District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing money from the mail. 

Juan Murillo, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to one year of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $2,400. On Aug. 9, 2022, Murillo pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.

On June 22 and 30, 2021, while serving as a City Carrier for the United States Postal Service, Murillo stole two iPads which had been previously delivered to a Harvard University dorm while on his route delivering other mail. Additionally, on or about Sept. 23, 2021, Murillo stole cash from mail that he was supposed to deliver to postal customers. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Harvard University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a scheme to launder the proceeds of various telephone fraud scams. 

Utkarsh Thakur, 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Thakur was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,535,518. On April 25, 2022, Thakur pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Between January and August 2021, Thakur’s co-conspirators called victims over the phone pretending to be individuals in positions of authority, such as law enforcement, and threatening the victims in order to obtain money. For example, Thakur’s co-conspirators threatened that the victims would be arrested or lose public assistance benefits if they did not mail cash to fictitious individuals at addresses in Massachusetts. Thakur obtained fake identification cards in the names of those fictitious individuals, retrieved the cash mailed by the victims and transported the cash to others involved in the scheme. In total, Thakur laundered more than $1.5 million in victim funds and kept a portion of those funds for himself.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by many local law enforcement partners, including the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Sharon and Bellingham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Somerville man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with distributing and possessing fentanyl while illegally in possession of a loaded firearm.   

Tevon Ngomba, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Feb. 1, 2023. Ngomba was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2020.

On July 16, 2020, less than two months following his release from state prison, Ngomba distributed more than 40 grams of fentanyl to an individual in exchange for $1,800 in a recorded drug transaction.

On Aug. 3, 2020, Ngomba purported to sell a loaded firearm to the same individual in exchange for $1,500 in another recorded transaction. During the deal, which occurred in the individual’s vehicle, Ngomba loaded the firearm and pretended to leave it under the driver’s seat before exiting the vehicle. Instead, Ngomba took both the $1,500 cash from the individual as well as the firearm he had pretended to sell. Ngomba did not realize, however, that he accidentally left his cellphone in the individual’s vehicle which he preceded to chase down. Law enforcement immediately apprehended Ngomba who was still clutching the $1,500 in his hand.

During a subsequent search of Ngomba’s vehicle, a loaded Ruger firearm with an obliterated serial number was found in the trunk as well as 16 grams of fentanyl and a second cellphone containing drug-related communications in the glove compartment. The cellphone Ngomba left in the individual’s car was found to contain images from the night before of Ngomba posing with what appeared to be the same firearm found in his vehicle.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute and 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 and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, 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, New England Field Division; Somerville Police Chief Charles Femino; and Somerville Housing Authority Chief of Police Daniel Meade made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Fred M. Wyshak, III of Rollins’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Boston man previously convicted of numerous state drug distribution charges pleaded guilty today to distributing cocaine base (crack cocaine). 

Jerry Cooper, a/k/a “Jerkz,” 29, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for March 9, 2023. Lee was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2021.

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

The charge of distribution and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute provide 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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Metro Boston Gang Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Stoughton man was sentenced on Nov. 4, 2022 in federal court in Boston in connection with filing a fraudulent loan application in order to obtain over $400,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds.

Adley Bernadin, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Bernadin was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $284,596. On June 22, 2022, Bernadin pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

In May 2020, Bernadin used a purported healthcare business, “La Salette,” to fraudulently apply for a PPP loan of over $400,000. In the application, which he submitted through a Small Business Administration approved lender, Bernadin misrepresented information about the purported home health care company’s employees and payroll expenses and falsified a tax form in an effort to qualify the business for the PPP loan. For example, Bernadin reported that the purported home health care business had a monthly payroll of $175,200, which was false.

After receiving the PPP funds, Bernadin did not use money for the purported home health care company’s business. Instead, he made mortgage payments on his home and wrote checks to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship.

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and William A. Kalb, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Raquelle Kaye of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to his role in a tax fraud conspiracy arising from a “ten-percenting” scheme in which he cashed winning Massachusetts state lottery tickets on behalf of the ticket holders and claimed fake gambling losses to avoid taxes on the winnings.   

Mohamed Jaafar, 31, of Watertown and Waltham, pleaded guilty on Nov. 4, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2023. Jaafar was indicted by a federal grand jury along with two co-defendants in August 2021.

Mohamed Jaafar admitted to conspiring with others to purchase winning lottery tickets from the actual winners for cash at a discount of typically between 10-30 percent of each ticket’s value. This scheme, commonly referred to as “ten-percenting,” allows lottery winners to avoid identifying themselves to the Massachusetts Lottery Commission or the Internal Revenue Service, thereby avoiding taxes or child support payments on their winnings. Mohamed Jaafar admitted to presenting the winning tickets to the Massachusetts Lottery Commission as his own and collecting the full value of the tickets. Mohamed Jaafar also admitted to reporting the ticket winnings on his income tax returns and improperly offsetting the claimed winnings with falsified gambling losses, thereby avoiding federal income taxes. 

In total, between 2011 and 2019, Mohamed Jaafar and allegedly his co-conspirators cashed more than 13,000 lottery tickets and claimed more than $20,000,000 in Massachusetts lottery winnings. In 2019, Mohamed Jaafar was by himself the third highest individual ticket casher in Massachusetts.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and Kristen A. Kearney of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Haitian man was sentenced on Nov. 3, 2022 in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States.

Friendly Grandoit, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to time served (20 months in prison) and one year of supervised release. Grandoit will now be placed into removal proceedings that will likely result in his deportation. On Sept. 28, 2022, Grandoit pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation.

In 2005, Grandoit was located in pre-trial detention by immigration officials while pending trial on drug distribution charges in Middlesex County. Grandoit was convicted in Sept. 2006 of trafficking in cocaine and sentenced to three years in state prison. Upon completion of his sentence, Grandoit was placed into removal proceedings and deported to Haiti in July 2008.

Sometime after his removal, Grandoit illegally reentered the United States. In Sept. 2019, Grandoit was arrested and charged in Woburn District Court with distribution of cocaine, identity fraud and operating with a suspended license and was ordered detained. In April 2020, Grandoit posted bail and was released from state custody. In October 2020, Grandoit was charged federally with illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation and was located by law enforcement in March 2021.

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

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced on Nov. 4, 2022 in federal court in Boston for his role in a Lawrence-based fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

Elvin Mendoza, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 2, 2022, Mendoza pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

In June 2021, Mendoza was indicted along with 13 others following an over two-year investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating out of the Lawrence area. As a result of the investigation, Mendoza was identified as a drug trafficker responsible for distributing over 300 grams of fentanyl throughout Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. In December 2020, approximately $74,000 cash and approximately four kilograms of fentanyl, among other evidence, were seized from members of the DTO in various locations in Billerica, Methuen, Lawrence and Ayden, N.C.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England and the Andover, Billerica, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, North Andover, Tewksbury, Wilmington and Salem (N.H.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. 

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

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

BOSTON – Four men from the greater Boston area have been arrested and charged for attempting to pay for sex with 12- and 14-year-old girls. If convicted, the defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 or 15 years in prison.

Sadeq Ali Quraishi, 45, of Boston; Dmitri McKenzie, 27, of Boston; and David Cannon, 59, of Lexington were each arrested and charged by criminal complaint with Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child. Misael Fabian Medina, 37, was also arrested and charged with Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child under 14 years old. Quraishi, McKenzie, and Cannon appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul Levenson and were each held pending detention hearings scheduled for Nov. 8, 2022. Medina appeared before Magistrate Paul Levenson on Nov. 4, 2022 and agreed to voluntary detention and waived a probable cause hearing.

According to the charging documents, Quraishi, McKenzie, Cannon and Medina each responded to an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex acts.  Each defendant communicated via text message with an individual who purported to be selling 12- and 14-year-old girls for commercial sex. Each defendant allegedly agreed to purchase sex with one or both of the advertised children and then traveled to a local hotel to have sex with the fictitious victims. It is alleged that, upon arrival at the hotel, each defendant physically met up with the individual purporting to sell the 12- and 14-year-old girls for sex and again allegedly committed to paying to sexually abuse one or both of the children.

“These arrests show that the sex trafficking of children is happening every day. There is a huge demand for this abusive, repugnant and criminal behavior. We need to dispel the myths about who actually commits this horrific crime. The perpetrators can be white collar professionals who live in nice suburban neighborhoods. Many are married. All put their own sexual gratification over the trauma and harm inflicted on vulnerable, innocent child victims,” said United States Attorney Rachael S Rollins. “We are dedicating substantial resources in the fight against labor and sex trafficking. That includes reducing the demand driving this horrific conduct. These four defendants are the first of many more to come. Consider yourself warned.”

