadol, and Schedule IV controlled substances, such as tramadol. 

Kumar’s operation directly marketed drugs to customers in the United States through advertising and calls to prospective customers from call centers in India. As part of the  conspiracy, Kumar personally directed and managed shipments of drugs from drug suppliers in Singapore and India into Massachusetts and other states. In total, Kumar’s drug business generated more than $3.5 million in revenue and shipped millions of illegal and unapproved pills into the United States to individuals who did not have prescriptions. After his arrest, Kumar made false statements to law enforcement in February 2020 about his involvement in the sale of controlled substances.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial, & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to 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 skimming equipment at gas stations across New England.
 
Luis Angel Naranjo Rodriguez, 32, of Hialeah, Fla., 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). U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2023. Naranjo Rodriguez was arrested and charged in March 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2020. 
 
Naranjo Rodriguez secretly 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, Mass.; 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 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, 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.
 
The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possessing device-making equipment provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possessing 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
 
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 is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute cocaine.

Miguel Colindres, 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2023. 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 Yepes and Zapata conspired with Colindres 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.

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.

BOSTON – An East Boston man has been arrested for possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Cristopher Vladimir Pineda Martinez, 23, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein, Pineda was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Feb. 3, 2023.

According to the charging documents, law enforcement identified Pineda as member of several private communities and/or groups involved in the distribution of CSAM on an online chat platform. It is alleged that, on Dec. 12, 2022, Pineda distributed six videos depicting CSAM in three online chat groups. It is further alleged that an additional 54 videos depicting CSAM, depicting children as young as six years old, were found on Pineda’s personal cell phone. 

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. 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 Boston man was arrested yesterday and charged in connection with allegedly attempting to hire a contract killer – who was actually an undercover federal agent – to murder his wife and the wife’s boyfriend.

Mohammed Chowdhury, 46, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of murder-for-hire. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday, Chowdhury was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Jan. 20, 2023. 

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

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

Chowdhury met with the undercover agents yesterday morning, allegedly provided the $500 deposit and confirmed that he wanted the murders committed. Chowdhury was then taken into federal custody.

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

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

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 Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm and John T. Dawley 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 New Hampshire man has pleaded guilty to his role in a scheme to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles and other merchandise and apply for and utilize bank accounts and credit cards. 

Ricardo Acevedo, 34, of Manchester, N.H., pleaded guilty on Jan. 13, 2023 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2023. 

The defendant and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. In a coordinated multi-jurisdictional effort, the defendant was also charged in the State of New Jersey, and others involved in the scheme were also charged there, in the District of New Jersey, the Northern District of Ohio, and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

    According to charging 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. In total, Acevedo used stolen identities to obtain car loans and purchase three cars worth $90,582, collectively.

The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent 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 Nuzum and Adam Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.

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 – Two Worcester residents have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and heroin. 

Antonio Rosario Garcia, a/k/a “Animal,” 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 80 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Cintia Franco, 32, was sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In June 2022, Franco and Garcia each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin; and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Garcia also pleaded guilty to distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

Franco and Garcia were charged in October 2019 along with co-conspirators John Robles and Jector Torres. In early 2019, Robles was identified by investigators selling purported oxycodone pills, which were later determined to be counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, at Albino’s Market in Worcester. Intercepted communications from Robles’ phone identified that Garcia was the supply source and that Garcia was distributing pills through Robles and Torres. The investigation also revealed that Garcia and Franco were distributing heroin, fentanyl pills and powdered fentanyl directly to users in Worcester. 

In October 2022, Torres was sentenced to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Robles previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023. 

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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Worcester Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and Connecticut State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen M. Noto and Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Minnesota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly engaging in abusive sexual contact while a passenger aboard a cruise ship from Iceland to Boston in August 2022.

Daniel Farias, 45, of Bloomington, Minn., was indicted on one count of abusive sexual contact. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Jan. 20, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. Farias was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August 2022. 

According to the charging documents, while aboard the Celebrity Summit Cruise Ship travelling from Reykjavík, Iceland to Boston, Farias sexually assaulted a male crewmember in the early morning hours of Aug. 30, 2022. Specifically, it is alleged that the victim entered the mid-ship men’s restroom to clean. The restroom was empty apart from a male passenger – later identified as Farias – occupying one of stalls. At some point, Farias allegedly exited the stall, approached the victim and began rubbing his hand on the victim’s forearm. The victim pulled his arm away, and said, “What are you doing?” It is alleged that Farias then used both of his hands to grab the victim’s genitalia over the victim’s clothes and then made a sexually explicit comment. The victim pulled away. Farias allegedly then asked the victim if he was upset, to which the victim said he was. According to the charging documents, Farias apologized and asked the victim not to report what happened before leaving the restroom.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ 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 repeat convicted felon has been charged by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment on firearm and drug offenses.

Christian Soares, a/k/a “Eazy,” 29, of Brockton, was indicted on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and buprenorphine (suboxone); one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Soares was previously indicted in August 2019.

According to the indictment, in 2019, Soares possessed a loaded firearm while a convicted felon and did so in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense – namely, possessing cocaine, fentanyl and buprenorphine (suboxone) intended for distribution. In 2021, while on pretrial release following the August 2019 indictment, it is alleged that Soares possessed multiple firearms and ammunition while a convicted felon and did so in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Additionally, it is alleged he did so while also possessing cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA and 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution. 

Soares was previously convicted of at least one prior felony conviction.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and buprenorphine, provides for a sentence of not more than 20 years, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl (which charge also alleged cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDA) provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, to be served from and after the term of imprisonment imposed for any other count, supervised release of up to five years, 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 Investigations, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Bryan Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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 registered nurse was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for tampering with morphine prescribed to a nursing home resident in her care.  

Gwen Rider, 43, of Northborough, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 8, 2022, Rider pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deception. 

Rider was a registered nurse employed by a Worcester County nursing home. From approximately 11:00 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2020 until 7:00 a.m. the following morning, Rider was on duty in a unit specializing in care for residents suffering from dementia. During her shift and while entrusted with the care of a resident suffering from dementia, Rider tampered with a bottle of morphine sulfate prescribed to the patient by removing some of the morphine and adding water to the remaining supply. Morphine sulfate is a Schedule II controlled substance under federal law. A nurse on a subsequent shift administered the adulterated morphine to a patient before the tampering was discovered.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Northborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced on Jan. 5, 2023 in federal court in Boston for accessing with intent to view child pornography.

