District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in connection with the robbery of a TD Bank branch in Cambridge.

Jamall Copeland, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2023. Copeland was charged by criminal complaint in May 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2022.

On April 27, 2022, an unknown male – later identified as Copeland – entered the TD Bank located at 1270 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge at approximately 1:45 p.m. and handed the teller a demand note that stated, “Give up all Hundreds! AN 50's Robbery!” Copeland obtained $1,455 in cash and fled the scene. Following the robbery, law enforcement recovered a fingerprint from the demand note that matched the known fingerprint of Copeland.

According to court records, Copeland was released from state prison in December 2021 and has a criminal history including charges related to murder, kidnapping, drug and firearms offenses, armed robbery and assault with intent to murder. 

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 Cambridge Police Chief Christine Elow made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Weymouth man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a sophisticated, multi-year market manipulation conspiracy involving securities traded on securities exchanges within the United States, including the New York Stock Exchange and NADSAQ.

Jiali Wang, 44, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to time served (three months in prison) and nine months of home detention. Wang was also ordered to forfeit $7.75 million in illicit proceeds. On Aug. 5, 2022, Wang pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. 

From approximately 2013 through at least 2018, Wang participated in the manipulative trading activity of a group of securities traders located in China and, at times, in Massachusetts. Specifically, Wang and his co-conspirators used multiple brokerage accounts in their names, and in the names of others with whom Wang had a relationship, to artificially depress or inflate the prices of thinly traded securities. They did so by repeatedly placing relatively small sell (or buy) orders designed to send a false signal about a security’s supply (or demand) and to depress (or inflate) the security’s price. Wang and his co-conspirators then immediately placed relatively large buy (or sell) orders on the other side of the market to take advantage of their manipulations. Once the large orders executed, Wang and his co-conspirators cancelled their outstanding manipulative orders.

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. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A former co-owner of the now-defunct New England Compounding Center (NECC) was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with conspiring to defraud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Gregory Conigliaro, 57, of Southborough, Mass. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year in prison and one year of supervised release. In December 2018, Conigliaro was convicted following a 41-day jury trial of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. 

Conigliaro was the Vice President and General Manager of NECC and served as NECC’s primary point of contact with federal and state regulators. Conigliaro conspired with the former co-owner of NECC and head pharmacist, Barry Cadden, and others at NECC to misrepresent to the FDA and the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy that NECC was operating as a pharmacy dispensing drugs only pursuant to patient-specific prescriptions, when, in reality, NECC was shipping drugs in bulk across the nation for over a decade, evading regulatory oversight through fraud and misrepresentation.  

Though he was well aware that NECC was routinely shipping drugs to customers throughout the country without patient-specific prescriptions, from 2002 through 2012, Conigliaro (and his co-conspirators) always represented to the FDA and the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy that NECC was only dispensing drugs pursuant to valid, patient-specific prescriptions—even going so far as to create fraudulent prescriptions and present them to regulators to conceal NECC’s true activities.

Through this deceit, Conigliaro and NECC were able to avoid the FDA’s oversight authority—and the FDA’s requirement that drug-manufacturers follow cGMPs—and operate in a slipshod, unsafe manner, ultimately leading to a tragic outbreak of fungal meningitis that killed more than one hundred individuals and injured many hundreds more. 

“Mr. Conigliaro and his co-conspirators repeatedly made the choice to put their greed over patient safety,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “In turn, nearly 800 patients suffered terribly and over 100 died. Today's sentence sends a clear message to healthcare executives – if you lie to regulators, the outcomes can be deadly and we will hold you accountable.”

The criminal case in this matter arose from the nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis that was traced back to contaminated vials of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) manufactured by NECC. In 2012, nearly 800 patients in 20 states were diagnosed with a fungal infection after receiving injections of MPA manufactured by NECC, and more than 100 patients died as a result. The outbreak was the largest public health crisis ever caused by a contaminated pharmaceutical drug.

In December 2014, following a two-year investigation, Conigliaro and 13 other owners, employees and associates of NECC were charged in a 131-count indictment. The indictment did not charge Conigliaro with having any role in the drug manufacturing operations of NECC.

On July 7, 2021, Cadden was resentenced, following the government’s successful appeal of his original sentence, to 174 months in prison and ordered to pay forfeiture of $1.4 million and restitution of $82 million. On July 21, 2021, Glenn Chin was resentenced, following the government’s successful appeal of his original sentence, to 126 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Chin was also ordered to pay forfeiture of approximately $473,584 and restitution in the amount of $82 million.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D.; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda P.M. Strachan, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Looney of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Tewksbury woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for stealing over $64,000 from the local bank branch where she was employed.

Gina Rogers, 46, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to three years of supervised release with three months served in home detention. Rogers was also ordered to pay restitution of $64,495 to Citizens Bank. On Aug. 10, 2022, Rogers pleaded guilty to one count of bank theft. 
  
While working as a teller and vault custodian at a Citizens Bank branch in Woburn, Rogers stole $64,496 in bank deposits. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Waltham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A former bank manager was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for falsely inflating taxpayer’s federal income tax refunds and diverting a portion of those refunds to accounts controlled by him and others.  

Christian Zynga, 47, formerly of Everett, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to time served and two years of supervised release with the first six months to be served in home detention. Zynga was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 and restitution to the Internal Revenue Service of $194,305. In October 2021, Zynga pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. 

From 2012 to 2018, Zynga and co-conspirator Boris Shadari held Shadari out to be a tax professional, particularly for the Congolese community of Greater Boston. Until 2017, they took their customers’ tax information to a legitimate tax professional and provided the tax professional with false information concerning their customers’ dependents, dependent and childcare expenses and business income and losses in order to inflate the customers’ federal income tax refunds. They then caused the refunds to be split between the customers’ bank accounts and accounts they and their co-conspirators controlled. 

From 2017 to 2018, Zynga and Shadari prepared customers’ tax returns themselves while continuing to inflate refunds by adding false information to the returns and diverting a portion of the customers’ refunds to themselves or accounts they or their co-conspirators controlled. The scheme resulted in a tax loss of more than $500,000. Among other things, Zynga, who worked as a bank manager, opened bank accounts in others’ names for the purpose of receiving the fraudulent federal income tax refunds. Zynga also provided Shadari with the names and Social Security numbers of children of an associate who was living abroad at the time so that they could be falsely listed as dependents on returns.  

On Aug. 2, 2022, Shadari was sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the scheme. Shadari was also ordered to pay restitution of $496,082.

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 Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Dracut man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with the armed robbery of three convenience stores in Lowell and Tewksbury on Dec. 24, 2020.