“Knowing people are out there on the internet, looking to prey on children is every parent’s worst fear, but trafficking of children is a heartbreaking reality that Homeland Security Investigations fights against every day. This operation, with the vital assistance of our partners, has identified and led to the arrest of four men alleged to be willing to participate in that horrific crime. Human trafficking is a crime that is notoriously difficult to combat and progress is only possible with the collaboration and support of our many partners and survivor support services. We are grateful to be part of this united effort and to continue the fight to end trafficking,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns, or information about this case should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 617-748-3274.

The charge of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child is punishable by up to life in prison and carries a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence for offenses involving children 14 and older, and a 15-year mandatory minimum for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child under 14 years old.  The charges also carry a maximum of at least a five-year term of supervised release and a maximum 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 and HSI SAC Millhollin made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lexington, Waltham, Barnstable, Quincy and Cambridge Police Departments as well as the Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty, Torey Cummings, Elizabeth Riley of Rollins’ newly established Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit and Timothy Moran, Chief of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the cases. 

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

BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today to making threatening communications to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) in May 2021.

Sammy Sultan, 49, of Hayward, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of making threats in interstate commerce before U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin who scheduled sentencing for Feb. 3, 2023. Sultan was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 31, 2022 and subsequently charged by an Information on Oct. 21, 2022.

On or about May 28, 2021, Sultan made eight phone calls to TUPD, six of which included specific threats. During the calls, which collectively lasted about an hour, Sultan claimed to be hiding beneath a bed in a dorm room with a taser and pistol somewhere on campus. Sultan stated that he intended to use the taser if a woman returned to the dorm room and discovered him hiding. During the calls, Sultan played the sounds of a taser activating and a pistol racking – a pistol’s chamber being emptied and reloaded.

TUPD and local police carried out a room-by-room search of numerous buildings on Tufts University’s Medford campus but failed to locate the caller. A subsequent investigation of electronic evidence determined that Sultan had made the calls from California. A law enforcement officer familiar with Sultan’s voice from a prior investigation recognized Sultan’s voice on the TUPD call recordings.

Sultan previously pleaded guilty in December 2017 in the Northern District of California to making hundreds of obscene and harassing phone calls to law enforcement agencies, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison.

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

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 in the investigation was provided by the Tufts University Police Department; Massachusetts State Police; Illinois State Police; and the Medford, Somerville, North Andover, Malden and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner of Rollins’ National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Nov. 3, 2022 on day four of his jury trial in connection with drug trafficking activities involving cocaine.

Julio Ortiz, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Earlier in the hearing, Ortiz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Ortiz was charged by complaint in August 2019 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2019.

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

Ortiz’s co-defendant, Edgar Castro, pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2022 prior to jury empanelment and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2023.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Massachusetts State Police and the Woburn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Lindsey E. Weinstein of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Woonsocket, R.I. man was sentenced yesterday for trafficking multiple victims to engage in prostitution across seven states. 

Ronald Hall, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Hall was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount that will be determined at a later date. On Aug. 9, 2022, Hall pleaded guilty to four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and one count of transportation of an individual with intent to engage in prostitution.

“Mr. Hall is a predator driven by high profits and low risks. He targeted and exploited five vulnerable victims with substance use disorder – utilizing addiction and false promises of good earnings for recruitment – and then used extreme violence, threats and isolation to create a climate of fear from which he could maintain control and exploit them for his own profit,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “As the chief federal law enforcement officer in our Commonwealth, I’ve made combating this modern form of slavery one of my top priorities. Although nothing will ever erase the profound pain and trauma these victims have suffered as a result of a near-decade of exploitation and abuse from Mr. Hall, we hope this sentencing brings some long-awaited justice and accountability.”

“This sentence is a victory for justice and for the trafficked victims of Mr. Hall who were ruthlessly exploited for criminal purposes and profit,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “We hope that this sentence can serve as some form of closure to allow Hall’s victims to begin to recover their lives from the devastation that he inflicted on them. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney for her commitment to prosecuting human trafficking cases and to the Massachusetts State Police. whose help in this investigation was invaluable.”

From at least late 2010 through late 2019, Hall used force, threats and coercion to traffic five victims between Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Florida and Nevada, to engage in prostitution. Hall targeted and recruited several of the victims who suffered from substance use disorder and used their drug addictions to coerce them into engaging in commercial sex in exchange for drugs. Hall regularly scheduled the victims to engage in prostitution – sometimes multiple times per day, every day of the week – and took almost all of the proceeds for himself. Hall punished victims who did not meet the quotas he set for them by withholding drugs or through violence. To maintain control, Hall subjected his victims to starvation, regular threats of injury, physical abuse, forced intercourse, violent assaults with weapons including knives, belts and bats and made some of the victims brand themselves with a tattoo of his nickname.

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

U.S. Attorney Rollins, HSI SAC Millhollin and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Rhode Island. Assistant U.S. Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

To read the impact statement from one of the victims, please see attachment below.

BOSTON – Two Lawrence men have been arrested for allegedly distributing fentanyl and targeting veterans at the Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Deiby Bladimil Casado Ruiz and Pedro Antonio Sanchez Bernabel, both of Lawrence, were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution of fentanyl. Casado Ruiz was charged with an additional count of distribution of fentanyl. The defendants were arrested on Nov. 2, 2022 and, following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein, were detained pending detention hearings scheduled for Nov. 9, 2022.

According to the charging document, between July 27, 2022 and Oct. 26, 2022 Casado Ruiz and Bernabel conspired to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in Bedford. Specifically, it is alleged the defendants targeted veterans seeking treatment for substance use disorder at the Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

“Every day, veterans risk their lives to protect our country, our freedom and our civil liberties. These sacrifices often come at great expense to their families, loved ones, and mental and physical health. One of the few benefits veterans receive is life-long healthcare services at any of the 170 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics throughout the country. If a veteran has a substance use disorder or mental health issue, a VA can offer life-saving treatment and services. We allege that these two defendants conspired to sell fentanyl to veterans at or near the VA medical center/outpatient clinic in Bedford,” said United States Attorney Rollins. “Fentanyl continues to be the main driver of overdose deaths in our Commonwealth and nationwide. Last year alone, we lost over 2,000 people in Massachusetts to drug poisonings. The opioid crisis is real and growing. Individuals who seek to distribute fentanyl, especially those who target vulnerable populations, are a grave threat to our communities. We are committed to finding and prosecuting them. That is a promise.”

“Veterans seeking treatment for substance abuse are often at their most vulnerable. The VA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring VA medical centers are safe for veterans receiving care,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the VA Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “We thank the US Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this joint investigation.”

“What these two men are accused of doing is absolutely appalling. We believe they targeted veterans who have valiantly defended our country’s freedoms and are now seeking treatment for their substance abuse disorder, and plied them with fentanyl, a deadly narcotic 50-100 times stronger than morphine,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This investigation clearly demonstrates that the grave consequences of the opioid crisis extend far beyond street level dealing, and the FBI’s resolve to work closely with our law enforcement partners to do everything we can to rid our communities of this deadly and destructive substance.”

“Massachusetts is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis as deaths from fentanyl climb,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those who are contributing to this crisis across our communities.  Today’s arrests serve as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic and addiction.”

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of distribution of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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, VA OIG SAC Algieri, FBI SAC and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Bedford VA Medical Center Police Service and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Callahan, Lauren Graber and Kelly Lawrence of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A former intelligence analyst for eBay, Inc. was sentenced today for her role in a cyberstalking campaign targeting the editor and publisher of a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.

Veronica Zea, 28, of San Jose, Calif., a former eBay contractor who worked as an intelligence analyst in eBay’s Global Intelligence Center (GIC), was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to two years’ probation with her first year to be served in home confinement and a $5,000 fine. In October 2020, Zea pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

On Sept. 29, 2022, co-conspirator James Baugh was sentenced to 57 months in prison, two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a fine of $40,000. Also on Sept. 29, 2022, co-conspirator David Harville was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000. Co-conspirators and former eBay employees Philip Cooke, Stephanie Popp, Stephanie Stockwell and Brian Gilbert previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy to cyberstalk the victims. Cooke was sentenced in July 2021 to 18 months in prison. On Oct. 11, 2022, Popp was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and Stockwell was sentenced to two years of probation with a year of home confinement. Gilbert is awaiting sentencing.