Thomas LeBlanc, 36, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Earlier in the hearing, LeBlanc pleaded guilty to one count of access with intent to view of child pornography

 In 2017, LeBlanc was sentenced to five years in prison for a federal conviction of receipt and possession of child pornography. Upon his release from federal prison, LeBlanc was subject to cell phone monitoring as part of his supervised release conditions. Monitoring equipment revealed that LeBlanc used the cell phone to access child pornography and was subsequently sentenced in 2020 to an additional two years in prison. In May 2022, LeBlanc was released from federal prison and again subject to monitoring of his cell phone activity. Again, United States Probation again became aware that LeBlanc used his cell phone to access child pornography. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; and Bryan Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Taunton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possessing hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography. 

Rudy Frabizio, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2022, Frabizio pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. 

During a search of Frabizio’s residence on May 19, 2021, agents found a “microSD” memory card that contained hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography. The image and video files included material involving prepubescent minors, as well as the abuse of infants or toddlers. In addition, Frabizio uploaded images depicting child pornography via his Google account. Frabizio is a registered Level 2 sex offender due to an April 2009 conviction for possession of child pornography.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. The Taunton Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – The leader of a local drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, carfentanil (a fentanyl analogue) in and around the Lawrence area and for possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of his DTO’s operations. 

Luis Manuel Rodriguez Then, 31, formerly of Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 186 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2022, Rodriguez Then pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, 10 grams or more of carfentanil, and 10 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and 10 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl (fentanyl analogue); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

“The seriousness of Mr. Rodriguez’s crimes cannot be overstated. He was a leader of a drug distribution organization that brought fentanyl and fentanyl analogue into our communities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “For the last several years, the United States as a whole and Massachusetts in particular have been plagued by an opioid epidemic that has taken an alarming number of lives and has destroyed countless families and communities. In 2021, 80,816 people died from opioid-related overdoses in the United States — the equivalent of 221 deaths per day. In Massachusetts alone we lost 2,301 of our loved ones. My office will continue to do everything we can to protect our communities from this deadly crisis.”

“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling violent poly drug trafficking organizations like these operating in Massachusetts,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division. “As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities.  This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen.  DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”

From October 2018 through March 2019, Rodriguez Then and another individual were leaders of a DTO which distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and other substances in and around the Lawrence area. Rodriguez Then and the other individual employed a third individual who was tasked with residing at a stash house maintained by and serving as a courier for the DTO. During the investigation, a confidential source conducted three controlled purchases of suspected fentanyl from the DTO during which Rodriguez Then and the other leader obtained the order and collected payment from the confidential source and the courier brought the requested suspected fentanyl pills. For two of these transactions, the pills distributed by the DTO tested positive for fentanyl. For the third transaction, the pills distributed by Rodriguez Then’s DTO tested positive for fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl analogue. 

On March 13, 2019, two search warrants were executed in Lawrence. At one location, where Rodriguez Then resided, a wall hide in Rodriguez Then’s master bedroom contained $7,010 in suspected drug proceeds, a loaded .22 caliber Smith and Wesson firearms and multiple fake identification cards bearing the defendant’s likeness. A rental lease for the stash house was also located in Rodriguez Then’s residence. During a search warrant executed at the stash house, among other things, multiple hidden compartments/wall hides containing drugs and drug paraphernalia were located, including approximately 2,074 grams of fentanyl, 732 grams of heroin, 2,333 grams of cocaine and 448.4 grams of carfentanil. Additionally, a .45 caliber Taurus and a Highpoint 9 mm with a partially obliterated serial number were also seized from a wall hide in the stash house.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson and Lindsey E. Weinstein of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment yesterday charging a Boston man with sex trafficking a young adult victim and transporting a minor to New York and Connecticut to engage in commercial sex.

Leon Blount III, 30, of Boston, was charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and three counts of transportation of minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Blount has been in state custody since September 2022. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Jan. 19, 2023.

“Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery. Whether labor or sex trafficking, if someone is profiting off of a person they control through threat, force or coercion, they are committing a felony. We allege that Mr. Blount targeted two victims – one of whom was a minor – whom he groomed and trafficked to engage in commercial sex across multiple states and used extreme violence to keep one of his victims under his control,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and, with the perseverance and bravery of the victims, our dedicated Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit will spare no expense or resource to protect our communities, our children, and our Commonwealth from this growing public health threat.”

“HSI New England, and our law enforcement partners, are constantly watching closely for indicators of human trafficking and child exploitation throughout our community,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Today’s indictment is a result of those partnerships and the watchful eyes of all of the dedicated agents and officers involved in this case.  HSI New England will continue to work tirelessly to identify, arrest and prosecute those involved human trafficking enterprises in order to keep our communities safe.”

According to the charging documents, beginning in the Fall of 2021, Blount began grooming a young adult victim, Jane Doe 1, to engage in commercial sex. First, Blount allegedly pressured Jane Doe 1 to create pornographic videos that were distributed online. Later, he allegedly insisted that Jane Doe 1 earn money for him by performing commercial sex acts. Jane Doe 1 was posted on websites that advertise commercial sex and Blount allegedly drove her throughout Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut to perform sex acts for his financial benefit.  

It is further alleged that, to maintain control, Blount threatened to harm Jane Doe 1 if she ever left his trafficking operation. In September 2022, when Blount learned that Jane Doe 1 was trying to leave his control, Blount allegedly threw a rock through the window of the car Jane Doe 1 was sitting in and tried to pull her out of the car while spraying her in the face with pepper spray. Blount allegedly then got into the car and drove over Jane Doe 1’s leg, severely injuring her, as she tried to flee. It is alleged that after Jane Doe 1 was taken to the hospital, Blount broke into her apartment and wrote, “B**** ya not safe” on the wall. Shortly thereafter, Lowell Police arrested Blount, and he has remained in custody since that time.

Additionally, according to the charging documents, between July and August 2022, Blount transported a 17-year-old victim, Jane Doe 2, to New York and Connecticut to engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit. Blount allegedly met Jane Doe 2 while she was living at a group home for transitional age adolescents. He gave her alcohol and marijuana, and quickly recruited Jane Doe 2 to travel out-of-state to engage in commercial sex. While in New York, Blount allegedly directed Jane Doe 2 to solicit sex buyers in an area of Brooklyn known for commercial sex. It is further alleged that Blount caused Jane Doe 2’s photo to be posted on websites that advertise commercial sex and put her in hotel rooms in Woburn and Hartford, where he directed her to perform sex acts to earn money for him. 

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. Each count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity 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 $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources. 

U.S. Attorney Rollins and HSI SAC Millhollin made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of Rollins’ Human Trafficking & Civil Rights 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 Taunton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in online romance scams targeting individuals in the United States. 

Francis Okafor, 30, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. Okafor was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,130,285. In August 2022, Okafor pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy.  