Michael Vangpa, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 150 months in prison and five of supervised release. On July 21, 2022, Vangpa pleaded guilty to three counts of interfering with commerce by robbery and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

On Dec. 24, 2020, Vangpa robbed three nearby convenience stores—two in Lowell and one in Tewksbury—within an hour. In each of the robberies, Vangpa brandished a firearm and demanded money from the store clerks. During one of the robberies, Vangpa discharged the firearm into cardboard boxes under the register while demanding money. In the other robberies, he used the firearm to strike the cashier in the head and make a store customer get on the ground.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Lowell, Tewksbury, Dracut and Nashua (N.H.) Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Spencer man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Joseph Michael Smith, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni who scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2023. Smith was arrested and charged in November 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022.

Investigators received several tips that CSAM was shared from messenger accounts tied to Smith’s address. During a search of Smith’s residence on Nov. 10, 2021, a USB drive was seized, and a forensic analysis revealed 35 videos depicting children as young as two-years-old being sexually abused, as well as over 300 images on child sexual exploitation that had downloaded to, and deleted from, the USB drive.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Spencer Police Chief David Darrin made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Lawrence man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to fentanyl distribution charges.

Rafael Sierra-Baez, 42, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2022 to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for March 28, 2023. Sierra-Baez was arrested and charged on May 19, 2022.

On five separate occasions between Feb. 22, 2022 and May 4, 2022, Sierra-Baez sold suspected fentanyl to a law enforcement cooperating witness in Methuen.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Fall River Police Officer was arrested today in connection with an alleged assault with a baton on a man in Fall River Police custody.

Nicholas M. Hoar, 35, was indicted on one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of false reports. Hoar was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston today at 1:45pm before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell.

According to the indictment, on Dec. 21, 2020, while on duty as an officer with the Fall River Police Department, Hoar struck an individual who had been arrested in the forehead with a baton, resulting in bodily injury to the arrestee. The indictment further alleges that, on Dec. 21 and Dec. 22, 2020, Hoar submitted two reports which omitted any mention of the fact that he had struck the arrestee in the forehead with a baton. 

The charge of deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false reports provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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 Kristina E. Barclay of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Boston man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine).

Josiah Watkins, 26, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 28 grams or more of cocaine base and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 28, 2023. Watkins was arrested and charged in April 2021.

In February 2021, law enforcement opened an investigation into drug trafficking activities conducted by Watkins and, allegedly, his co-defendant London Lee. The investigation revealed that Watkins and his co-defendant were actively selling cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl in the Boston area. Between February and April 2021, Watkins sold or arranged the sale of crack cocaine and fentanyl in at least 10 separate controlled purchases. His co-defendant has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial.

The charge of conspiracy to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

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

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

BOSTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to performing a lewd act aboard an aircraft in flight from Newark to Boston on Friday, April 8, 2022.

Donald Edward Robinson, 76, of Bonita Springs, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler scheduled sentencing for March 2, 2023. Robinson was arrested and charged on April 10, 2022.

On or about April 8, 2022, Robinson engaged in masturbation and exposed himself to a 21-year-old female passenger seated next to him while onboard a flight from Newark to Boston. Robinson then placed his hand on top of the victim’s thigh without her consent.

Shortly after departure, the victim recorded a 24-second video of Robinson fondling and manipulating his penis through his pants. A short time later, the victim looked over and saw that Robinson had exposed his penis. Approximately five minutes before landing, Robinson placed his hand on the victim’s thigh, prompting the victim to ask why he was touching her, to which Robinson withdrew his hand and looked out the window. The victim then got the attention of another passenger and displayed a message on her phone, “Hi, this man assaulted me and touched my leg and is masturbating.”

During the deplaning process, the victim approached a flight attendant about the incident but was unable to point Robinson out due to the volume of passengers deplaning. Security footage captured Robinson, upon exiting the secure area of the terminal, repeatedly looking back in the direction from which he came while proceeding to the baggage carousel level.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

Jonathan Alcequiez-Sanchez, 35, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Alcequiez-Sanchez is currently in the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Alcequiez-Sanchez was deported from the United States on Sept. 18, 2018, after being arrested in the Bronx, N.Y. for unlawful entry. It is alleged that sometime after his September 2018 removal, Alcequiez-Sanchez illegally reentered the United States.

On or about Dec. 27, 2021, Alcequiez-Sanchez was convicted in Lawrence District Court of drug distribution and weapons charges for which he was sentenced to serve jail time at the Essex County House of Corrections. Alcequiez-Sanchez was taken into federal custody upon his release on Nov. 15, 2022.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. 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 Ludlow man has been arrested for a child pornography offense.

Robert Avrett, 41, was charged with distribution of child pornography. Avrett was arrested on Nov. 21, 2022 and was detained following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson.

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

The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to sending threatening communications to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Drummond Neil Smithson, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of use of interstate communications to transmit a threat to injure. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Feb. 2, 2023 in federal court in Worcester. Smithson was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 12, 2022. 

On or about July 19, 2020, Smithson, an Army veteran, mailed a threatening communication from Ayer, Mass., to the Department of Veterans Affairs threatening to injure members of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots organization advocating for the end to gun violence. In the letter, Smithson threatened, among other things, “If you take my pension there is going to be retaliation,” and, “You take my pension and the second I get out of prison I will go to a Moms Demand Action meeting […] Try me.”

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General; Federal Bureau of Investigations, Miami Field Office; and Federal Medical Center, Devens, Special Investigations Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action today against a manuscript signed by Conquistador Hernando Cortés in 1527, believed to have been unlawfully removed from the Archivo General de la Nación de México – Mexico’s national archives located in Mexico City – sometime before 1993. It is a violation of federal law to transport or receive stolen goods valued at more than $5,000 that have traveled in foreign or interstate commerce.   

The manuscript is a payment order signed by Cortés on April 27, 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar for the pharmacy in exchange 12 gold pesos. It is believed to be one of several documents unlawfully removed from a collection of documents concerning a Spanish expedition to Central America in 1527 that is housed in Mexico’s national archives.

According to the civil complaint, earlier this year an individual consigned the Cortés manuscript for online auction at a Massachusetts auction house. Mexican authorities alerted federal authorities that the manuscript being auctioned appeared to have been stolen. In turn, the auction house removed the manuscript from the upcoming auction and the manuscript was recovered.

“As a result of exceptional work by the Asset Recovery Unit in our office and our law enforcement partners, this historic artifact has been recovered. Mexico, like the United States, has national archives and the Cortés manuscript is nearly five centuries old. Our goal in filing today's forfeiture action is to return the manuscript to its rightful owner,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.

“Thanks to the hard work of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with the assistance of the General Archives of Mexico, we were able to track down and authenticate this historic manuscript signed by Conquistador Hernando Cortés in 1527, three decades after it was stolen,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. “The recovery of this national treasure stolen from Mexico and its people not only preserves an important part of Mexico’s history, but reflects the FBI’s ongoing commitment to pursue justice for victims of crime here and abroad. Our investigation into how this priceless artifact ended up in Massachusetts continues, and we look forward to the day when we can return it to the Government of Mexico.”