Between approximately Aug. 5, 2019 and Sept. 6, 2019, Zea and her co-conspirators at eBay agreed to engage in a harassment campaign targeting a husband and wife in Natick, Mass. for their roles in publishing a newsletter that reported on issues of interest to eBay sellers. Senior executives at eBay were frustrated with the newsletter’s tone and content as well as the substance of comments posted beneath the newsletter’s articles. The harassment campaign arose from communications between those senior executives and Baugh, who was eBay’s senior security employee.                    

Zea and her co-conspirators executed a three-part harassment campaign intended to intimidate the victims and to influence their reporting about eBay. The campaign included sending anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home; sending private Twitter messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter’s content; threats to visit the victims in Natick; and traveling to Natick to surveil the victims and installing a GPS tracking device on their car.

Among other things, several of the defendants ordered anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home, including a preserved fetal pig, a bloody pig Halloween mask, a funeral wreath, a book on surviving the loss of a spouse, and pornography addressed to the victims but delivered to their neighbor’s homes. Zea used cash to purchase prepaid debit cards for use in the campaign and ordered insects to the victims’ home.

As part of the second phase of the campaign, Zea’s co-conspirators sent public tweets and private threatening Twitter messages that were written as if they had been sent by eBay sellers who were unhappy with the victims’ coverage in the newsletter. Some of these messages posted the victims’ address and threatened to visit them at their home.

The third phase of the campaign involved covertly surveilling the victims in their home and community. On Aug. 15, 2019, Zea travelled from California to Natick with Baugh and Harville to surveil the victims and to install a GPS tracking device on the victims’ car. Zea and Harville registered for a software development conference to explain the trip to Boston. The victims spotted the surveillance team and contacted local police. At Baugh’s direction, Zea also lied to an eBay investigator who was responding to the Natick Police’s request for assistance.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Natick Police Chief James G. Hicks made the announcement today. eBay provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – The former President of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) and the union’s former Massachusetts lobbyist were convicted by a federal jury today of racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and tax crimes.

Dana A. Pullman, 60, of Worcester, and Anne M. Lynch, 71, of Hull, were convicted following a 20-day jury trial of one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of honest services wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Pullman was also convicted of two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. Lynch was convicted of an additional count of obstruction of justice and four counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2023. Pullman and Lynch were arrested and charged in August 2019 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2019.

“Being a police officer is a noble and valued profession. It is an honor and privilege to serve as a member of law enforcement. With that honor and privilege comes immense responsibility. Regardless of whether some may think it’s unfair, as members of law enforcement, we are and should be held to a higher standard. Our fundamental responsibility is plain and simple – to protect and serve. We enforce the law, we do not break it,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Police union leadership is supposed to fight for the rights, benefits and protections of their members. Not their own self-interests for personal financial gain. Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch concocted a fraudulent scheme to game the system for their personal financial benefit, all under the guise of looking out for hard working union members. Today’s conviction affirms that. Their criminal conduct has diminished the already strained relationship and lack of trust some communities feel toward law enforcement. And when communities don’t trust law enforcement, we are all less safe.”

“Today’s verdict proves that Dana Pullman and Anne Lynch were paid to look out for the best interests of Massachusetts State Police union members, but instead were only looking out for themselves, lining their pockets with thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks and defrauding at least two different companies seeking to do business with the state,” said Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “They crossed over the thin blue line to committing felonies while the real victims in this case—hard-working troopers, taxpayers, and businesses—were short changed and shut out of the honest government services they deserve. The FBI has zero tolerance for those who exploit their official positions for personal gain and then try to obstruct our investigation into their criminal conduct.”

“Instead of honestly representing the interests of the more than 1,500 Massachusetts law enforcement professionals, these defendants cared more about enriching themselves through a series of bribes and kickbacks. Today’s guilty verdict affirms that their actions violated the trust given to them and this conduct will not go unpunished,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office.

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

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

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

The charges of racketeering conspiracy and fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

BOSTON – A Concord man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to defrauding an investor of $72,000.

Eric Lyons, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of investment advisor fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley who scheduled sentencing for Feb. 15, 2023.

Between 2015 and 2017, Lyons participated in the operation of multiple investment funds, including the Synchrony Value Fund LP, for which Lyons solicited investors and participated in distribution decisions for the funds. In that role, Lyons defrauded an investor by allowing for the distribution of that investor’s gains, as well as a portion of their underlying investment, to other investors. The defrauded investor eventually liquidated their position in the fund, receiving approximately $72,000 less than the amount to which they were entitled.

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

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. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Lowell postal worker pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to attempting to bribe a postal supervisor and sell them cocaine.

John Noviello, of Nashua, N.H., 61, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official and one count of distribution of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Feb. 14, 2023. Noviello was charged on May 11, 2022.

Noviello was a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Lowell. On Feb. 15, 2022, Noviello approached a U.S. Postal supervisor seeking their assistance in a scheme to divert postal packages suspected of containing cocaine. Noviello offered to pay the supervisor $1,750 per kilogram of cocaine successfully obtained from any diverted packages. On Feb. 17, 2022, Noviello left $850 in cash, concealed in a Dunkin’ bag, inside the supervisor’s vehicle in an attempt to encourage the supervisor to agree to the scheme. Noviello, referring to the $850, later commented to the supervisor, “that was a nice envelope for starters.” After contacting authorities, the supervisor conducted a controlled purchase from Noviello during which the defendant distributed approximately 3.7 grams of cocaine for $200.

The charge of bribery of a public official provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution of cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $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; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office; and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Eugenia M. Carris will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Carris has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Massachusetts, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be permitted to vote without interference or discrimination and to have their vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to do their vitally important jobs without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will stand up and protect the integrity of the election process,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins.

The Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. The law also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, intimidation, and any other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).  

 “Voting is the bedrock of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are eligible to vote can exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt the voting process are held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Carris will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 617-748-3363.”

In addition, the FBI will have agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 857-386-2000.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. If you have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud please contact any of us at the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins.

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced on Oct. 27, 2022 in federal court in Springfield for his role in a large-scale heroin trafficking organization.

William Brantley, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 43 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In July 2019, Brantley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. He was indicted along with 17 co-conspirators in August 2017.

Brantley was a member of a Springfield-based drug trafficking organization led by co-conspirator Alberto Marte. Marte had direct contact with heroin supply sources in the Dominican Republic. On a monthly basis, members of the organization transported between eight and 20 kilograms of heroin to the Springfield area. Brantley regularly purchased large amounts of heroin from Marte which he then distributed to various retail-level dealers in the Springfield area. Specifically, Brantley purchased 300 packs – or 30,000 doses – of heroin from Marte on a number of occasions from July 2016 to September 2016.

In March 2020, Marte was sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood; Chicopee Police Chief Patrick J. Major; Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo; and West Springfield Police Chief Paul Connor made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Florida man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield in connection with paying bribes to receive contracts for work at a college in New York.

Willian Borges, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., pleaded guilty on Oct. 26, 2022 to one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2023. Borges was arrested in September 2020.

Borges was a principal of DWD Builders, a general contracting firm, from 2018 to 2019. During this time, Borges paid bribes to co-conspirator Floyd Young, who held positions involving facility maintenance at a New York college, in exchange for preference in obtaining contracts for construction, repair, maintenance, and other work for the college. The bribes Borges paid Young were made in cash in the amount of 15% of the contract during face-to-face meetings. In addition, as Borges received payment for work done at the college, he paid Young bribes on a periodic basis. Borges also inflated the amount of the invoices submitted to the college in order to be repaid the cost of the bribe payment made to Young. On occasion, Young and Borges arranged for no-work invoices to be submitted to the college and then split the payment.

In August 2020, Young pleaded guilty to steering contracts for construction, repair, maintenance and other work for the colleges to favored contractors, including Borges, in exchange for bribe payments typically in the amount of 15% of the contract. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2023.

The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charges of bribery concerning programs receiving federal fund each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. 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 Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for drug trafficking offenses involving fentanyl.

David Cruz, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 23, 2022, Cruz pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

In January 2021, Cruz sold 9,816 bags of fentanyl laced heroin, with a total weight of 120 grams, to a cooperating witness. In March 2021, a total of 55,703 bags – with a combined weight of 600 grams – of fentanyl laced heroin was seized from Cruz.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Holyoke Police Department, and  the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Rollins’ Springfield Office prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – An Ohio man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Thiago da Silva Pinheiro, 42, of Cincinnati, Ohio was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography. Pinheiro was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 21, 2022.