From approximately May 2018 through August 2021, Okafor and others participated in a series of romance scams designed to defraud victims. Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. In furtherance of the scheme, Okafor used false foreign passports in the names of others but with his photo to open numerous bank accounts. In turn, co-conspirators directed victims to send money to these accounts. Okafor and his co-conspirators then withdrew the victims’ money from various bank branches and ATMs and wired the money overseas. In total, more than $1.1 million in fraud proceeds was deposited into fraudulent bank accounts Okafor controlled.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for selling ghost guns, ammunition and fentanyl.

Miguel Mejia, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. In September 2022, Mejia pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of possession with intent to distribute distribution of 40 grams of more fentanyl. 

Between July 7, 2020 and Dec. 16, 2020, Mejia sold five privately made firearms (PMFs), more commonly known as ghost-guns along with ammunition. Specifically, Mejia sold two Glock 26 style PMF pistols, two Glock 17 style PMF pistols and 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Additionally, on July 31, 2020, Mejia sold approximately 50 grams of fentanyl. During a search of Mejia’s residence on Dec. 16, 2020, a Glock 43 style PMF pistol; 40 rounds of 9mm ammunition; three pistol magazines; a pill press and pill stamping set; and five baggies of narcotics cutting agents were recovered. 

“Stopping the flow of illegal firearms into our communities is the most critical step in combatting violent crime. Ghost guns are particularly dangerous because in addition to being deadly, they are unlicensed and untraceable,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Mejia profited off of bringing deadly guns and drugs into our communities. This sentence is just, and Lawrence residents are safer because of it."

“Illegally dealing firearms without a license, particularly privately manufactured firearms, will continue to remain an ATF priority and will be stopped in its tracks. The ripple effect of violence cannot be overstated and ATF will be vigilant about going after these violent criminals,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – An Illinois man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for coercing and enticing a minor to produce sexually explicit images and videos.

Domenique Dequon Hines, 25, of Crystal Lake, Ill., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 19 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2022, Hines pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. 

“Less than two months after being released from prison for a child pornography offense, Mr. Hines went right back to exploiting and sexualizing children. He used social media to target, coerce and threaten a 14-year-old victim for his own sexual gratification. Mr. Hines is a danger to our children and accordingly, he will be removed from our community for nearly two decades,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Protecting the safety, innocence and wellbeing of our children, especially from the threat of online predators like Mr. Hines, is a top priority.”

“Domenique Dequon Hines is a calculating and manipulative predator who targeted, exploited, and harmed a vulnerable child for life. No sentence for this man will wipe away the scars he left on his 14-year-old victim, and our thoughts are with both her and her family today,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division. “It is the FBI’s sincere hope that his punishment—almost two decades behind bars—will deter others from engaging in this repulsive, criminal conduct.”

In October 2020, approximately six weeks after being released from serving a sentence in Illinois for a child pornography offense, Hines met a 14-year-old Massachusetts victim on Instagram. Hines and the victim exchanged phone numbers and profile pictures and began communicating online via iMessage and other forms of internet communication for a period of approximately 10 days. On the first day of communications, Hines confirmed with the victim that she was 14 years old and he informed the victim that he is 23 years old. After confirming her age, Hines knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced the victim to take and send him, sexually explicit images and videos of herself. Hines requested that the victim call him “daddy,” and explained that if her parents ever try to take her phone, she should delete all of their text messages.

Hines was previously convicted of a child pornography offense in the state of Illinois.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus and Christopher R. Looney of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Hyde Park man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to the armed robbery of a Hyde Park bank.
 
Paul Whooten, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris who scheduled sentencing for April 12, 2023. Whooten was charged in February 2020. 

On Dec. 21, 2019, Whooten entered a branch of Rockland Trust Bank in Hyde Park, carrying something that appeared to be a rifle. Upon entering the bank, Whooten pointed it at the teller before stating, “Give me all of your money.” The teller filled Whooten’s bag with $13,603 in cash, and Whooten fled the bank on foot. Bank surveillance cameras captured images of the Whooten throughout the robbery. 
 
Shortly after leaving the bank, Whooten was observed on the street wearing clothes consistent with those observed inside the bank and still holding what appeared to be a rifle in his hand. Law enforcement immediately apprehended Whooten and a black rifle-type BB gun and bag of cash were recovered from him.  
 
The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
 
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. 

BOSTON – A Worcester-based investment adviser was sentenced today in connection with a long-running scheme to steal more than $2.8 million from six clients.

James Kenneth Couture, 42, of Sutton, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Couture was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,924,585 and forfeiture of $2,874,585. In September 2022, Couture pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of investment adviser fraud and one count of witness tampering.  

Couture was a registered investment adviser, with an office in Worcester. In that capacity, he invested his clients’ funds in securities and various insurance products, including annuities, and set up and assisted clients with profit-sharing plans and other retirement products. From approximately 2009 to 2020, Couture misappropriated approximately $2.8 million from his clients by transferring funds out of his clients’ accounts, investing it in fictitious mutual funds and then selling other clients’ holdings to pay investment returns. In June 2016, Couture liquidated one client’s variable annuities to fund withdrawals by another client. Similarly, in December 2019 and January 2020, Couture paid a client he had previously defrauded by selling other clients’ mutual funds. As part of this scheme, Couture forged clients’ signatures on documents, or caused clients to sign documents by falsely representing that the proceeds of transactions would be used for the clients’ benefit. Couture also stole from clients using their own profit-sharing plans and conducting transactions in their names to disguise his fraudulent transactions.

Couture was initially charged in connection with this scheme in June 2021. After those initial charges were filed, Couture engaged in witness tampering by creating fake documents purported to be for his clients’ accounts and providing false information to at least one victim in the case for approximately six months. Couture was subsequently charged with witness tampering in connection with his efforts to deceive this victim on Jan. 14, 2022.

United States Attorney Rachael Rollins, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Malden man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. 

Herby Paul, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2022, Paul pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

On Nov. 24, 2021, Paul was pulled over by law enforcement while driving on interstate 95 in Canton. Paul provided law enforcement with a false name and was asked to exit the vehicle. He then fled on foot, jumped over a guardrail, ran down an embankment and attempted to scale a fence. Paul was quickly apprehended on scene and a subsequent search of his vehicle resulted in the recovery of a 9mm handgun loaded with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition. 

At the time of the offense, Paul was on state probation for a 2020 conviction of possessing a firearm without a license and resisting arrest, for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

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 Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for using others’ identities to fraudulently obtain over $65,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.

Wilson Radhames Peguero Brea, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 28 months in prison and one year of supervised release. In October 2022, Peguero pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. 