In 2021, a number of colonial-era documents believed to have been stolen from Mexico’s national archives and placed for auction in the United States were recovered and repatriated to Mexico, including some signed by Cortés.

Anyone with information on stolen art and cultural property are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips may also be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov/.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The civil forfeiture action is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit.

The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations. 

BOSTON – Two Hyannis men have been indicted for being felons in possession of a firearm. 

Donnell Pina, 50, and Ryan Diefenbach, 31, were indicted on one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The defendants were detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Nov. 17, 2022 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal. Diefenbach was remanded to federal custody following a detention hearing this afternoon.

According to the indictment, in September 2021, Pina and Diefenbach possessed a Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle. Due to multiple previous felony convictions for heroin trafficking in 2007, 2013 and 2014, Pina is considered an armed career criminal prohibited from possessing firearms. Diefenbach is also prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions.

The charge of being a felon in possession provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Due to Pina’s status as an armed career criminal, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. 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 United States Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

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

BOSTON – A Brookline man has been arrested for illegally possessing a machinegun. 

Stewart Silvestri, 24, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun and was detained on Nov. 18, 2022 following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein.

“The alleged conduct here is incredibly serious. Mr. Silvestri allegedly possessed eight unserialized and untraceable ghost guns. These dangerous weapons are nearly impossible to trace and directly contribute to the ongoing plague of gun violence we see across the nation and in our Commonwealth. Moreover, two of the firearms Mr. Silvestri allegedly possessed were machineguns capable of causing extreme harm, destruction and even mass casualties in the blink of an eye,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Firearms, including ghost guns, are deadly weapons and those who illegally possess them are a potential threat to the safety of our neighborhoods. We will identify and prosecute these individuals and seek pre-trial detention whenever possible if it will result in keeping those that pose this type of danger off our streets.”

“The illegal possession of fully automatic “ghost guns” is a federal crime that ATF takes very seriously as it threatens the safety of our communities.” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division. “ATF will continue to work tirelessly with our local state and federal partners to investigate and arrest those who illegally possess firearms.”

According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 15, 2022, law enforcement responded to multiple calls for an erratic driver on Route 95 in Rowley, Mass., who had pulled into a weigh station. Upon arriving at the weigh station, law enforcement approached the driver – Silvestri – who stated he had just come from an armory in New Hampshire. When asking for his license and registration, law enforcement observed Silvestri allegedly sitting on what appeared to be firearms. According to the charging document, a subsequent search of the vehicle recovered eight privately made firearms (also known as ghost guns), hundreds of rounds of ammunition and numerous firearm parts. Two of the firearms were fully automatic pistols, classified as machineguns. 

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

U.S. Attorney Rollins; ATF SAC Ferguson; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng 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.

The details contained in the complaint 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 for a drug distribution offense involving fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue known as para-fluorofentanyl.

Melvin Cordero, 40, was indicted on one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl. Cordero was arrested yesterday morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley, was detained pending a hearing set for Nov. 30, 2022.

According to the indictment, on or about March 15, 2022, Cordero distributed fentanyl and fentanyl analogue in the Boston area. At Cordero’s detention hearing on Nov. 22, 2022, it was specifically alleged that Cordero sold approximately 7,000 pills containing fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl to a government agent. It was further alleged that Cordero attempted to sell a pill press to an undercover officer, and that officers seized the pill press after Cordero’s arrest.

The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

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 Barnstable man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to child exploitation offenses.

Atticus J. Bernard, 22, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2022 to two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Feb. 17, 2023. Bernard was arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2021. He has remained in federal custody.

On two separate occasions in November 2019 and October 2020, Bernard sexually exploited two minor girls under the age of five-years-old and who were known to him. Bernard documented the abuse and exploitation and possessed the child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. A search of Bernard’s phone in January 2021 revealed numerous photos of Bernard exploiting the minor victims on the reported dates. 

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit 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/.

BOSTON – A Holyoke man associated with the CJNG (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion) drug cartel has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges involving fentanyl.

Josue Rivera Rodriguez, a/k/a “Bori,” 45, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6, 2023. Rodriguez was arrested and charged in April 2021.

“The CJNG cartel is one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico. Mr. Rodriguez conspired to bring CJNG’s violent drug trafficking operations into our Commonwealth. Because of the exceptional work of our law enforcement partners, he failed,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Not only did he distribute considerable quantities of fentanyl on behalf of the cartel into our communities, agents also seized deadly firearms from his home – including a fully automatic AR-15 machinegun and several handguns fitted with laser sight. These weapons are far too excessive and powerful for any claim of self-defense. They are designed for destruction and harm. Stopping the flow of illegal narcotics from entering into our communities remains the most critical step in combating violent criminal activity directly at its source.”

"Josue Rivera Rodriguez trafficked deadly fentanyl all over Massachusetts including Watertown, Revere, Holyoke, and Springfield for one of the largest and most violent transnational criminal organizations operating in Mexico and the United States. Equally troubling is what we found when we took him into custody— a cache of high-powered weapons, including an AR-15 assault rifle, a bullet proof vest, and even a police hat with insignia,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This case illustrates the FBI’s commitment to removing large-scale drug traffickers like Rodriguez who are a clear and present danger to our communities from our streets before they can ruin any more lives.”

“DEA is committed to investigating those involved with drug trafficking in Massachusetts,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England 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.”

Rodriguez was recorded delivering $35,000 to a cooperating witness and using a code indicating that the money was intended for the CJNG cartel. Thereafter, on three occasions in 2020 and 2021, Rodriquez was recorded distributing over 750 grams of fentanyl to the cooperating witness.

At the time of his arrest in April 2021, approximately 300 grams of fentanyl; an AR-15 assault rifle; five semi-automatic pistols, including handguns capable of carrying large-caliber ammunition and fitted with a laser sight; a bullet-proof vest; a police hat with insignia; packaging materials; cellphones; a money counter; and $1,900 cash was seized from Rodriguez’s residence.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl provide for a sentence of at least 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 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta, DEA SAC Boyle and Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febbo made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Fall River man has been charged in connection with robbing a TD Bank branch in downtown Boston.

William Sequeira, 59, was charged with one count of bank robbery and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, on Sept. 30, 2022, a white male – later identified as Sequeira – entered the TD Bank branch on Union Street in Boston. Once inside, 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.” Sequeira fled on foot after obtaining money from the teller. It is alleged that surveillance footage of the robbery and subsequent interviews positively identified Sequeira as the robber.

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 charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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 Springfield man pleaded guilty today to a drug offense involving fentanyl distribution.