According to the charging documents, on Sept. 20, 2022, Pinheiro flew from Ontario, Canada to Boston with an ultimate destination of Brazil. During screening at Logan Airport, customs officers observed apparent CSAM on Pinheiro’s tablet. Preliminary review of the tablet allegedly revealed approximately 2,800 videos and images depicting apparent CSAM, some of which depicted children as young as two to four years old. Further forensic review of Pinheiro’s cell phone uncovered alleged additional videos and images depicting CSAM.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Belgian and Lebanese national holding an Illinois law license was sentenced today for his role in a scheme to defraud victims in multiple states, many of whom thought they were closing real estate transactions or sending money to romantic partners. Once the lawyer received the funds, he sent large sums to fellow fraudsters overseas and took a cut for himself, which he used to spend on luxury items and an international lifestyle.

Hassan A. Abbas, 55, of Belgium, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release. Abbas was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $2,001,853 and to pay a $600 special assessment. In May 2022, Abbas was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering, two counts of wire fraud, and two counts of unlawful monetary transactions.

“Mr. Abbas abused his law degree in furtherance of a scheme that stole millions of dollars from innocent victims across the country. All of Mr. Abbas’s lies and schemes have finally caught up with him. He was an equal opportunity scammer. Whether it was a fake romance or a fake real estate deal, he took advantage of victims by laundering their hard-earned money. He will now have nine years to realize the error of his ways,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.

“With today’s sentence, Hassan Abbas has learned his fate for exploiting his law degree to defraud unwitting victims and moving that money overseas in a sophisticated scheme to avoid getting caught,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI is committed to holding the criminals behind these scams accountable for the harm they do to everyday citizens and our financial institutions resulting in millions of dollars in losses.”

Between June 2017 and January 2019, Abbas and others defrauded victims through a series of romance, business email compromise (BEC), and other scams designed to trick victims into wiring funds to bank accounts that Abbas controlled. A BEC scheme is a type of sophisticated fraud that typically targets individuals and businesses that engage in wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising and/or “spoofing” legitimate business email accounts and then communicating with victims through email to  cause them to transfer funds to accounts controlled by the scammers. In romance scams, perpetrators generally create fictitious online personas to develop online romantic relationships with individuals in the U.S.; they then leverage those relationships to obtain money and/or property. Abbas participated in both types of scheme by receiving victims’ money and moving funds abroad before victims could recall the wires or banks became suspicious.

Abbas incorporated at least five shell companies with no legitimate business and opened bank accounts in their names. Individual and corporate victims of BECs and romance scams were instructed to wire funds to Abbas’s sham corporate accounts. Some victims, including two Massachusetts residents, were tricked into wiring money to Abbas while in the process of closing on a home purchase. The perpetrators also instructed victim businesses to remit invoice payments to Abbas’s accounts. Other victims, including a Massachusetts woman, were led to believe they were transferring funds for the benefit of their romantic partners.

Upon receiving money from victims, Abbas transferred a portion to his personal bank accounts and spent victim funds on personal expenses, including luxury goods and international travel. He also wired victim funds to foreign bank accounts of overseas co-conspirators.  

When approached by financial institutions about his account activity, Abbas disguised the purposes of wire transfers to bank investigators, claiming that certain transfers were for non-existent “clients” and, in one instance, insisting that information about the wires was protected by the attorney-client privilege.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and David M. Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Chicopee man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Herve Plasse, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years in prison and five years of supervised release. On May 9, 2022, Plasse pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

In July 2015, a search of Plasse’s residence revealed over 100 images of child pornography on his computer, including images of prepubescent girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Plasse admitted that he had accessed a website on an encrypted network for the purpose of viewing child pornography.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Curley of Rollins’ Springfield 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

BOSTON – A former Fall River resident was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston yesterday in connection with a nationwide conspiracy to open fraudulent driver accounts with rideshare and delivery service companies.

Caio Felipe Oliveira Dos Santos, 27, of Brazil, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, Dos Santos and others conspired to use stolen identities and/or falsified documents to open fraudulent driver accounts and/or rent or sell those accounts to individual drivers who might not otherwise qualify to drive for the rideshare or delivery services. The indictment further alleges that co-conspirators exploited referral bonus programs offered by the rideshare and delivery companies and used “bots” and GPS “spoofing” technology to increase the income earned from the companies. As a result of the scheme, Internal Revenue Service Forms 1099 were generated in victims’ names for income co-conspirators earned from the rideshare and delivery companies. 

The indictment also alleges that Dos Santos and his co-conspirators used victims’ identifiers to apply for driver accounts with the rideshare and delivery companies, enabling Dos Santos and his co-conspirators to pass those companies’ required background checks and create driver accounts in victims’ names. At times, co-conspirators also edited victims’ driver’s license images to display photos of the drivers renting or buying the fraudulent accounts in order to circumvent facial recognition technology that the rideshare and delivery companies used as a security measure. Dos Santos and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained victims’ names, dates of birth, driver’s license information, and/or Social Security numbers from co-conspirators and other sources, including sites on the Dark Net. They also obtained driver’s license images directly from victims, by photographing victims’ licenses while completing an alcohol delivery through one of the services.

Eighteen co-conspirators were indicted in connection with the scheme in May 2021.  Fifteen of those defendants have been arrested, while three remain at large. If you believe that you may be a victim of the allegations in this case, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/us-v-wemerson-dutra-aguiar-and-us-v-priscila-barbosa-et-al

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; National Crime Insurance Bureau; and the Concord, Lexington, Plymouth, Wilmington, Marlborough and Village of Rye Brook (N.Y.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen A. Kearney and David M. Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

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

Grace Katana, a/k/a “King Grace,” 31, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 64 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 7, 2022, Katana was convicted by a federal jury of conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery. Katana was indicted in July 2019 with co-defendants Junior Melendez, Shaun Walker and Keith Johnson.

In March 2019, Katana conspired with Melendez, Walker and, allegedly, Johnson to rob the home of a high-end glassware dealer in Rockland. From March 18, 2019 through March 25, 2019, intercepted communications of a cellphone used by Melendez revealed that Katana and his co-conspirators had planned an armed home invasion and robbery of the Rockland residence.

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

Melendez and Walker previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 29, 2022, and Nov. 15, 2022, respectively. Johnson has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Rockland Police Chief John R. Llewellyn made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm and Kristen M. Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Reading man and a Saugus man have been arrested in connection with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Charles Brennick Bates, 31, of Reading, and Aaron Lenardis, 36, of Saugus, were each charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Following initial appearances on Oct. 25, 2022 and Oct. 26, 2022 in federal court in Boston before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell, the defendants were detained pending a further hearing set for Oct. 31, 2022 at 2 p.m.

“These charges are yet another example of my office’s efforts to address the near constant stream of illegal drugs flowing into our communities. We must reduce and ultimately eliminate overdose deaths,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Swallowing a deadly drug can have the same fatal outcome as injecting one. The only difference is that, with the recent spike in counterfeit pill distribution, someone may not even know that they’re taking a deadly narcotic.”

“Fentanyl and methamphetamine are causing tremendous damage to our community,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Those who distribute these drugs within fake prescription pills are endangering the safety of the citizens of Massachusetts. The DEA will continue to work each day alongside our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are responsible for distributing fentanyl and other deadly drugs. We won’t stop until they are brought to justice”.

According to the charging documents, in August 2022, federal law enforcement opened an investigation into Bates after he ordered 50 kilograms of an orange binding agent commonly used to make counterfeit Adderall pills. During subsequent surveillance, Bates was allegedly observed transporting a large, heavy item that appeared to be a pill press to Lenardis’ residence in Saugus. It is alleged that on Sept. 3, 2022, Bates called a confidential source asking for instruction on how to change a “punch” on a TDP5 machine. A punch is the component that can stamp letters onto pills and a TDP5 machine is a large pill press.

During a search of Lenardis’ residence in Saugus on Oct. 25, 2022, investigators recovered an industrial pill press, 14 firearms, several bins of loose orange and white powder and “M30” stamps commonly used to manufacture counterfeit pills, counterfeit Adderall suspected to contain methamphetamine and oxycodone pills suspected to contain fentanyl.

The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least 3 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to one million dollars. 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 and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Texas man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for allegedly staging a hoax explosion at Northeastern University in Boston and providing law enforcement with materially false and misleading information about the incident.

Jason Duhaime, 45, formerly of San Antonio, was indicted on one count of intentionally conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive and two counts of making materially false statements to a federal law enforcement agent. Duhaime was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Oct. 4, 2022.