Peguero used the name and Social Security number of two U.S. citizens to fraudulently apply for and obtain PUA benefits. Peguero also applied for and received additional PUA benefits using his own name but fraudulently representing that he was a U.S. citizen. With respect to the applications, Peguero also submitted fraudulent documents, such as a fake U.S. permanent resident card and a fraudulently obtained driver’s license.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Boston. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

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

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, 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 Berklee College of Music student, who is citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with allegedly stalking and threatening an individual who posted fliers in support of democracy in China around the Berklee campus area.

Xiaolei Wu, 25, was indicted today on one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication. Wu was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of stalking on Dec. 13, 2022. At the time of the events alleged in the Indictment, Wu was living in Boston while attending the Berklee College of Music. 

According to the charging documents, on Oct. 22, 2022, an individual posted a flier on or near the Berklee College of Music campus in Boston which said, “Stand with Chinese People,” as well as, “We Want Freedom,” and “We Want Democracy.” It is alleged that, beginning on or about Oct. 22, 2022, and continuing until Oct. 24, 2022, Wu made a series of communications via WeChat, email and Instagram directed towards the victim who posted the flier. Among other things, Wu allegedly said, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.” He also allegedly told the victim that he had informed the public security agency in China about the victim’s actions and that the public security agency in China would “greet” the victim’s family. It is further alleged that Wu solicited others to find out where the victim was living and publicly posted the victim’s email address in the hopes that others would abuse the victim online. 

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

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 Timothy H. Kistner of Rollins’ National Security Unit is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Counterintelligence and Export Control Section Trial Attorney Menno Goedman.

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.

A Berklee College of Music student, who is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with allegedly stalking and threatening an individual who posted fliers in support of democracy in China.

Xiaolei Wu, 25, was indicted on one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication. Wu was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of stalking on Dec. 13, 2022. Wu has lived in Boston while attending the Berklee College of Music.

According to the charging documents, on Oct. 22, 2022, an individual posted a flier on or near the Berklee College of Music campus in Boston which said, “Stand with Chinese People,” as well as, “We Want Freedom,” and “We Want Democracy.” It is alleged that, beginning on or about Oct. 22, 2022, and continuing until Oct. 24, 2022, Wu made a series of communications via WeChat, email, and Instagram directed towards the victim who posted the flier. Among other things, Wu allegedly said, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.” He also allegedly told the victim that he had informed the public security agency in China about the victim’s actions and that the public security agency in China would “greet” the victim’s family. It is further alleged that Wu solicited others to find out where the victim was living and publicly posted the victim’s email address in the hopes that others would abuse the victim online.

The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of interstate transmissions of threatening communication provides for a sentence up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts, Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI Boston Division made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner for the District of Massachusetts is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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

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

Milton Jose Arias, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry before U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs, who scheduled sentencing for April 4, 2023.  

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

In January 2022, Arias was found to have unlawfully reentered the United States without the appropriate permission sometime after his removal.
  
The charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

BOSTON – A Connecticut man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for threatening, harassing and intimidating a Massachusetts woman through social media and email. 

Marshall Nicholas Fain, 32, of New Haven, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2022, Fain pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and one count of transmitting threats through interstate commerce. 

“When relationships end people need to act appropriately, even when they are upset, and move on. Mr. Fain obviously was not capable of doing so. Now he has been sentenced to  46 months in prison because he terrorized and threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her family. Stalking and violently threatening others – whether online or in person – is a serious, federal crime. Thanks to the victim’s strength and immediate action, Mr. Fain is now a convicted felon,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Although today’s sentence can’t erase the pain and suffering Mr. Fain caused, we hope it brings the victim and her family solace in knowing he has been held accountable and will be removed from our community.”

“Marshall Fain used his words as weapons, sending threatening messages to harass and intimidate his ex-girlfriend and her family. His actions were intended to inflict emotional harm and the fear of physical violence and that’s exactly what they did. We thank the victim for her bravery in helping us put him behind bars,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Cyberstalking is a serious crime, and you can be sure the FBI will continue to work to identify others like Mr. Fain who are using today’s technology in such a despicable way.”

Fain was in a relationship with the victim for approximately two years, until the relationship ended in August 2021. Soon after, in September 2021 and continuing through December 2021, Fain sent the victim multiple private messages through email and social media threatening to kill the victim and members of her family. 

Fain created multiple social media and email accounts which he used to harass and threaten the victim anonymously. Specifically, Fain used anonymous Instagram and Facebook accounts to send the victim messages that said, among other things, “I’ll kill you” and “You gonna get yours if it’s the last thing I do.” Fain also used anonymous email addresses to send the victim threatening messages that said, among other things, “I’m gonna find you and kill you if it’s the last thing I do,” “By now you know I don’t give a f*** about my own life so I really don’t mind taking yours,” and “When the time is right you gonna be one of the girls going missing. Ima torture the f*** out of you when I catch you.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Division provided valuable assistance in the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The owner of a Massachusetts-based food truck business pleaded guilty today to filing fraudulent loan applications in order to obtain $1.5 million in pandemic relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.   

Loc Vo, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 3, 2023. Vo was arrested and charged in July 2022. 

Vo owned Smart Gourmet LLC (Smart Gourmet), a food truck business in Massachusetts, and Indy Publish, a dormant Maryland company. Between April 2020 and July 2021, Vo submitted loan applications on behalf of these businesses under three Small Business Administration (SBA) pandemic relief programs: the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). In these applications, Vo requested approximately $1.5 million and committed to use the funds for rent, mortgage interest, payroll and utilities, among other eligible expenses.  

After receiving the relief funds, Vo immediately transferred most of them to brokerage accounts in his name to purchase shares in an electric car manufacturer, an internet marketplace company and a biotechnology company, among others.  

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Another is the EIDL, through which the SBA offers loans that can only be used on certain permissible business expenses, which can include payment of fixed business debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other business-related expenses that could have been paid had the COVID-19 disaster not occurred. The American Rescue Plan Act established the RRF to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open through forgivable loans for eligible uses.  

The charge of wire fraud provides 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 from the scheme, 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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman 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 Berkley nurse was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for tampering with fentanyl intended for patients at a hospital’s post-surgery recovery unit and an outpatient vascular surgery center.  

Hugo Vieira, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to five years of probation, with the first year to be served in home detention. Vieira was also ordered to pay a fine of $20,000. The government recommended a sentence of 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2022, Vieira pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. 