Christian Camacho, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for April 13, 2023. Camacho was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in May 2022.

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

The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a fine of $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

BOSTON – A New Bedford man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.

David Acosta, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Alison D. Burroughs who scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6, 2023. Acosta was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2021.

On Oct. 22, 2020, Acosta was found in possession of a loaded Glock .45 caliber pistol and 10 rounds of assorted .45 caliber ammunition. Co-defendant, Marquise Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to three years of supervised release on Nov. 15, 2022.

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

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 New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – An East Brookfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for unlawfully operating a helicopter, making false statements to federal investigators and attempting to tamper with a witness.

Antonio Santonastaso, 62, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to eight months in prison and one year of supervised release. On April 5, 2022, Santonastaso was convicted by a federal jury of one count of serving as an airman without an airman certificate, one count of making false statements to federal agents and one count of attempted witness tampering.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revoked Santonastaso’s license to pilot an aircraft in 2000, after he participated in the theft of a helicopter from Norwood Memorial Airport. Despite being aware of that revocation, Santonastaso operated a Robinson R-22 helicopter – taking off and landing from his backyard – more than 50 times between April 28, 2018, and Nov. 11, 2018.

When questioned by the FAA, Santonastaso made false statements regarding his eligibility to pilot the helicopter. Specifically, Santonastaso falsely claimed that the events that gave rise to the FAA’s revocation of his license were a fabrication. Evidence at trial also established that Santonastaso attempted to corruptly persuade an individual with the intent to hinder, delay and prevent that individual from reporting his illegal helicopter flights to law enforcement.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Danial Bennett of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday for racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracies stemming from his involvement in the Boston-based street gang, NOB.

Wilson Goncalves-Mendes, a/k/a “Dub,” 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 12 years in prison and four years of supervised release. On June 16, 2022, Goncalves-Mendes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity – commonly known as RICO conspiracy – and one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Goncalves-Mendes is one of 10 defendants indicted together in June 2020, as part of a broader federal sweep targeting numerous NOB street gang members and associates in which 31 total defendants were charged. All of Goncalves-Mendes’ co-defendants have pleaded guilty to various charges and are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months. 

According to court documents, NOB – an abbreviation for the Norton/Olney/Barry streets in Dorchester – is a violent criminal enterprise whose members and associates are involved in numerous types of criminal activities throughout Massachusetts, including murders, attempted murders, armed robberies, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and illegal firearms offenses. Numerous contraband was seized in this investigation local and federal law enforcement including 11 firearms, over one kilogram of fentanyl (including over 2,000 fentanyl pills manufactured to appear as commercial oxycodone pills), a commercial pill press, over 15 pounds of marijuana and approximately $36,000 in cash.

Goncalves-Mendes was an active, central and violent member of the NOB gang who personally committed, planned and supported various crimes on behalf of the gang – including drug trafficking activities involving fentanyl, including while on state pretrial release.  Additionally, the Court determined that Goncalves-Mendes was responsible for two attempted murders and took those into consideration at sentencing. Specifically, in August 2018, an individual was shot as he sat in his car at a gas station through the car window with a .357 caliber handgun. Later, in November 2018, an individual was shot multiple times with a .40 caliber pistol in broad daylight near their residence in New Bedford. Both individuals survived their injuries.  

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Bryan Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro; Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan; Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr.; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III; and Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick W. McDermott made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A drug distributor within a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced yesterday for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine and cocaine base.

Phillip Williams, 38, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Aug. 8, 2022, Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Williams 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 period of November 2018 through June 2020.

According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated a DTO in which Williams 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, where Williams and others stored, cooked, packaged, and sold drugs – most of which consisted of cocaine or cocaine base, which the DTO supplied to customers, wholesalers, and distributors. As the investigation continued, law enforcement ultimately identified another DTO operating within the Boston area and targeted its large-scale drug suppliers and their associates.

Williams distributed between approximately 100 and 200 grams of cocaine base during the course of his participation in the Fidelis Way DTO. Williams is the fifth defendant to be sentenced in the Fidelis-Way related drug conspiracy. The remaining defendants in the Fidelis Way conspiracy have all been convicted 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; 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 – A woman was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for her role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Jessica Hughes, 31, of Orange, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to time served (one week in prison) and three years of supervised release. On May 16, 2022, Hughes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine).

Following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez. Beginning in July 2019, intercepted electronic communications revealed that Pedro and Anthony Baez worked together and with others to distribute a fentanyl and heroin mixture and crack cocaine on a regular basis to individuals in the Fitchburg area who then redistributed that mixture to others. In total, over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 were seized. 

Hughes was a regular drug customer of the DTO, who routinely purchased both a fentanyl/heroin mixture and crack cocaine from Pedro Baez. Hughes used most of the drugs she purchased and resold a portion to support her own addiction. It is estimated that Hughes purchased approximately 70 grams of crack cocaine and approximately 20 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture from Pedro Baez over a one-week period.

Hughes was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. Prior to that, she was arrested on unrelated state charges out of Orange District Court where she successfully completed the Drug Court program. Over the course of the last two years, Hughes has maintained her sobriety and now works full time as a recovery specialist.

Hughes is the 11th defendant to be sentenced in the case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Two of the remaining defendants, Pedro Baez and Hector Matos, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.        

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea 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 West Roxbury man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to defraud an insurance provider for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients. 

Slava Pride, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for March 23, 2023. Pride was indicted in February 2021 along with co-defendants Anna Barenboym, Gyulnara Bayryshova and Raya Bagardi.

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

Pride is the second defendant to plead guilty in the case. On March 17, 2022, Barenboym pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4, 2023.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud 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; Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Norwell man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for a drug distribution offense involving fentanyl.

Frederick Dechristoforo was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Dechristoforo was arrested yesterday and, following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal, was detained pending a detention hearing set for Nov. 22, 2022.

According to the indictment, in December 2021, Dechristoforo possessed nearly 100 grams intended for distribution.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, at least 3 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000,000 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan J. Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Michigan man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance and small business loans in 12 different states.

Devin Smith, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Smith was also ordered to pay $269,465 in restitution and forfeiture. On March 29, 2022, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

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

The CARES Act also created a temporary loan program directed at small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The loans were processed by private financial institutions and fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If a business used the loan funds for approved purposes, such as payroll, the loan could be forgiven by the financial institution and paid for by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Between March and September 2020, Smith participated in a scheme to obtain proceeds from fraudulent unemployment and PUA claims submitted in 12 different states, including Massachusetts. Smith used stolen identities, including the identities of Massachusetts residents, to submit fraudulent unemployment and PUA claims resulting in approximately $230,000 in payments. Additionally, Smith submitted multiple PPP loan applications in the names of fictitious businesses resulting in approximately $40,000 in payments.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Postal Service and the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

BOSTON – An Ipswich man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to distributing and possessing child pornography.