According to the indictment returned today, Duhaime, who at the time was employed as the New Technology Manager and Director of the Immersive Media Lab (the “Lab”) at Northeastern University, placed a 911 call at approximately 7 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2022, to report that he was injured by “sharp” objects expelled from a plastic case he opened inside the Lab that evening. Specifically, it is alleged that Duhaime told the 911 operator that upon opening one of two “Pelican” cases he had collected from an on-campus mail area earlier that day, “very sharp” objects flew out and under his shirt sleeves, causing injuries to his arms. Duhaime also allegedly reported that the case contained an anonymous “violent note” directed at the Lab.

Duhaime’s 911 call and concern about the second unopened “Pelican” case triggered a significant law enforcement response that included, among other things, the assistance of two law enforcement bomb squads and the evacuation of a large portion of Northeastern’s Boston campus. Numerous campus-wide alerts were also issued by the Northeastern University Police Department, one of which described an “explosion” on campus.

According to court documents, responding local and federal law enforcement officers observed that the case described by Duhaime to the 911 operator was empty and undamaged. Neither the case nor the letter that Duhaime said was inside the case showed any indication of having been exposed to a forceful or explosive discharge of any type or magnitude. Additionally, the storage closet appeared normal and bomb technicians did not observe any small objects or suspicious debris on the floor or elsewhere.

During subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Duhaime allegedly provided statements about the incident that were consistent with his report to the 911 operator. He allegedly expressly denied fabricating his story about the case, the letter and his injuries.

Forensic analysis of one of the computers seized during a Sept. 14, 2022 search of Duhaime’s office at Northeastern allegedly revealed a word-for-word electronic copy of the letter stored in a backup folder. According to court documents, the metadata associated with this file reflected a “Created Date/Time” of Sept. 13, 2022, at 2:57 p.m. and a “Last Printed Date/Time” of Sept. 13, 2022, at 4:02 p.m.

The charges of intentionally conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive and making materially false statements to a federal law enforcement agent each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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; Michael A. Davis, Vice President of Campus Security and Chief of Police at Northeastern University; and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. This investigation was conducted by the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in cooperation with the Northeastern University Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of Rollins’ National Security 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 Fitchburg man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Branny Taveras, 40, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 40 months in prison and two years of supervised release. On March 11, 2022, Taveras pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of 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, electronic communications revealed that Taveras and others in the DTO distributed a fentanyl and heroin mixture on a regular basis to individuals in the Fitchburg area, including to Pedro and Anthony Baez, who redistributed that mixture to others.

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. Taveras was responsible for distributing over 400 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture. 

Taveras was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. He is the 10th 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. On Oct. 24, 2022, a federal jury convicted co-defendant Adiangel Paredes, who is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 2023. Three of the remaining defendants, Pedro Baez, Jessica Hughes 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 Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. 

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

BOSTON – A career criminal was sentenced on Oct. 24, 2022 in federal court in Boston for trafficking fentanyl while on supervised release for a previous federal conviction.

Robert Roscoe, 31, of Boston and Attleboro, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release. At the time he distributed fentanyl, Roscoe was on federal supervised release for a 2019 conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. This sentence will run consecutive with a two-year sentence imposed on Roscoe on June 16, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton for violating his supervised release by distributing fentanyl. Roscoe had been previously convicted of armed robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and assault and battery on a police officer.

On June 30, 2022, Roscoe pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution of fentanyl. Roscoe’s co-defendant, Ozair Pereira, is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10, 2022 after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged with allegedly trafficking a minor he met on social media to engage in commercial sex acts.

Jimall Dawn Brown, 33, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Brown was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 3 p.m. this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein.

“Human trafficking – which includes both sex and labor trafficking – is a form of slavery that causes unimaginable harm through exploitation and degradation. It is an assault on an individual’s dignity and is an urgent threat to public safety and public health. Human Trafficking impacts people across races, genders, age, immigration status, and socio-economic statuses and is often perpetrated against the most vulnerable among us – in this case, a child,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.

U.S. Attorney Rollins continued, “We allege that Mr. Brown preyed on a vulnerable teenager that he found on social media, coerced her to travel to Boston, where he trafficked her to engage in commercial sex. He exploited this child for thousands of dollars of profit by forcing her to engage in sex acts inflicting violence and harm when she tried to break away and leave. We must begin to face the harsh reality that human trafficking is happening every single day in our Commonwealth and across our country. With my newly established Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit, the United States Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in our fight to combat this growing threat, hold traffickers accountable and bring services, treatment and some level of justice to victims and survivors of this awful crime.”

“No person, let alone a minor, should be treated as a commodity to be transported and sold again and again. But that is exactly what Jimall Dawn Brown is accused of doing for his own financial gain. He even went as far as allegedly threatening this victim in this case with violence if she tried to break free from this cycle of abuse,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Sex trafficking is a despicable crime that has a long-lasting and devastating impact on its victims. Every day, FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force is working hard to protect children by bringing to justice those who exploit them. We take a victim-centered approach to each case, and we urge anyone who is or believes they may be a victim to contact us.”

"We are proud of the collaboration the Boston Police Department has with our federal law enforcement partners. This is another example of our department working to keep the community safe," said Michael Cox, Commissioner of the Boston Police Department.

According to the charging document, 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. He 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 profit.

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 profit. It is further alleged that in April 2022, Brown took the victim to Nevada, again arranging for her to engage in commercial sex and keeping all of the profit.

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. 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, BPD Commissioner 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 – A Lawrence man was sentenced yesterday for the unlawful possession of firearms stemming from his illegal dealing of rifles and handguns.

John H. Morales, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf, to 70 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On April 7, 2021, Morales pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

“Our Commonwealth has strict requirements and thorough vetting processes to legally purchase, sell and carry firearms for a reason – they are dangerous and deadly weapons. Keeping illegal firearms off the street and out of the hands of prohibited individuals is at the core of combating the continued rise in violent crime we have seen across our nation,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Despite being a convicted felon strictly prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, Mr. Morales illegally delt 14 firearms – including a high-powered semi-automatic rifle with two 30 round magazines – within just four short months. His conduct is alarming and each of those firearms and the ammunition have been taken off the street. Each of those bullets is a potential gun violence victim. We are committed to protecting the safety and wellbeing of Massachusetts residents and removing individuals like Mr. Morales from our communities is a step in the right direction.”

“The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force is working with our law enforcement partners to rid our communities of illegal firearms and whether it’s through takedowns of violent gun-toting gangs or, one by one, arresting felons like Mr. Morales, a criminal in possession of 14 firearms and ammunition – including an SKS rifle – we will continue to do all we can to make our neighborhoods safer. There is little doubt these guns would have ended up in the hands of gang members had we not obtained them, resulting in serious danger to the public,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.

In early 2019, federal law enforcement opened an investigation into Morales’ illegal firearm dealing. The investigation revealed that between February 2019 and May 2019, Morales sold a cooperating witness 14 firearms – including pistols, concealable weapons and a high-powered SKS rifle accompanied by two 30 round magazines – which were seized during the investigation. Morales was arrested in November 2019 and has been in custody since that date.

Due to prior felony convictions from 2010 and 2016, Morales is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement. The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng 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 Georgia man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for engaging in a cyberstalking and extortion campaign in which he used anonymous social media accounts to harass and victimize women, including a Boston-area woman whom he cyberstalked and extorted for videos, photographs and communications of a sexual nature.

Gary E. Leach, 25, of Athens, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2021, Leach pleaded guilty to two counts of cyberstalking and one count of extortion through interstate threats. Leach was arrested and charged on April 23, 2021 and has been on home detention since he was released from custody on May 18, 2021.

“Justice was served today. Mr. Leach is a coward who hid behind anonymous online accounts to harass, exploit, and terrorize women for his own sick gratification. His disturbing and calculated conduct caused immeasurable trauma on multiple victims – one of whom was kept in a persistent state of fear for over a year,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Cyberstalking is a serious offense that has profound consequences for victims – many of whom are women. My office and our law enforcement partners will not stand idly by. Everyone has a right to feel safe and secure in their community – whether that community is in-person or online. The cloak of internet anonymity is not impenetrable. Bad actors who cyberstalk and victimize innocent individuals will be identified, prosecuted and brought to justice.”

“The victims in this case did not let fear silence them. They courageously came forward and worked with the FBI to help bring Gary Leach’s cruel cyberstalking campaign –one that inflicted intense trauma—to an end. We’d like to encourage other victims of online threats to do the same,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Sadly, the FBI is seeing a surge in sextortion cases, with people of all ages being targeted. It’s a serious crime, and we will continue to work hard to unmask predators like Leach to ensure they are held accountable for their cowardly acts.”