From 2017 to January 2019, while working at a Massachusetts hospital and an outpatient vascular surgery center, Vieira removed fentanyl from vials meant for patients who were undergoing surgery or recovering from surgery. To conceal his conduct, Vieira replaced the diverted fentanyl with saline. When his conduct was discovered, law enforcement identified 60 tampered vials at the vascular surgery center and two vials at the hospital post-surgery recovery unit. Those vials contained only 1.3–7% of the declared concentration of fentanyl citrate.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elysa Q. Wan and David J. Derusha of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Today the Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest to make clear that the Fair Housing Act (FHA) applies to residential screening companies that develop and sell algorithmic-based screening services to housing providers. The Statement of Interest, filed in federal court in Boston, also addresses the appropriate pleading standard for disparate impact claims under the FHA. The statement highlights the United States’ commitment to enforcing the FHA, including in cases involving algorithms and tenant screening software.

The Department’s statement is in response to motions to dismiss filed in Louis et al v. SafeRent et al. – a lawsuit filed in the District of Massachusetts in May 2022. The lawsuit was filed by plaintiffs Mary Louis and Monica Douglas, two Black rental applicants who use housing vouchers to pay part of their rent. Plaintiffs applied for rental housing but allege they were denied due to their “SafeRent Score,” a score derived from SafeRent’s algorithmic-based screening software. The Plaintiffs allege that SafeRent scores result in disparate impact against Black and Hispanic rental applicants because the underlying algorithm relies on certain factors that disproportionately disadvantage Black and Hispanic applicants, such as credit history and non-tenancy related debts, while failing to consider one highly relevant factor, the use of housing vouchers.

“Algorithms are written by people.  As such, they are susceptible to all of the biases, implicit or explicit, of the people that create them,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “As the housing industry and other professions adopt algorithms into their everyday decisions, there can be disparate impacts on certain protected communities. Stable and affordable housing provides a unique pathway to success, opportunity and safety. We must fiercely protect the rights and protections promulgated in the Fair Housing Act. Today’s filing recognizes that our 20th century civil rights laws apply to 21st century innovations.”

“Housing providers and tenant screening companies that use algorithms and data to screen tenants are not absolved from liability when their practices disproportionately deny people of color access to fair housing opportunities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This filing demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that the Fair Housing Act is appropriately applied in cases involving algorithms and tenant screening software.”

“Tenant screening policies are not exempt from the Fair Housing Act’s protections just because decisions are made by algorithm,” said Damon Smith, General Counsel for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Housing providers and tenant screening companies must ensure that all policies that exclude people from housing opportunities, whether based on algorithm or otherwise, do not have an unjustified disparate impact because of race, national origin or another protected characteristic.”   

Through the Statement of Interest, the Department seeks to assist the court by addressing two questions of law erroneously represented in the defendants’ motions to dismiss. First, the statement sets out the appropriate standard for pleading disparate impact claims under the FHA. Second, the statement clarifies that the FHA’s text and caselaw support the FHA’s application to companies providing residential screening services.

The Defendants in Louis et al v. SafeRent et al. have moved to have the case dismissed and Plaintiffs oppose defendants’ motions. The Justice Department’s Statement of Interest disagrees with the Defendants’ pleading standard for disparate impact claims and with SafeRent’s assertion that the FHA does not apply to companies like SafeRent. The motions to dismiss are now pending before the court.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Dorchak of Rollins’ Civil Rights Unit and Trial Attorney Kinara Flagg of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights

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

Jose Irizarry, 46, of Union City, N.J., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2023. 

The defendant and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. In a coordinated multi-jurisdictional effort, Irizarry was also charged in the State of New Jersey, and others involved in the scheme were also charged there, in the District of New Jersey, the Northern District of Ohio and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

    According to charging documents, between October 2017 and January 2019, Irizarry visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, the defendant provided stolen biographical information of real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards in those identities, as proof of identification. The defendant used the stolen identities to illegally open bank accounts and credit cards and purchase vehicles, many of which were exported out of the United States. Irizarry was charged with using stolen identities to obtain car loans and purchase three cars worth $140,124, collectively.
    
The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent 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 Nuzum and Adam Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.

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

BOSTON – The former Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Southern California (USC) was sentenced today for using her position to facilitate students’ admission as purported athletic recruits in exchange for money.

Donna Heinel, 61, of Long Beach, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to six months in prison and two years of supervised release. Heinel was also ordered to forfeit $160,000. In November 2021, Heinel pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud.         

As the Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women’s Administrator, Heinel was one of the highest-ranking members of the USC Athletics Department and served as the liaison between athletic coaches and the USC Admissions Department. Beginning in early 2014, Heinel solicited and received bribe payments from William “Rick” Singer and his clients to facilitate their children’s admission to USC as athletic recruits. For approximately four years, Heinel misled USC’s athletic admissions subcommittee by presenting the students as recruits to USC’s athletic teams when, in reality, the coaches had not recruited them and some did not even play the sport they were purportedly being recruited to play. In some cases, Heinel falsified students’ athletic credentials when presenting them to the athletic admissions subcommittee. In exchange, Heinel received more than $1 million in payments from Singer and his clients to university accounts she oversaw. In addition, Heinel received $160,000 in payments for her own personal benefit. In total, the subcommittee on athletic admissions approved the admission of approximately two dozen applicants Heinel presented as purported recruits.

Singer previously pleaded guilty and, on Jan. 4, 2023, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 42 months in prison.  

Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Terry Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney, Ian J. Stearns and Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A repeat convicted felon from the Dominican Republic with a criminal record that goes back nearly 19 years was sentenced on Jan. 4, 2023 in federal court in Boston for reentering the United States illegally after deportation.

Yonathan Leandro Villar, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 30 months in prison. Today’s sentence will run concurrent with a 78-month sentence Villar is currently serving in an unrelated state case. Villar will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In December 2020, Villar pleaded guilty to illegal reentry.

Villar illegally entered in United States in 1992 using a fraudulent passport. In October 2015, Villar was encountered by immigration officers who confirmed Villar was illegally present in the United States., In July 2016, he was removed from the United States after being released from federal custody for a false passport application conviction. Sometime thereafter, Villar reentered the United States without having received approval to reapply for admission. 

In August 2019 Villar was arrested in Foxboro and charged with narcotics and motor vehicle offenses. Fingerprints obtained from Villar at the time of his arrest positively matched those obtained prior to his removal from the United States in 2016. 

Villar has a criminal history that dates back almost 19 years with multiple convictions including for firearms, heroin offenses, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and attempt to fraudulently obtain a passport. He has more than 20 aliases, 15 false dates of births and nine false social security numbers.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Foxborough Police Chief Michael A. Grace made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Dominican man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to traffic multiple kilograms of heroin and fentanyl from the Dominican Republic to states on the East Coast. 

Kelvin Regalado, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of carfentanil; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute ketamine; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 10, 2023. Regalado was indicted in December 2020, along with co-defendant Marcos Cabrera, while he was residing in the Dominican Republic. Regalado was extradited to the United States in May 2022 after being taken into custody by Dominican authorities. 