Julien Toulotte, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2023. Toulotte was arrested and charged on Feb. 18, 2022.

In mid-January 2021, Toulotte began communicating with an undercover agent purporting to be a 15-year-old girl through social media applications. Toulotte sent multiple nude photos of himself and encouraged the purported teenager to send photos of herself in return and asked to meet. In late-January 2021, Toulotte began communicating over the internet with the undercover agent, purporting to be an adult female with whom Toulotte had previously been communicating with on-line and to whom he had previously sent a child sexual abuse material photo (CSAM).  In February 2021, Toulotte sent two videos depicting CSAM to the undercover agent purporting to be the adult female. On March 11, 2021, a search of Toulotte’s residences in Ipswich and Boston resulted in the recovery of his electronic devices that contained approximately 385 videos and approximately 320 images depicting CSAM – including child pornography videos of an infant as young as approximately two to four months old and children approximately two to four years of age.

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

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 $250,000. 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. 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; Ipswich Police Chief Paul Nikas; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Lincoln Police Chief A. Kevin Kennedy made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Scottish man who was previously employed by Global Premier Soccer LLC (GPS), a youth soccer organization, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for obstructing justice.

Gavin MacPhee, 37 was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one year of probation, with the first four months served in home detention. In May 2020, MacPhee pleaded guilty to one count of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation.

MacPhee held several roles at GPS, including office-based roles in administration and marketing, which involved managing GPS’ website and assisting with the management of GPS email accounts. In December 2019, MacPhee used his access to the organization’s information technology platform to delete a GPS email account belonging to a former employee with whom he had a close relationship. MacPhee deleted the account despite knowing about an ongoing federal investigation into GPS and the former employee, and the relevance of the email account to the investigation.   

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, New York Regional Office; and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fraud Detection and National Security Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Bronx, N.Y. man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography, as well as traveling with the intent to engage in illicit conduct with the minor victim.

Markell Greene, 25, was indicted on one count of sexual exploitation of minors and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit conduct. Greene is currently in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.  

According to the charging documents, Greene persuaded, enticed and coerced a 13-year-old minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Additionally, it is alleged that on or about Feb. 14, 2022, Greene traveled in interstate commerce with a motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the minor victim.

The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit conduct provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington, Mass. and New York City Police Departments; the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm 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 Stoughton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for firearm offenses.

Michael Robert Moura, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 13, 2022, Moura pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and one count of receipt and possession of an unregistered firearm.

Over the course of several months in 2020 and again in February 2021, Moura sought to purchase a firearm. On the morning of April 28, 2021, Moura purchased a Glock handgun, an assault rifle, pistol and rifle magazines and over 100 rounds of ammunition in a parking lot in Brockton. Shortly thereafter, Moura was arrested and the illegally obtained handgun, rifle, ammunition and magazines were seized.

Moura is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to an April 2020 conviction in Worcester County punishable by more than one year in prison.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided the Brockton and Stoughton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and Timothy Kistner of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to robbing a TD Bank branch in Boston.

Coleman Nee, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani who scheduled sentencing for March 9, 2023. Nee was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2021.

On the afternoon of April 26, 2021, Nee entered a TD Bank branch in Boston, showed a teller what appeared to be a firearm and threatened to kill a teller and a bank customer before robbing the bank of $990. Within approximately 20 minutes of the robbery, Nee was apprehended by law enforcement due to a GPS tracker attached to one of the stolen bill packets.

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $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; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police Chief Kenneth Green made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston on sex trafficking offenses, including allegedly trafficking a minor he met on social media.

Jimall Dawn Brown, 33, was indicted on one count of sex trafficking of a minor; one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to induce a minor to engage in prostitution; and one count of transporting a person for purposes of prostitution. Brown was previously charged by criminal complaint with one count of sex trafficking of a minor on Oct. 26, 2022. He has remained in custody since his arrest on Oct. 27, 2022.

According to the charging documents, Brown trafficked a 17-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex acts. It is alleged that Brown first met the victim, who was living outside Massachusetts, on social media and induced and coerced her to fly to Boston, with promises of a “better lifestyle.” Brown posted advertisements of the victim online and arranged “dates” for the victim to have sex in exchange for money. Brown allegedly set the pricing for the commercial sex acts she engaged in, for which he collected all of the funds.

In March 2022, Brown allegedly coerced the victim, who was still a minor at the time, to fly to Georgia, where he arranged for her to engage in commercial sex, for which he collected all of the funds. In April 2022, Brown allegedly took the victim to Nevada, again arranging for her to engage in commercial sex and keeping all of the funds.

According to the charging document, local law enforcement in Massachusetts met with the victim at which time she alleged that Brown told her she would have a better life if she came to Boston to “be with him,” however once she did so, Brown prevented her from leaving. Specifically, it is alleged that when the victim would attempt to leave Brown, he would threaten her or beat her up. For example, as stated in court documents, if she told him she wanted to go home, he would put his hands on her, slap her and yell at her. On multiple occasions, Brown allegedly hit the victim, choked her and physically restrained her.

Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this alleged crime should 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. 

The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.  The sex trafficking statute also imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for offenses committed by means of force, threats of force, fraud or coercion. The charge of using a facility of interstate commerce to induce a minor to engage in prostitution provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Each count also provides for mandatory restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Arlington and Randolph Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of Rollins’ Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – An Auburn man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for child pornography offenses.

Jesse Laino, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 88 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On April 6, 2022, Laino pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

In May 2019, Laino utilized the Kik platform to upload and distribute two images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During a search of Laino’s residence in June 2020, two phones and one laptop seized were found to contain CSAM. Laino also used a cloud storage service to store and share links to images and videos of CSAM as well as to using a social media application to connect with other users for the purpose of obtaining and distributing the images. Social media records revealed that from about January 2019 to July 2020, Laino participated in hundreds of chats and distributed over 1,700 images of CSAM, including images of infants and toddlers being sexually abused.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Auburn Police Chief Andrew J. Sluckis, Jr.; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Justice Department announced today that it has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Worcester Police Department (WPD). This civil investigation will assess whether WPD engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force or engages in discriminatory policing based on race or sex. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of policies, procedures, trainings, investigatory files, and data. The investigation will also include a review of WPD’s systems of accountability, including its systems to address misconduct complaints and discipline. The Department will also evaluate how WPD officers interact with the public, collect evidence, and complete investigations.