From October 2019 until his arrest in April 2021, Leach, then a graduate student at the University of Georgia, targeted a Boston-area woman in an online cyberstalking and extortion campaign. Leach used anonymous Instagram accounts to obtain private video calls and photographs of a sexual nature from the victim – falsely promising payment in exchange – and surreptitiously recorded the victim during these calls. Leach subsequently resurfaced under a different anonymous account and threatened the victim that he would send the recording to the victim’s family if she did not comply with his demands. These demands included participating in sexual and degrading acts over video calls with Leach and sending photographs similar in nature upon his request. In exchange for her unwilling compliance, Leach promised the victim that he would delete the previous recording. However, during the subsequent interactions, Leach surreptitiously gained additional recordings and photographs of the victim which he used to repeatedly extort the victim for more sexual and degrading interactions under new Instagram aliases.

Leach also cyberstalked other women on social media, including a woman residing in Canada. Leach recorded a video call of a sexual nature with this victim and sent the recording to her roommate. He repeatedly contacted the victim and used the recording to attempt to solicit additional interactions with her. Throughout 2019 and 2020, Leach attempted to solicit video performances of a sexual nature from at least a dozen Instagram users. Additionally, Leach initiated unsolicited video calls with at least 20 other Instagram users for the purpose of exposing himself masturbating and sent unsolicited photographs and/or videos of himself masturbating to users who did not answer the video calls.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON –Twenty-three individuals in Massachusetts have been charged in connection with a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly manufactured and distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing narcotics.

The defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances.

According to the charging documents, in 2018, law enforcement identified brothers Lawrence Michael Nagle and Christopher Nagle as leaders of a DTO distributing various controlled substances throughout the North Shore region of Massachusetts. It is alleged that the Nagle DTO distributed significant quantities of various controlled substances, including, Adderall (both pharmaceutical-grade pills and counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine), methamphetamine, Xanax, Oxycodone (both pharmaceutical-grade and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl), cocaine and marijuana, among others.

The Nagle DTO allegedly distributed controlled substances to a small network of individuals who would then redistribute the drugs to other traffickers, including separate, but interconnected, organizations headed by Nelson Mora, Javier Bello and Anthony Bryson. It is alleged that Mora, Bello and Bryson obtained their drug supply from other sources at times and that Mora and Bryson had access to pill press machines used to create counterfeit pills.

The investigation resulted in numerous seizures of controlled substances, including: over 74,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, weighing more than 24 kilograms; 591 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine; 1,000 counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl; and 101 counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl.

During the execution of federal search warrants yesterday morning, investigators seized a pill press hidden under a sheet in a basement laundry room, plastic bags containing approximately three to four kilograms of suspected powdered fentanyl in various colors, various quantities of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine and various quantities of suspected counterfeit oxycodone containing fentanyl. Many of the suspected counterfeit pills were packaged for sale. A firearm and additional suspected counterfeit pills containing controlled substances were also seized from inside a furniture hide.

"Since taking office 10 months ago, we have worked tirelessly in collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to combat the deadly drug and opioid crisis poisoning our Commonwealth. Last year we lost over 2000 lives. Loved ones taken, stolen from us. And to be clear – counterfeit prescription pills being sold on the street are part of the problem. Swallowing a deadly drug can have the same fatal outcome as injecting one. These charges are an important step in slowing and ending the near constant stream of illegal drugs flowing into our communities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We allege the defendants participated in a large-scale drug ring that was prepared to distribute tens of thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine in addition to the counterfeit Adderall pills and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl that they were actually distributing into neighborhoods on the North Shore. Disguised to look like your average prescriptions from the pharmacy, these pills contained deadly narcotics – including fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than morphine, and methamphetamine, which also has been responsible for countless overdose deaths. As a result of this investigation, North Shore residents are safer now with more than 74,000 potentially deadly pills removed from their streets.”

“Massachusetts is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis as deaths from deadly fake pills soar. The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those who are contributing to the crisis,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put other callous distributers behind bars.”

“The practice of disguising fentanyl and other dangerous drugs as prescription medication is especially nefarious for the dangers it poses to unsuspecting users and the new addictions it fuels. I commend the DEA, our Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Trafficking Reduction and Enforcement task force, and the multiple partner agencies for their superb work interdicting this drug organization. The neighborhoods of the North Shore are safer today for their efforts,” said Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.

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

U.S. Attorney Rollins, DEA SAC Boyle, MSP Superintendent Colonel Mason, Melrose Police Chief Michael L. Lyle, Lowell Police Interim Superintendent Barry Golner and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Billerica, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold, Ann Taylor, and Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

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

###

Addendum

            The following defendants have been charged:

1. Lawrence Michael Nagle, a/k/a “Mikey,” 32, of Saugus;
2. Christopher Nagle, a/k/a “Cuda,” 28, of Revere;
3. Nelson Mora, a/k/a “Nellie,” 29, of Lynn;
4. Javier Bello, a/k/a “Javi,” 27, of Beverly;
5. Anthony Bryson, 33, of Billerica;
6. Frantz Adolphe, 28, of Lynn;
7. Raymond Kulakowski, 36, of Lynn;
8. Soyanna Lages, 33, of Somerville;
9. David Muise, a/k/a “Pinky,” 35, of Swampscott;
10. David Delauri, 30, of Haverhill;
11. Savannah Lee Bartone, 35, of Peabody;
12. Lawrence M. Nagle Sr., a/k/a “Michael L. Nagle,” a/k/a “Tony Dias,” 54, of Lynn;
13. Alexander Villar, 33 of Danvers;
14. Kion Shepherd, a/k/a “Kilo,”  31, of Salem;
15. Melvin Nieves, 23, of Lynn;
16. Erick Solis Lopez, a/k/a “Wichy,”  24, of Salem;
17. Christopher Tejeda, 21, of Lynn;
18. Edward Ortiz, 32, of Swampscott;
19. Justin Westmoreland, 24, of Saugus;
20. Yaira Ramos-Rivera, 39, of Billerica;
21. Jose Garcia, 45, of Roslindale;
22. Anna Bryson, 59, of Saugus; and
23. Chevon Dorce, 43, of Lynn.

BOSTON – A Leominster man was convicted by a federal jury yesterday in connection with his participation in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Adiangel Paredes, 36, was convicted following a one-week jury trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine). U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2023.

According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez. Intercepted communications, surveillance and controlled purchases identified Paredes as a fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine supplier in the Fitchburg area and one of the suppliers for Pedro and Anthony Baez.

Paredes was charged in July 2020 along with 17 others in an eight-count superseding indictment in connection with this investigation.

Between September 2018 and November 2019, Paredes conspired to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine as well as a fentanyl and heroin mixture. Nearly 850 grams of the fentanyl and heroin mixture supplied by Paredes in three controlled purchases was seized during the investigation. In addition, evidence at trial established that, during the conspiracy, Paredes supplied at least an additional 550 grams of the fentanyl and heroin mixture.

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.

Nine of the 18 defendants have been 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. Three of the remaining defendants, Branny Taveras, Jessica Hughes and Hector Matos have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; 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. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and Sarah Hoefle of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Great Barrington man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield in connection with allegedly receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

James J. Keough, 54, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Keough was arrested on Oct. 18, 2022 and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield.

According to the indictment, between approximately Dec. 5, 2021 and March 16, 2022, Keough knowingly received CSAM that involved a prepubescent minor under the age of 12. Additionally, it is alleged that on or about March 18, 2022, Keough possessed CSAM in the form of images.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Great Barrington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office 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 Dorchester man has been charged in connection with unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition as a previously convicted felon.

Kevin Blackmore, 45, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and will appear in federal court in Boston on Oct. 27, 2022 at 2 p.m.

According to the charging documents, on June 19, 2022, local law enforcement was dispatched to a hotel in Sharon in response to a call for a possible disturbance involving two vehicles. At the scene, the female occupant of one vehicle allegedly requested police assistance in collecting personal items from Blackmore, who was driving the second vehicle. When officers assisted Blackmore in searching the vehicle for those items, they allegedly recovered a black Smith and Wesson .45 caliber semi-automatic firearm, a Taurus .9mm semi-automatic firearm, 67 rounds of .9mm ammunition and 80 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Due to prior felony convictions stemming from 2006 through 2020, Blackmore is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of 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 James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Sharon Police Department and the Norfolk 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 drug distributor working for a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced today for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine and cocaine base.