From August 2019 through March 2020, in the Dominican Republic, Regalado conspired with Cabrera to deliver nearly three kilograms of heroin and carfentanil  to cooperating witnesses in New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Additionally, Regalado arranged to have one kilogram of fentanyl and one kilogram of ketamine sent to the cooperating witnesses through the mail in Massachusetts.

In January 2022, Cabrera was sentenced to 87 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. 

The charges of conspiracy and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of carfentanil provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute ketamine provide for a maximum of 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 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. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.

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 Springfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for drug trafficking charges involving fentanyl. 

Juan Jimenez, 48, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 83 months in prison and four years of supervised release. In April 2022, Jimenez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

On multiple occasions in May 2021, Jimenez sold fentanyl to an undercover agent. Specifically, on May 12, 2021, Jimenez met the undercover officer at a parking lot in Sturbridge where he provided the undercover agent with a package containing almost 50 grams of fentanyl. During the meeting, Jimenez expressed that he did not want to have “that much” on him and therefore intended to bring another individual to future meetings to handle transactions. On May 19, 2021, Jimenez drove himself and another individual to the same parking lot to meet with the undercover agent. There, Jimenez sent his accomplice to provide the undercover agent with a package containing 50 grams of fentanyl.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson; and Sturbridge Police Chief Earl Dessert made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Melrose man has been indicted in connection with possession and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Patrick Baxter, 42, was indicted on one count of  possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. Baxter will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. He was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in December 2022. 

According to the charging documents, Baxter downloaded CSAM from the internet on three occasions in June and July 2021. A computer hard drive seized during a search of Baxter’s residence was allegedly found to contain approximately 427 video files depicting CSAM.

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 10 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 the 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 Melrose Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – An Everett man pleaded guilty today to committing the February 2021 armed bank of a TD Bank branch in Allston.

Jamaine Howell, 36, 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. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 10, 2023. Howell was charged by criminal complaint in March 2021. 

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.

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

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence provides for an additional sentence of five years 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 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 is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A drug distributor for a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced today for his role in a conspiracy involving cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine).
 
Terrence Daye, 34, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2022, Daye pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.  

Daye was charged with 23 others in June 2020 as part of Operation Snowfall, which ultimately resulted in the charging of two different drug trafficking conspiracies during the overall period of November 2018 through June 2020. 

According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated a DTO in which Daye was a drug distributor. The DTO was comprised of Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the DTO assumed control over multiple apartments, which they used to store, cook, package and sell drugs – most of which consisted of cocaine or cocaine base, which the DTO supplied to customers, wholesalers and distributors. As a result, the DTO caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents. 

Daye is estimated to have distributed between approximately 100 and 200 grams of cocaine base during the conspiracy, and overall, between 300 and 400 grams of cocaine (including powder and base) during the course of his participation in the Fidelis Way DTO. Daye is the sixth defendant to be sentenced in the Fidelis Way drug conspiracy. The remaining defendants in the Fidelis Way conspiracy have all pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing. In the other charged conspiracy, the defendants are either pending sentencing or have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial. One defendant, Derek Hart, remains at large.
 
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Brian A. Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Timothy E. Moran of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – An Acton man pleaded guilty today in connection with a conspiracy to use stolen identities to fraudulently obtain disaster loan funds from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to launder the funds.  

Edwin Acevedo, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2023. Acevedo was arrested and charged along with co-conspirator Hector Garcia in August 2021.

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

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

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

The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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

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 – The orchestrator of a nationwide conspiracy that facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and the admission of students as fake athletic recruits to elite universities – including Georgetown, Stanford, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), the University of Texas, Wake Forest and Yale – was sentenced today in federal court in Boston. 

William “Rick” Singer, 62, of St. Petersburg, Fla., formerly of Newport Beach, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Singer was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,668,841 to the Internal Revenue Service and to forfeit specific assets with a value in excess of $5.3 million and approximately $3.4 million in the form of a forfeiture money judgment. In March 2019, Singer pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice. 

“Rick Singer was the architect of a sprawling criminal enterprise that corrupted the admissions process at several of the nation’s most elite universities. His decade-long scheme resembled something out of a Hollywood movie. He courted the entitled, rich and famous, who were so desperate for their children to secure college admission, that they lied, cheated and bribed to get them in,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “While this historic case generated headlines around the globe with privilege, celebrity and entitlement at its core, it also exposed the profound failings in the college admissions process. There should not be a separate college admissions process for the rich, powerful and entitled. This case exposed that there is. But it also resulted in meaningful changes in the college admissions process and I am incredibly proud of that.”

“Rick Singer was the mastermind of a massive criminal enterprise that undermined the college admissions process at universities all across the country. Fueled by pure and simple greed, Mr. Singer raked in millions of dollars in his corrupt scheme in which he rigged the system, making it much easier for far less qualified students and their families to buy their way into some of this country’s most elite universities. With every bribe he paid, he sold out hardworking students a little more. There is no question the damage he has done is profound and today’s sentence shows that there are significant consequences for his criminal conduct,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Operation Varsity Blues uncovered a bold and shameless decade-long scheme that undercut hard-working students trying to get into these prestigious universities the right way. Everyone we’ve arrested, charged, and convicted to date were integral to the scheme’s success, but without Rick Singer, they never would have succeeded.”

“Access to a quality education is a key pillar of our society and the American institutions that are educating our future leaders are second to none. But maintaining fairness in the access to these great institutions is also a vital part of this system,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston. “Today’s sentence should send a clear message and serve as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar fraudulent schemes.” 

“Today’s action shows that Mr. Singer abused his position to help scores of parents cheat their way through the college admissions process. In doing so, he damaged the reputation of the schools and hurt legitimate students who sought admission to those schools. That is unacceptable,” said Terry Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office.

Singer owned and operated the Edge College & Career Network LLC (The Key) – a for-profit college counseling and preparation business – and served as the CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF) – a non-profit corporation that he established as a purported charity to provide educational and self-enrichment programs for disadvantaged youth.

Between approximately 2011 and February 2019, Singer conspired with dozens of parents, athletic coaches, a university athletics administrator, and others, to use bribery and other forms of fraud to secure the admission of students to colleges and universities including Georgetown, Stanford, UCLA, USC, the University of Texas, Wake Forest and Yale. The conspiracy involved paying off test proctors and administrators to permit cheating on college entrance exams and bribing university athletic coaches and administrators to designate applicants as purported athletic recruits based on fabricated credentials. 