“The City of Worcester is a thriving and vital part of our District and we work closely every day with its Police Department. Worcester police officers have a challenging job of ensuring the safety of the Worcester community. This often means responding to or encountering tense and at times dangerous conflicts and situations. I am well aware that the overwhelming majority of officers serve and do their jobs with honor, pride, restraint and distinction," said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The purpose of this civil investigation is to determine – through objective and thorough examination – whether or not there is an overall pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Constitution or federal law. This is the beginning of the process. We will go where the facts take us. You will hear from me at the end of the investigation, irrespective of outcome. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that policing in Worcester is constitutional, safe, and effective all while the civil rights of their residents remain intact. We thank the City of Worcester, and specifically Chief Steven Sargent, for their cooperation and collaboration in this matter.”

“Based on information provided to the Justice Department, we find significant justification to investigate whether the Worcester Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of racially discriminatory and gender-biased policing, and uses excessive force,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Ensuring that our law enforcement officers act in a constitutional and non-discriminatory manner is among the highest priorities of the U.S. Department of Justice. Our pattern or practice investigations are a key tool in our efforts to ensure community safety and promote constitutional policing across the country. We look forward to working with officials towards the shared goals of ensuring constitutional, effective policing and fostering greater trust between law enforcement officers and the community members they serve.”

The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The statute allows the Department to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation. The Justice Department will be assessing law enforcement practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This is the second investigation of a Massachusetts law enforcement agency conducted pursuant to this statute. In 2018, the Justice Department opened an investigation of the Springfield Police Department, which was resolved by a consent decree in 2022.

Prior to this announcement, Department Officials informed Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty and Worcester Acting City Manager Eric Batista of the investigation. They pledged to cooperate with the investigation. As part of this investigation, Department officials will reach out to members of the public to learn about their experiences with WPD.

The Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts will jointly conduct this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice via email at community.wpd@usdoj.gov or by toll free phone at 888-221-6023. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal, available at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

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. Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: /media/872116/dl?inline. 

BOSTON – A former landlord and associate of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced today for racketeering and drug offenses.

Robert Avitable, a/k/a “Bobby,” 52, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel time served (approximately four days in prison) and three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 10 months in prison. On April 19, 2022, Avitable pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. As part of the plea agreement, Avitable has agreed to forfeit the three apartment buildings that he owned in the City of New Bedford. These apartment buildings, referred to as “trap houses” by the Latin Kings, were used by the gang in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy.

Avitable was an associate of the Latin Kings enterprise in New Bedford, where he owned several apartment buildings. Avitable partnered with the Latin Kings and his properties became “trap houses” used by the gang to facilitate their crimes. The apartment buildings became centers of power for the Latin Kings and served as primary locations in which gang members resided, stored weapons, dealt drugs and coordinated violence. Avitable rented the apartments to Latin Kings members, knowing that they would be used to sell, store and manufacture drugs. It was from these properties, provided in partnership with Avitable, that the Latin Kings facilitated their campaign of street violence and drug dealing. Avitable was a key player in facilitating the Latin Kings’ expansion in the area, as the apartment buildings provided powerful infrastructure to recruit members and lure vulnerable juveniles to join the gang with the promises of housing and brotherhood.

Avitable directly associated and partnered with Jorge Rodriguez, a/k/a “King G,” who at the time was second in command of Latin Kings leadership in Massachusetts. In doing so, Avitable granted a safe haven to the Latin Kings – allowing crimes to fester and grow more brazen as members operated with a sentence of impunity. Street brawls, beatings, shootings and robberies regularly occurred within, or in front of, the apartment buildings. In October 2019, a juvenile Latin Kings member was murdered steps away from one of the trap houses.

Despite the fact that police executed search warrants in the rental units controlled by the Latin Kings numerous times, Avitable continued to rent the units to the gang and was captured on multiple recordings in discussions with gang leaders. Avitable even was captured on recording discussing the manner of completing a joint real estate deal with Rodriguez. During this recording, Avitabile explains how he would launder Rodriguez’s drug proceeds through the transaction and avoid the bank scrutinizing the source of the funds.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. In total, 60 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty. Of the 62 charged defendants in the indictment, two remain in warrant status. All of the remaining 60 defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing. Avitable is the 56th defendant to be sentenced.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Forfeiture Unit, prosecuted the case.

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

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

UPDATE: On Sept. 27, 2024, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed David DeQuattro’s conviction for federal-program bribery. The case was remanded for further proceedings. On Oct. 21, 2024, the Court ordered the defendant acquitted. 

UPDATE: On Sept. 27, 2024, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Cedric Cromwell’s convictions on the federal program bribery counts and reinstated his extortion convictions.

BOSTON – The former Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the owner of an architecture-and-design firm in Providence, R.I. were sentenced today for bribery relating to the Tribe’s plans to build a resort and casino in Taunton, Mass.

Cedric Cromwell, 57, of Attleboro, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to three years in prison and one year of supervised release. David DeQuattro, 56, of Warwick, R.I., was sentenced by Judge Woodlock to one year of probation to be spent in home confinement with electronic monitoring. Cromwell and DeQuattro were each also ordered to pay fines in the amounts of $25,000 and $50,000, respectively.

On May 5, 2022, the defendants were convicted by a federal jury following a 10-day trial. Specifically, Cromwell was convicted of two counts of accepting bribes as an agent of an Indian tribal government, three counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiring to commit extortion. DeQuattro was convicted of one count of paying a bribe to an agent of an Indian tribal government. Cromwell continues to face four remaining charges of filing a false tax return. At today’s sentencing, Judge Woodlock granted Cromwell’s motion for acquittal on the extortion counts but denied the defendants’ motions for acquittal on the bribery counts.

Cromwell was the Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and President of the Tribe’s Gaming Authority. DeQuattro’s architecture-and-design company signed a contract to serve as the Gaming Authority’s owner representative for the First Light Resort and Casino, which the Tribe was building in Taunton. Cromwell accepted three bribes from DeQuattro in exchange for an agreement to protect DeQuattro’s firm’s contract: $10,000 in November 2015; a Bowflex Revolution home gym in August 2016; and a weekend stay at an upscale Boston hotel in May 2017. DeQuattro was found guilty of bribing Cromwell with regard to the Bowflex and the hotel stay.

“Mr. Cromwell was elected to represent the 12,000-year-old Wampanoag Tribe. He received the privilege of leading the Mashpee Wampanoag people, who put their faith and trust in him with each ballot they cast. Rather than striving to make his community better through honorable deeds of service, he dishonored his people and his position by accepting bribes for his own personal gain,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “It is my hope that today’s sentence brings accountability to the Mashpee Wampanoag community and closes the door on this dark chapter in their rich history. Just last week, I had the privilege of meeting with tribal leaders in Mashpee. I look forward to continued positive interactions and supporting opportunities for education and growth with the tribe members in Mashpee.”

“Cedric Cromwell abused his elected position and betrayed the trust of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by seeking to monetize his position of power at every turn. He solicited and accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from David DeQuattro over three years and went to great lengths to try and conceal their criminal conduct,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence makes it clear that the FBI will not hesitate to investigate elected officials who commit illegal acts for their own selfish and unlawful gain.”