Nelsin Hernandez, 31, of Brighton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to one year and a day in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 28, 2022, Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

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

According to the charging documents, 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 Hernandez 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 a result, the DTO caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents.

Hernandez distributed between approximately 100 and 200 grams of cocaine base during the course of his participation in the Fidelis Way DTO. Hernandez is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in in the Fidelis-Way related drug conspiracy. The remaining defendants are either pending sentencing or have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting 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; Bryan Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance 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 Salisbury woman was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of an infant.

Desiree Daigle, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 17 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. On June 24, 2022, Daigle pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child.

“There are no words to adequately capture how truly reprehensible this conduct is. Ms. Daigle violated the trust placed in her by a friend and sexually abused a defenseless infant in her care. That she documented the abuse for the perverse gratification of herself and others is truly disgusting. Ms. Daigle is a danger to our communities and deserves every single day of this prison sentence,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This case is a stark reminder that child predators come in all genders and that children of all ages can be victimized. While nothing will ever alleviate the pain and devastation Ms. Daigle inflicted upon the victim and their family, we hope today’s sentence provides some measure of accountability. My office and our law enforcement partners will never stop working to ensure the safety of our children by identifying, prosecuting and removing predators like Ms. Daigle from our communities.”

“The actions of Desiree Daigle were beyond heinous. She violated the trust placed in her by her friends and sexually exploited a baby in her care. No child should ever be subjected to this, and no sentence can erase the harm inflicted upon this child and her family,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence keeps Daigle exactly where she belongs, behind bars, being held to account for her depraved actions.”

In November 2018, Daigle was identified in online chats exchanging various child pornography files with another individual. Some of the images depicted an infant in Daigle’s care, taken in Daigle’s home. During the chats, Daigle discussed plans for the other individual to meet the child in person so that they could sexually abuse the child together. That individual is also facing federal charges.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Amesbury, North Andover, Salisbury, Arlington, Billerica, Methuen and Haverhill Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Chief of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Salem, Mass. real estate developer was sentenced to four years in prison today in connection with a decade-long mortgage fraud scheme involving at least two dozen loan transactions, totaling $6.5 million, that resulted in more than $3.8 million in losses to lenders.

George Kritopoulos, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to four years in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. The judge reserved determination on an order of restitution. On May 27, 2022, Kritopoulos was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, six counts of bank fraud, one count of aiding the preparation of a false income tax return and one count of obstruction of justice.

Kritopoulos was originally charged in September 2018 along with co-defendants Joseph Bates III and David Plunkett. Bates pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and two counts of bank fraud in October 2018 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1, 2022. Plunkett pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aiding in the submission of false tax returns in February 2019 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14, 2022.

From 2006 through 2015, Kritopoulos, Bates and others engaged in a scheme to defraud banks and other financial institutions by causing false information to be submitted to those institutions on behalf of borrowers – people recruited to purchase properties – located primarily in Salem. The properties were usually multi-family buildings with two-to-four units, which the conspirators then converted into condominiums. Kritopoulos recruited new borrowers to purchase the individual condominium units, which were also financed by mortgage loans obtained by fraud.

The false information submitted to lenders included, among other things, representations concerning the borrowers’ employment, income, assets and intent to occupy the property. Specifically, the false employment information included representations that borrowers were employed by entities that were, in fact, shell companies “owned” by Kritopoulos and were used to advance the fraudulent scheme. The employment information also included false representations about the income that the borrowers received from the entities, when, in fact, the borrowers received little or no income from them. Kritopoulos brought newly recruited borrowers to Plunkett, who then prepared tax returns that contained false and inflated income. Some of those tax returns were submitted to lenders in support of the fraudulent loan applications. 

Since the borrowers did not have the financial ability to repay the loans, in all but two instances among 21 properties, they defaulted on their loan payments, resulting in foreclosures and losses to the lenders.

In addition, Kritopoulos sought to obstruct the federal criminal investigation into the mortgage fraud scheme by encouraging Bates and Plunkett to make false statements and create false documents he hoped would make the companies appear to have been legitimate. 

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 – Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Office; and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Regional Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Salem Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild, of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, and Brian M. LaMacchia, of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Sutton, Mass. man who has worked as a magician for over 20 years, performing for children as young as kindergarten age, was arrested today on a child pornography charge.

Scott Jameson, 45, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Jameson was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

According to the criminal complaint filed today, in February 2022, federal authorities were contacted by Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), a Cambodian Non-Governmental Organization founded to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation, to report that Jameson possibly engaged in inappropriate behavior with minors in Cambodia. According to the report, Jameson was allegedly observed improperly interacting with a young Cambodian boy at a park . Additionally, according to the report, two pre-teen Cambodian boys informed APLE employees that Jameson allegedly slept with them in their bed on more than one occasion but they did not report any sexual abuse. 

Federal authorities in the United States were notified that Jameson, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, had again travelled to Cambodia on Aug. 28, 2022. Upon his return to the United States on Oct. 19, 2022, Jameson was stopped at Logan Airport. During a search of Jameson’s belongings, agents located a video which appears to have been produced during his most recent trip to Cambodia, depicting the genitals of a young boy, 5-7 years old, who appears to be of Asian descent. A separate device contained over 100 images of apparent child pornography, including an image depicting a boy approximately 8-10 years old, nude from the waist down.

During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Jameson stated that he has worked as a magician for over 20 years, regularly performing at libraries and private and family events across New England usually for children as young as kindergarten age and up to the eighth grade.

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.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Sutton Police Chief Dennis J. Towle made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by United States Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigation and the Sutton and Littleton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. 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.

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 California man has agreed to plead guilty in connection with making threatening communications to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) in May 2021.

Sammy Sultan, 49, of Hayward, Calif., was charged by an Information with and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of making threats in interstate commerce. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Sultan was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 31, 2022.

According to the charging documents, on or about May 28, 2021, Sultan made eight phone calls to TUPD, six of which included specific threats. During the calls, which collectively lasted about an hour, Sultan allegedly claimed to have entered a dorm room somewhere on the Tufts University campus, to be hiding beneath a bed, and to possess a taser and pistols. On several occasions, Sultan stated that he intended to use the taser if a woman returned to the dorm room and discovered him hiding beneath the bed. It is alleged that Sultan played the sounds of a taser activating and a pistol racking during the calls.

TUPD and local police carried out an hours-long, room-by-room search of numerous buildings on Tufts University’s Medford campus but failed to locate the caller. A subsequent investigation of electronic evidence determined that Sultan had made the calls from California. A law enforcement officer familiar with Sultan’s voice from a prior investigation recognized Sultan’s voice on the TUPD call recordings.

Sultan previously pleaded guilty in December 2017 in the Northern District of California to making hundreds of obscene and harassing phone calls to law enforcement agencies, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison.

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

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 in the investigation was provided by the Tufts University Police Department; Massachusetts State Police; Illinois State Police; and the Medford, Somerville, North Andover, Malden and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner of Rollins’ National Security 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 Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday to engaging in a scheme to defraud his clients of millions of dollars.

Steven Xigoros, 55, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of filing a false tax return. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 23, 2023. Xigoros was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2021. 

Between 2015 and 2021, Xigoros used his position as an accountant, tax preparer, and investment advisor to misappropriate millions of dollars from his clients. He induced clients to entrust their money to him to make various investments, to purchase securities, and to lend him money for purported business ventures. Xigoros then used those funds for his own expenses, including to make payments against his gambling debts. In order to deceive his clients about the fact that he had stolen their money, Xigoros made a series of false statements about how their money was invested and when he would repay it. In total, Xigoros defrauded his clients of more than $3.5 million, including the entire life savings of one elderly couple, who entrusted $1.3 million to him to make investments on their behalf. By failing to report the misappropriated funds as income, Xigoros also failed to pay taxes due and owing of approximately $1.16 million to the Internal Revenue Service. 

While on pre-trial release, Xigoros was arrested at the Newark Liberty International Airport, boarding a flight to Greece in an attempt to flee from prosecution.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for wire fraud, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Wright and David Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – An Auburn man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to a child pornography charge.

Christopher Rondeau, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2023. Rondeau was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in November 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest.  

During a search of Rondeau’s residence in November 2020, a cell phone was found containing images and videos of child pornography. In 2016, Rondeau was convicted of receipt of child pornography and sentenced to 68 months in prison and seven years of supervised release. He was released from federal custody in August 2019 and was on supervised release at the time of his November arrest. 