Singer facilitated cheating on the SAT and ACT exams for his clients by instructing them to seek extended time for their children on college entrance exams, which often involved having the children purport to have learning disabilities in order to obtain the required medical documentation. Once the extended time was granted, Singer instructed the clients to change the location of the exams to a test center where corrupt test proctors took the exams in place of the students, gave the students the correct answers during the exams, or corrected the students’ answers after they completed the exams, and corrupt test administrators permitted the cheating to occur. In many instances, the students taking the exams were unaware that their parents had arranged for the cheating. 

Singer also accepted payments from parents to bribe coaches and university athletics administrators to designate their children as purported athletic recruits, regardless of their athletic experience or abilities. As part of the scheme, Singer directed his associates to create falsified athletic “profiles” for the students, which were then submitted to the university admissions offices in support of the students’ applications. The profiles included fake athletic honors and, in some instances, staged or photoshopped photos purporting to show the students engaged in athletic activity.

To conceal the scheme, Singer used the Key Worldwide Foundation to disguise bribe payments as purported charitable contributions, thereby enabling clients to deduct the bribes from their federal income taxes. In total, Singer accepted more than $25 million from his clients as part of the scheme – of which he paid bribes totaling more than $7 million and transferred, spent, or otherwise used more than $15 million for his own benefit.

In total, 55 defendants [i] were charged for their involvement in Singer’s exam cheating and athletic recruitment conspiracy. Of those, 53 were convicted – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial. One defendant received a Presidential Pardon and one defendant entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the government. To date, the government has collected $8,880,802 in forfeiture from seized bank accounts, real estate and voluntary payments, $5,682,954 in fines and $96,960 in restitution. For more information on defendants charged in the conspiracy, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme 

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta, IRS SAC Simpson and DOE-OIG SAC Harris made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney, Ian J. Stearns and Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Forfeiture Unit, prosecuted the case.
 

____________________

[i] The Singer-led scheme involved 55 defendants (this number includes Singer). This number does not include two defendants, Amin Khoury and Robert Repella, who conspired separately with former Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst, a defendant in the Singer scheme, but were not themselves involved in the Singer scheme.

BOSTON – A Fall River man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly robbing four separate banks in Massachusetts within a five-day period and attempting to rob a fifth bank. 

William Sequeira, 59, was indicted on four counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. Sequeira was previously charged by criminal complaint on Nov. 18, 2022 with one count of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery.

According to the charging documents, between Sept. 26, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2022, Sequeira robbed four separate banks in the Fall River and Boston areas. Specifically, it is alleged that Sequeira robbed: a Citizens Bank branch in Fall River on Sept. 26, 2022; a Santander Bank branch in Boston on Sept. 27, 2022; a M&T Bank branch in Boston on Sept. 28, 2022; and a TD Bank branch in Boston on Sept. 30, 2022. During the TD Bank robbery on Sept. 30, 2022 in Boston, Sequeira allegedly approached a teller and stated, “give me all the $100s in the drawer,” and “give me all the money before I blow your brains out,” before fleeing on foot with money from the teller.

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

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

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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ 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 Worcester man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly transferring obscene material to a 14-year-old minor over social media.

Andrew James Gallagher, 28, was indicted on one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor. He was arraigned in federal court in Worcester on Dec. 23, 2022 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy and released on conditions. Gallagher was previously charged by criminal complaint on Dec. 5, 2022 and arrested the following day. 

According to the charging document, in April 2022, Gallagher contacted the victim using a social media platform. It is alleged that Gallagher asked, “are you underage at all?” to which the minor victim replied identifying himself as 14 years old. Gallagher then allegedly sent two obscene images of himself to the minor victim, expressed interest in meeting with the minor victim in person and asked the minor victim to send an explicit video of himself to Gallagher. 

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigation’s in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Omaha Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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

BOSTON – A Dominican man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly reentering the United States and distributing fentanyl after previously being deported.  

Juan Carlos Santos-Ocasio, a/k/a “Cristhian Aybar-Done,” 40, was indicted on one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Santos-Ocasio appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell on Dec. 23, 2022 and remains in federal custody. He was previously arrested and charged on Nov. 29, 2022.

In October 2007, Santos-Ocasio was arrested in the Bronx, N.Y., on heroin distribution conspiracy charges. Santos-Ocasio is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and did not have legal authority to be present in the United States. In November 2008, Santos-Ocasio pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to heroin distribution conspiracy and was subsequently sentenced to 37 months in prison. He was removed from the United States upon completion of his sentence in the summer of 2010.  

Sometime after his removal, Santos-Ocasio allegedly reentered the United States unlawfully. In November 2022, he was arrested in Lawrence for allegedly reentering the United States without authorization. According to the indictment, in addition to the charge of being in the U.S. without authorization, Santos-Ocasio also allegedly distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

The charge of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – Natick-based intravenous (IV) infusion pump manufacturer Zyno Medical, LLC (Zyno), has agreed to pay $493,140 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act.  

The settlement resolves allegations that Zyno knowingly distributed defective IV administration sets that were used to deliver controlled dosages of chemotherapy and other medications to Medicare beneficiaries. As part of the settlement, Zyno has admitted that it knew as early as November 2015, that certain of its administration sets were defective, that the defect had caused leaks during the infusion of medication, and that the defect had the potential to cause such leaks during future infusion treatments. Zyno did not issue a recall for the affected medical administration sets, however, and even continued to sell affected medical administration sets for a certain period. In July 2016, Zyno finally issued a recall notice to its customers. 

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims that whistleblowers brought under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  In connection with today’s settlement, the whistleblowers will receive twenty percent of the recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Bertucci, et al. v. Zyno Medical LLC, et al., No. 20-cv-10388-WGY (D. Mass.).  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Principal Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, Head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles B. Weinograd of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit and Trial Attorney Joanna G. Persio of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, handled the matter. 

BOSTON – A Worcester husband and wife have been arrested in connection on sex trafficking charges.

Kiersten Soto, 29, and Moises Soto, 30, were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and one count of traveling or using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activities. The defendants were arrested on Dec. 16, 2022 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell, were detained.
    
According to the indictment, from February through May 2022, the Sotos used force, fraud and coercion to traffic a victim for commercial sex in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Additionally, Kiersten Soto was charged with traveling and using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activities, specifically prostitution, in violation of the Travel Act.

The charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion each provide for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of traveling or using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activities, specifically prostitution, provides for a sentence oof up to five 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 Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Marlboro and Worcester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Leah B. Foley of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Vermont man was sentenced on Dec. 14, 2022 in federal court in Boston for his role in a cocaine conspiracy.  