According to evidence presented at trial, in November 2015, Cromwell received a $10,000 personal check from DeQuattro and deposited it into a bank account for a company he had formed called One Nation Development LLC. Cromwell’s website described One Nation Development as helping Native American tribes with economic development. It stated, “One Nation works with Federal and State agencies on behalf of Native American communities. We have relationships with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and provide our Native community clients with direct and active engagement with these various agencies.” The website touted experience in the areas of strategic planning, gaming, hospitality and legal services. It stated, “One Nation Development is comprised of a team of committed professionals that bring together several decades of collective wisdom and experience to the work done on behalf of client communities. Each professional is individually committed to the One Nation approach: a multi-generational approach to advance community-building solutions.” In fact, One Nation Development had no employees and Cromwell spent DeQuattro’s check on personal expenses.

In August 2016, Cromwell asked DeQuattro for a piece of exercise equipment. In turn, DeQuattro and his business partner bought a used Bowflex on Craigslist for $1,700 and had it delivered to Cromwell’s home. Cromwell told DeQuattro he was disappointed it was used.

In May 2017, Cromwell texted DeQuattro: “Hello Dave. I hope all is well. My Birthday is coming up this Friday May 19th and I wanted to spend Friday through Monday at a very nice hotel in Boston for my Birthday weekend. Is it possible that you can get me a nice hotel room at the Four Seasons or a suite at the Seaport Hotel? I am going to have a special guest with me. Please let me know and Thank You.” DeQuattro forwarded the text to his business partner, writing, “U can’t think of this stuff…..what is next?” DeQuattro and his business partner paid over $1,800 for Cromwell to stay in an Executive Suite King – Harbor View at the Seaport Boston Hotel for three nights.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by Attleboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Jared C. Dolan of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

With respect to the tax charges, the details contained in the charging document are allegations. Cromwell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

BOSTON – A Cambridge man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing ammunition as a previously convicted felon.

Kyle Evans, 36, of Cambridge, pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2022 to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Feb. 23, 2023. Evans was initially charged by criminal complaint in October 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2020.

In August 2020 Evans was pulled over in Everett by local law enforcement after failing to stop his vehicle at a red light. When asked for his license and registration, Evans stated that he did not have a license. Law enforcement confirmed that Evans’ driver’s license was suspended and he was subsequently placed under arrest, at which time four rounds of .22LR caliber ammunition were found in his left pants pocket.

Due to a prior conviction punishable by at least one year in prison that he had received, Evans was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for gun and drug offenses.

Omari Peterson, 39, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Douglas P. Woodlock to 66 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 29, 2022, Peterson pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

In January 2021, an investigation began into drug trafficking activities by Peterson in the Boston area. On Feb. 18, 2021, Peterson sold crack cocaine and cocaine to a cooperating witness. A search of Peterson’s apartment on March 5, 2021 resulted in the seizure of two firearms, a Sig Sauer P220 pistol and a Ruger LCP .380 pistol, along with 136 rounds of various caliber ammunition. During a subsequent search of Peterson’s storage unit in Quincy on March 6, 2021, six additional firearms and 67 rounds of various caliber ammunition were also seized.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A previously convicted felon was indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester today for allegedly manufacturing and selling firearms – including ghost guns – and unlawfully possessing ammunition.

Mickie Simmons, 31, of Brookfield, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, one count of dealing firearms without a license and two counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Simmons will appear in federal Court in Worcester on Nov. 15, 2022. Simmons was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 25, 2022. 

According to the charging documents, on two separate occasions between March and May 2022, Simmons sold a confidential source ammunition and ghost guns – firearms that have been manufactured by an individual and not by a firearms manufacturing company. It is alleged that during a later search of Simmons’ residence, at least five ghost guns, including an AR-15 short-barrel rifle, 15 ghost gun kits, numerous rounds of ammunition, components of assault-style rifles, several other firearms and more than $25,000 in cash was seized. 

Due to a 2014 state conviction for breaking and entering, larceny and conspiracy for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, Simmons is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

The charges of conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to a $250,000. The charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to a $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 Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danial E. Bennett and Brendan O’Shea of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office 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 Watertown man was arrested today for allegedly defrauding investors who believed they were financing lucrative short-term sports ventures in Africa.

Adrian Kawuba, 33, was charged with one count of wire fraud. Kawuba will appear in federal court in Boston at 2:30 p.m. today before United States Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley.

According to the charging documents, Kawuba told his investors that he would invest their money in short-term financing of sports ventures in Africa and elsewhere overseas and that he would personally guarantee their investments. It is alleged however, that Kawuba did not invest any of the funds he received from victim investors. Instead, Kawuba allegedly used the money to pay for luxury goods and to pay purported returns to his investors – in some instances paying back an investor’s earlier investment with money that investors had just sent Kawuba for a new investment.

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

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 Watertown Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Rockland man has been arrested on child pornography charges.

Donald J. Caruso, 40, was charged with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Caruso was arrested on Nov. 7, 2022 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Nov. 8, 2022 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson, was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Nov. 17, 2022.

According to the charging documents, a federal investigation determined that the user of an account on an online communication platform was distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The user – who was later identified as Caruso – allegedly disseminated links to an undercover agent to folders containing CSAM. It is alleged that a preliminary forensic analysis of devices seized from Caruso’s residence on Nov. 4, 2022 revealed that they contained CSAM.

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. 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. 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 the Homeland Security Investigation’s in New England; Rockland Chief of Police Nicholas Zeoli; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON –The leader of a local MS-13 clique was sentenced on Nov. 8, 2022 in federal court in Boston.

Manuel Adan Yanez Cruz, a/k/a “Rocky,” a/k/a “Flaco,” 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 162 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Yanez Cruz is an El Salvadoran citizen and will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On March 18, 2022, Yanez Cruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy. 

MS-13 is a transnational street gang operating in Massachusetts and numerous other states, as well as countries such as El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala who often commit acts of extreme violence against suspected rivals, those suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and others whom the gang views as a threat. In recent years, dozens of MS-13 members have been convicted of RICO conspiracy and other serious felonies in the District of Massachusetts.

MS-13 is organized in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the form of so-called “cliques” or smaller groups that operate under the larger mantle of MS-13. Yanez Cruz was a member and local leader of the Huntington Locos Salvatrucha (HLS) clique, which operated in the cities of Boston, Lynn, Everett, Chelsea, Somerville and other parts of Massachusetts. 

On Dec. 24, 2016, Yanez Cruz was involved in the murder of a teenage boy in East Boston. Specifically, Yanez Cruz informed at least one individual of the murder before it occurred and participated in the planning of the victim’s murder, which was based on the belief that the victim may have been associated with a rival gang. Yanez Cruz was present at the murder along with other MS-13 members to serve as both a witness for El Salvador leaders and to assist as needed. At the time the murder was committed, Yanez Cruz was a juvenile.