Due to Rondeau’s prior conviction, the charging statute provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; 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 New England; Auburn Police Chief Todd. R. Lemon; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett 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 Vermont man with two prior federal convictions for drug conspiracy was sentenced on Oct. 18, 2022 for his role in a drug trafficking organization.

Juan Ramos, 45, of Wardsboro, Vt., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to eight years in prison and six years of supervised release. On April 8, 2022, Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

From 2015 through 2016, Ramos distributed more than 300 grams of cocaine in Massachusetts and various customers in Vermont. Ramos had obtained the cocaine from co-conspirator David Cruz, whom he had met while serving a five-year prison sentence in Hampden County for cocaine trafficking.

Ramos has two prior federal convictions for cocaine distribution conspiracy. In 2002, Ramos was convicted in the District of Vermont and was sentenced to nine years in prison. In 2010, Ramos was convicted in the Southern District of New York and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Cruz previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Westfield Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Curley, Neil L. Desroches and Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Office prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Braintree man was sentenced yesterday for trafficking cocaine and illegally possessing ammunition.

Martin Angomas, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 16, 2022, Angomas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and to possessing ammunition as a convicted felon.

Angomas was charged with 23 others in June 2020 as part of Operation Snowfall – a multi-year investigation into drug trafficking activities by a drug trafficking organization (DTO) comprised of Boston-based street gang members and associates. According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated drug trafficking activities 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 defendants, through their drug trafficking activities, assumed control over multiple apartments, where they stored, cooked, packaged and sold drugs. As a result, their activities caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents.

The investigation identified Angomas as a drug distributor and supplier. During intercepted communications between Angomas and co-defendant Hassan Monroe, a wholesale supplier and distributor within the DTO, Angomas coordinated providing Monroe with cocaine to be given to Kenji Drayton, one of the DTO’s principal suppliers and distributors. Angomas and Monroe were later observed meeting at an agreed-upon location, getting into a vehicle and driving to meet Drayton for the deal. They then left in separate vehicles.

During a search of Angomas’ residence in June 2020, ammunition, cocaine base (crack cocaine), two loaded firearms and over $360,000 were recovered. At the time of the offense, Angomas had a prior conviction punishable by a more than one year in prison.

Angomas is the 12th defendant to be sentenced in the case. The remaining defendants are either pending sentencing or have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial. One defendant, Derek Hart, remains at large. On Sept. 28, 2022, Drayton was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. On July 28, 2022, Monroe was sentenced to six years in prison and four years of supervised release.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistance in the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Timothy E. Moran Chief of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a complaint for a permanent injunction today to stop Daniel R. Marold from distributing a product the government contends to be an unapproved new drug and an adulterated food under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). 

The United States contends that Marold sells Chill6, a multi-flavored beverage powder, to consumers across the country through a website that claims that the product cures, treats, mitigates and prevents anxiety, insomnia, stress, alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other conditions. The complaint, filed in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), also alleges that Chill6 contains Phenibut HCL, an unsafe food additive that is not approved for use in the United States. The government further alleges that Marold continued to distribute Chill6 even after FDA sent him a warning letter in July 2021. 

The United States’ complaint seeks to permanently enjoin Marold from selling Chill6 in its current form to any consumer and requires him to comply with federal food safety regulations before selling any other food products. 

“The FDA is responsible for making sure drugs meet the necessary safety guidelines for human consumption. We allege that Chill6 does not, and even after being warned, Mr. Marold continued distributing this unapproved substance,” said United States Attorney Rachael S Rollins. “Be it by criminal offense or civil violation, we are committed to ending the distribution of unregulated and adulterated supplements.”

“Those who distribute drugs, dietary supplements, or foods must comply with federal law designed to ensure these products are safe,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work closely with FDA to stop the distribution of unapproved new drugs and adulterated food products.”

“The FDA’s primary responsibility is to protect U.S. patients and consumers from unproven and dangerous products,” said Judith McMeekin, Pharm.D., Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs in the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. “With our partners at the Department of Justice, we will keep pursuing individuals and firms that distribute products that put the public at risk and violate federal law.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins, AAG Boynton and Associate Commissioner McMeekin made the announcement today. The matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Sharobem of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit and Trial Attorney Manu J. Sebastian of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel Leah A. Edelman of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.

The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.

BOSTON – Two men were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for their roles a scheme to take over victims’ social media accounts and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency.

Eric Meiggs, 25, of Brockton, Mass. was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to two years and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Declan Harrington, 22, of Rockport, Mass. was sentenced to two years and seven days in prison and two years of supervised release. In August 2021, Harrington and Meiggs each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud, one count of computer fraud and abuse and one count of aggravated identity theft. Harrington also pleaded guilty to an additional count of wire fraud.

Beginning in November 2017, Harrington, Meiggs and co-conspirators targeted victims who were believed to have had significant amounts of cryptocurrency and those who had high value or “OG” (slang for “Original Gangster”) social media account names. Using an illegal practice known as “SIM-swapping,” Harrington, Meiggs and others conspired to hack into and take control of these victims’ online accounts to obtain things of value, including OG social media account names and cryptocurrency. 

“SIM swapping” attacks involve convincing a victim’s cell phone carrier to reassign the victim’s cell phone number from the SIM card inside the victim’s cell phone to the SIM card inside a cell phone controlled by the cybercriminals. The cybercriminals can then reset the victim’s account log-in credentials and use those credentials to access the victim’s account without authorization, or “hack into” the account.

To execute the SIM swapping scheme, Harrington purchased or possessed new phones and SIM cards to which the defendants diverted password-reset links or authentication codes they caused to be sent to the victims’ phones, thereby giving Meiggs and others access to the victims’ social media and email accounts without authorization. Harrington, Meiggs and their co-conspirators then looked through the victims’ digital lives to find and take cryptocurrency currency or control of social media account names.

Harrington, Meiggs, and their co-conspirators targeted at least 10 identified victims around the country and stole (or attempted to steal) more than $530,000 in cryptocurrency from these victims. Meiggs also took control of two victims’ “OG” accounts with social media companies.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen S. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Kosto, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case.

Two Massachusetts men were sentenced today for an extensive scheme to take over victims’ social media accounts and steal their cryptocurrency using techniques such as “SIM swapping,” computer hacking, and other methods. 

Eric Meiggs, 24, of Brockton, was sentenced to two years and one day in prison. Declan Harrington, 22, of Beverly, was sentenced to two years and seven days in prison.

According to court documents, Meiggs and Harrington targeted executives of cryptocurrency companies and others who likely had significant amounts of cryptocurrency and those who had high value or “OG” (slang for Original Gangster) social media account names. Meiggs and Harrington conspired to hack into and take control over these victims’ online accounts so they could obtain things of value, such as cryptocurrency. They used an illegal practice known as “SIM-swapping” and other techniques to access, take control of, and in some cases steal cryptocurrency from, the accounts. 

In “SIM swapping”, cybercriminals convince a victim’s cell phone carrier to reassign the victim’s cell phone number from the SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module card) inside the victim’s cell phone to the SIM card inside a cell phone controlled by the cybercriminals. Cybercriminals then pose as the victim with an online account provider and request that the provider send account password-reset links or an authentication code to the SIM-swapped device now controlled by the cybercriminals. The cybercriminals can then reset the victim’s account log-in credentials and use the log-in credentials to access the victim’s account without authorization, or “hack into” the account. 

Meiggs and Harrington targeted at least 10 identified victims around the country. Members of the conspiracy allegedly stole approximately $330,000 in cryptocurrency from these victims. Meiggs allegedly took control of two victims’ “OG” accounts with social media companies. 

Assistant Attorney Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Rachel Rollins for the District of Massachusetts, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI Boston Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Boston Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigations.

Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Kosto for the District of Massachusetts Senior prosecuted the case.  

BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to embezzling over $1.2 million from his employer over a 16-year period.

Darrell Pike, 56, of Hesperia, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Feb. 3, 2023. Pike was charged in May 2022.

Pike was the general manager of an Ontario, Calif. subsidiary of a supply and service company based in Wilmington, Mass. Between approximately 2005 and 2021, Pike prepared and submitted fraudulent invoices to his employer on behalf of a fake temporary staffing company, Consumer Information Systems (CIS), for staffing services CIS purportedly provided at his employer’s Ontario location. Pike added approving initials of company personnel to the invoices without their knowledge or consent. Through the fraudulent invoices, Pike caused the company to pay approximately $1,271,206 to CIS, which he deposited into a bank account he controlled.

The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss.  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 Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.