Lorenzo Deconinck, 60, of Jamaica, Vt., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to time served (approximately one day in prison) and two years of supervised release, with the first six months of supervised release to be served in home confinement. In September 2019, Deconinck pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Deconinck conspired with David Cruz and others to distribute cocaine in Massachusetts. Specifically, between 2015 and 2016, Cruz obtained cocaine from sources in Mexico and transported it to the Springfield area via concealed compartments in a Nissan Juke. Deconinck then purchased more than 50 grams of cocaine from Cruz with the intent to distribute it. 

Cruz previously pleaded guilty to drug and firearms offenses and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today.  Assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, the DEA’s Carlsbad (Calif.) Resident Office and Westfield (Mass.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil L. Desroches, Catherine G. Curley and Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role leading a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy reaching from Boston to Brockton to Cape Cod.

Djuna Goncalves, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 230 months, or more than 19 years, in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2021, Goncalves pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana; possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base and marijuana; being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. 

“Djuna Goncalves was the leader of a violent drug trafficking operation that, for years, fueled serious and deadly crimes involving guns and including murders that plagued neighborhoods across our Commonwealth,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This office will continue to prioritize protecting our communities by finding and prosecuting the drug traffickers and violent offenders who terrorize our neighborhoods. If you fall into that category, consider yourself warned.”

“Djuna Goncalves was the leader of a violent drug crew responsible for moving vast quantities of fentanyl and other deadly drugs throughout southeastern Massachusetts. While they turned a profit, people and their families were tormented by the forces of drug use and addiction,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations New England Field Office. “HSI is committed to dismantling and disrupting drug trafficking operations to stop the flow of drugs into New England. We’re proud to join our partners to announce today’s sentence.”

“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals like Mr. Goncalves who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl and heroin,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Goncalves accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic with deadly drugs in order to profit and destroy people’s lives.  DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison.”

In the fall of 2018, law enforcement began investigating a violent Brockton drug crew headed by Djuna Goncalves. The investigation revealed that Djuna Goncalves worked with his brothers (and co-defendants) Cody and Tony Goncalves and others to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, cocaine base and marijuana throughout southeastern Massachusetts from a base of operations in Brockton. The investigation also targeted several Boston-based drug suppliers to the Goncalves brothers. Large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cash, a loaded handgun, and an AK-47 assault rifle were seized from Djuna Goncalves, who had previously been convicted of two prior drug distribution offenses.

In all, 17 defendants, including Djuna Goncalves, were indicted as part of a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy. Djuna Goncalves was the last defendant to be sentenced.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; HSI SAC Millhollin; DEA SAC Boyle; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Alathea E. Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Lawrence woman was sentenced in federal court in Boston yesterday for a drug trafficking offense in connection with her role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

Danybelkis Vasquez-Rodrigue, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, to 45 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Aug. 30, 2022, Vasquez-Rodrigue was convicted following a five-day trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. 

In November 2020, law enforcement began an investigation into Rodriguez-Ruiz, who had been identified as a Lawrence-based drug supplier. On Nov. 24, 2020, Rodriguez-Ruiz distributed nearly one kilogram of fentanyl to a cooperating witness. In exchange for the fentanyl, Vasquez-Rodrigue collected $42,000 from the cooperating witness.  Through small payments to multiple individuals through local money remitting businesses, Vasquez-Rodrigue then transmitted those drug proceeds to the fentanyl supplier in Mexico. 

On Sept. 9, 2022, Rodriguez-Ruiz was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously being convicted of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. 

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 case was investigated by the FBI’s Strike Force including the Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
 
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division have entered into an Agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC) to resolve its investigation into the treatment of incarcerated individuals with acute mental health issues. 

The Settlement Agreement resolves the United States’ claim that the DOC engaged in a pattern or practice of constitutional violations under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

“As prosecutors, we have a duty to enforce criminal laws which can result in sending people to carceral facilities. We also have a duty to ensure that once someone is incarcerated and in the custody and control of a state, local or federal government, that they receive constitutional treatment and adequate mental and physical health care. In the instant case, our investigation found unconstitutional conditions and circumstances where incarcerated people in mental health crisis harmed themselves up to and including suicide,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We must provide better mental health treatment in our carceral facilities. Statistics show that far too many of the incarcerated population suffers from significant mental health and substance use disorders, among other severe things. Moving forward, we will be working closely with DOC to address and correct the serious issues and violations identified in our November 2020 Notice. This agreement is the product of hard work and collaboration and offers many innovative solutions. Specifically, the creation of a Stabilization Unit, a newly established civilian Support Person position, as well as mandatory out-of-cell mental health contacts. With these innovations, we intend for Massachusetts to become the gold standard in mental health supervision and treatment for incarcerated individuals. DOC could become an example for the nation.” 

“Our investigation found that Massachusetts’ prisons subjected incarcerated people in mental health crisis to prolonged periods of restrictive housing conditions, instead of providing them constitutionally adequate mental health care and supervision,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement ensures heightened supervision, increased out-of-cell contact with mental health staff, and intensive mental health care in a new treatment-focused housing unit when needed.  These reforms will help ensure people receive the services they need when they are in crisis.”

Under the Agreement, the DOC will improve policies and training related to mental health care for incarcerated individuals. These improvements will ensure that individuals in mental health crisis receive three daily mental health contacts; that support staff interact with them while they are on a mental health watch; and that the DOC develop a new unit to provide more intensive mental health treatment for individuals in mental health crisis who are not improving while on mental health watch. In addition, the DOC will provide better documentation of increasing mental health treatment for incarcerated individuals experiencing prolonged mental health crisis. The DOC’s Mental Health Director will now have a role in determining the cell conditions and privileges for anyone on a mental health watch. 

The Agreement also provides for the appointment of an independent monitor, Dr. Reena Kapoor, to ensure compliance with this Agreement. Dr. Kapoor is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. She has previously served on legal monitoring teams that assessed mental health care in prison systems and has published extensively on the intersection between solitary confinement and mental illness. Dr. Kapoor will assess the DOC’s implementation of the Agreement’s requirements; review clinical determinations to ensure adequate mental health treatment for individuals in mental health crisis is being provided; and file public reports on compliance with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and DOJ’s Civil Rights Division on the progress. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Civil Rights Division initiated the investigation of the DOC in October 2018 under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, enacted in 1980. This law authorizes the Attorney General to file a lawsuit to address the rights of individuals in institutionalized settings. In November 2020, the Department announced findings that the DOC violated the constitutional rights of incarcerated individuals in mental health crisis. The Department found that the DOC did not adequately supervise incarcerated individuals in mental health crisis, did not provide them adequate mental health care and used prolonged mental health watches under restrictive housing conditions. 

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts and the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice. This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer A. Serafyn, Chief of Rollins’s Civil Rights Unit and Michelle Leung and Gregory Dorchak also with Rollins’s Civil Rights Unit.

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Unit please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.