Following the murder, Yanez Cruz boasted about his involvement in the murder to help recruit others, including minors, into the MS-13 gang and to earn elevated gang status. Intercepted communications showed that Yanez Cruz communicated with both national and international MS-13 leaders and members about MS-13 gang matters, including the transmission of fees to El Salvador.

Although Yanez Cruz was not charged with the 2016 murder, as part of the Nov. 8, 2022 sentence for federal RICO conspiracy, the Court held him responsible for his involvement in the murder.

In April 2018, Yanez Cruz was also involved in the attempted murder of a victim whom he, along with other MS-13 members, suspected of being a gang rival. MS-13 members lured the victim to the Belle Isle Marsh where a member shot the victim in the head. The gun malfunctioned, however, and the victim survived. 

In September 2018, Yanez Cruz was arrested for an assault on a rival gang member in which he possessed a knife on a public street in broad daylight. In phone communications following the incident, another MS-13 member present at the incident told an associate about the violent nature of the event and that they had almost killed the victim.

Yanez Cruz had entered into the United States unlawfully in 2015 and, following his arrest and conviction on the state knife offense, was transferred into the custody of immigration authorities for deportation proceedings. Authorities sought to remove Yanez Cruz from the United States and pointed to his association with MS-13 as part of the reasons to oppose his petition for asylum and other relief. Yanez Cruz testified under oath at his removal proceedings and made a number of false statements, telling the Court that he was not associated with MS-13 and was unfamiliar with HLS. The immigration judge found Yanez Cruz’s testimony to be credible. However, Yanez Cruz was federally indicted in this case before any ultimate ruling was issued on his immigration status.

 First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy made the announcement.

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 former owner and operator of an Arlington-based insurance agency was sentenced on Nov. 8, 2022 for fraudulently receiving disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA).   

Patrick Quinn, 50, of Arlington, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year and one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Quinn was also ordered to pay restitution of $98,940 to the VA. Quinn has already paid restitution in the amount of $281,439 to SSA. On April 12, 2022, Quinn was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements.

Since January 2012, Quinn stole more than $380,000 in Veterans Affairs benefits and Social Security benefits by falsely telling the VA and SSA that he was unable to work due to a disability, when in reality, he owned and operated Quinn Insurance Group, Inc. 

In October 1995, shortly after being discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps, Quinn applied and was approved for disability compensation benefits with the VA based on a series of physical injuries and, later, post-traumatic stress disorder. In March 2005, Quinn applied for Individual Unemployability benefits with the VA, which is paid to individuals who are unable to maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of their service-connected disabilities. In the application, Quinn claimed that his PTSD prevented him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation and that he had become too disabled to work. In support of his application, Quinn submitted a letter from his purported final employer, Insurance Management Consultants, Inc., claiming Quinn was let go due to his erratic behavior and was no longer employed at the firm. While receiving IU benefits, Quinn completed and returned four VA employment questionnaires, in each of which he attested he had not worked during the previous year.

Similarly, in November 2005, Quinn applied and was approved for Disability Insurance Benefits with Social Security, this time claiming he had become unable to work due to his disabling condition in September 2004. In June 2006, Quinn applied for Child’s Insurance Benefits, which are paid to the dependent of a disabled individual receiving Disability Insurance Benefits, on behalf of his minor child. Social Security beneficiaries are obligated to report if they return to work to the SSA. In May 2018, Quinn reported to the SSA that he had not worked since May 2006. The SSA continued to pay benefits to Quinn and his son based on this report.

In actuality, however, Quinn was self-employed as the owner and operator of his own insurance agency, Shannon Francis & Quinn Insurance, which later became Quinn Insurance Group, Inc, since at least March 2003 – contrary to his claims to the VA and SSA. Quinn also served as the President, Treasurer, Secretary and Director of Insurance Management Consultants, Inc. from 2000 through 2007, despite telling the VA and SSA that the company fired him in 2005. While operating his own insurance company, Quinn regularly received payments ranging in amounts of $6,500 to $15,000 and grew his business significantly through acquisitions of nine smaller insurance companies at various times between 2012 through 2019. Additionally, Quinn was appointed by 65 insurance companies to conduct business on their behalf and renewed his insurance producer license on numerous occasions.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The former Yale University women’s soccer coach was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for accepting bribes to facilitate the admission of students to Yale as purported athletic recruits. 

Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, 54, of Madison, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to five months in prison and one year of supervised release. Meredith was also ordered to pay a $19,000 fine and forfeiture of $557,774. This sentence was above the government’s recommendation of a non-incarceratory sentence. In March 2019, Meredith pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud and one count of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud.

From 1995 through November 2018, Meredith was employed as the head women’s soccer coach at Yale University. Beginning in April 2015, Meredith conspired with William “Rick” Singer to falsely designate the children of Singer’s clients as soccer recruits in exchange for bribes. Between 2015 and 2018, Meredith accepted a total of $860,000 from Singer in exchange for purporting to recruit the children of Singer’s clients to the Yale soccer team, or attempting to facilitate their admission to Yale by other means. In addition, separate and apart from his arrangement with Singer, Meredith agreed to accept a bribe of approximately $450,000 directly from a parent in exchange for designating his daughter as a soccer recruit to secure her admission to Yale.

Singer previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field 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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian J. Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A drug distributor within a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) pleaded guilty yesterday to a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine).

Keith Daye, 47, of Boston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Feb. 15, 2023. 

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. Daye is the final defendant to plead guilty in the Fidelis-Way related drug conspiracy.

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. 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 supplied and distributed cocaine to at least one Fidelis Way DTO member as well as to others outside of the Fidelis Way DTO. In one instance, Daye was observed meeting with a drug customer at the time and manner agreed upon during calls intercepted by law enforcement. During a subsequent traffic stop of the drug customer following the meeting approximately 125 grams of cocaine was recovered from the vehicle.

In total, Daye is estimated to have distributed between approximately 28 and 120 grams of crack cocaine during the course of his participation in the charged drug conspiracy and, in total, between 200 and 300 grams of cocaine (including both powder and base).

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

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; 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. 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’ Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Timothy E. Moran of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Dorchester man previously convicted of state firearm charges was sentenced yesterday for illegally possessing a semiautomatic pistol and ammunition. 

Michael King, a/k/a “Rugga”, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On July 14, 2022, King pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On Dec. 18, 2020, King possessed a Smith & Wesson, Model 442 Airweight, .38 caliber revolver, loaded with five rounds of .38 caliber ammunition. King is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Canton Police Chief Kenneth Berkowitz; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrisey made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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