District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A California woman was sentenced yesterday in connection with travelling across the country to deliver fentanyl to an undercover officer.

Adelaida Yudit Garibay, 46, of Burbank, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 57 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On June 9, 2022, Garibay pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

In September 2021, Garibay drove from California to Boston to deliver two kilograms of fentanyl to an individual who was an undercover officer. On Sept. 29, 2021, officers observed Garibay picking up fentanyl in Jamaica Plain and then get into a ride-sharing vehicle prior to her scheduled meeting with the undercover officer. During a subsequent traffic stop, two kilograms of fentanyl were found inside the vehicle in a bag at Garibay’s feet.

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 with the investigation was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man has been sentenced for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Jean Aman, 36, was sentenced on Oct. 13, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to eight years in prison and four years of supervised release. On April 7, 2022, Aman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Aman was charged along with 24 others as part of Operation Snowfall. According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated drug trafficking activities by 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 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.

Aman was identified as a drug runner and drug distributor for one of the main cocaine suppliers in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Intercepted communications and surveillance revealed Aman coordinated drug deals and participated in drug trafficking conduct, including meeting with a main cocaine supplier. A traffic stop following an observed cocaine deal recovered 62 grams of crack cocaine from Aman. During a subsequent search of Aman’s residence, magazine clips and ammunition, over 350 grams of cocaine, over 150 grams of cocaine base and over $195,000 in cash were recovered. In total, Aman was responsible for distributing approximately over one kilogram of cocaine base and nearly 400 grams of cocaine.

Aman is the third defendant to be sentenced in the Fidelis-Way related drug conspiracy. The remaining defendants are either pending sentencing or have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial. One defendant, Derek Hart, remains at large.

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

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

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

BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and heroin.

Jector Torres, 33, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 7, 2022, Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin. Torres was charged in October 2019 along with co-conspirators John Robles, Cintia Franco and Amauris Antonio Rosario Garcia, all of whom have since pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Worcester Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and Connecticut State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen M. Noto and Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – The owner of a local paving company was sentenced today for tax evasion in connection with a seven-year scheme to underreport income on his tax returns.

Robert Brainard, 52, of Weymouth, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year and one day in prison and one year of supervised release. Brainard was also ordered to pay $784,799 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid income and employment taxes. On July 25, 2022, Brainard pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.

Brainard, the former owner of Got Pavement Needs, Inc., underreported income on his personal tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2021, resulting in an income tax loss of more than $593,993. In addition, to hide his control of the business, Brainard transferred ownership of his company in a straw sale, while maintaining control over the company’s operations and income. Brainard used his illicit tax savings to fund an off-the-books, cash payroll, for which he also did not pay employment taxes. 

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 today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.  

Kevin Jean, 31, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 30, 2022, Jean and co-defendants Junior Melendez and Juan Rodriguez were convicted by a federal jury of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine.

From March 2019 through early June 2019, intercepted communications revealed that Jean, Melendez and Rodriguez conspired with Angel Cordova, Antoine Mack, Carlos Richards and others to buy and sell multiple kilograms of cocaine.  Melendez and Rodriguez purchased powder cocaine from Cordova, cooked a portion of that powder cocaine into cocaine base (crack cocaine), and then allegedly distributed the cocaine – using Jean and Mack as their runners – to their primary buyer, Richards in Manchester, N.H. 

On Oct. 3, 2022, Rodriguez was sentenced to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2020, Mack was sentenced to 54 months in prison. Cordova is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2022. Melendez is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 29, 2022. Richards remains a fugitive.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Massachusetts State Police; New Hampshire State Police; Worcester County Sheriff’s Office; Shrewsbury Police Department; Athol Police Department; Winchendon Police Department and the Pawtucket, R.I. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm, Chief of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Graber of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.   

BOSTON – United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $306,279 to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) to administer Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant funds in the District of Massachusetts.

The grant funding awarded to EOPSS will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in Massachusetts and is one of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP). PSN funds in Massachusetts are administered by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR), a state agency within EOPSS. Since the program began in 2001, over $7 million in federal grant funds have been allocated to the District of Massachusetts’s violent crime reduction efforts.

Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, PSN is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. While the initiative was first launched in 2001, the Department strengthened the program in May 2021, as outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.

“As U.S. Attorney, my number one priority is making our communities safer. Our mission is not simply to prosecute crime, we must prevent it – which is exactly why my office continues to prioritize violent crime reduction efforts through the PSN initiative,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Under my administration, the District of Massachusetts has added two additional target cities (Holyoke and Lowell) to our PSN initiative (Boston, Brockton, Lawrence, New Bedford, Springfield and Worcester), giving them access to critical federal funding and invaluable resources to reduce violent crime in their neighborhoods. This includes providing funding for the purchase of gunshot detection technology in Holyoke, Lawrence and Lowell. As we have seen recently with the tragic double shooting resulting in the murder of a 14-year-old child in Boston, and the murder suicide in Kingston, this work of reducing gun violence is vitally important. My office remains committed to doing the hard work of mending and fostering community relationships and investing in community-based initiatives in our fight against violent crime in our Commonwealth.”

“Project Safe Neighborhoods has a long tradition and proven track record of fostering strong collaborations between federal, state and local partners to improve how we serve communities impacted by violence. These grants allow our Office of Grants and Research to direct resources in a way that drives impactful change for communities across the Commonwealth” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “I am grateful for the leadership of US Attorney Rachael Rollins and her office as we continue to collaborate on efforts to reduce and prevent violence.”

“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”

“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”

PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented. The District of Massachusetts established an extensive network of law enforcement and community partners who have been fundamental to this strategy’s success in eight target cities: Boston, Brockton, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield and Worcester.

The distribution of grant funds to target cities across the state has enabled communities and organizations to implement programming focused on after-school activities, education, employment, re-entry for returning citizens, law enforcement/community collaboration, and public service outreach projects, among others.

In Massachusetts, PSN projects include:

• Developing and sustaining community/law enforcement partnerships and strengthening their capabilities in targeted communities across the state by maximizing federal resources;
• Collaborating with state and local law enforcement on violent crime and illegal firearm prosecutions;
• Providing training for nearly 4,500 law enforcement personnel and community members on topics such as advancements in technology, empowering neighborhoods on addressing gang prevention; updates on new innovative community programs and partnerships; and officer safety training;
• Supporting community partners and outreach programs to address reentry barriers for returning citizens and empower youth to resist gang recruitment; and
• Formulating tools to measure the performance of projects funded with PSN and other federal grants.

The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.

 The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law.  More information about OJP and its components can be found at  www.ojp.gov.

BOSTON – A Boston man has been sentenced for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.

Dorian Rojas, 38, was sentenced on Oct. 5, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On March 1, 2022, Rojas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, more than 100 grams of heroin and more than 500 grams of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of heroin. 

Rojas was a former FedEx employee that delivered to addresses in Cambridge and Watertown. In June 2019, law enforcement recovered a FedEx package that had been delivered to a biology lab on the campus of Harvard University. The package was found to contain one kilogram of fentanyl and one kilogram of cocaine. A subsequent investigation revealed that Rojas asked co-conspirator and FedEx delivery driver Lennon Carrasco to retrieve the package and deliver it to Rojas. In August 2019, Rojas asked Carrasco to retrieve and divert another package, which Carrasco was observed delivering to Rojas. Shortly after, investigators arrested Rojas and seized the package, which was found to contain almost one kilogram of heroin. 

On April 13, 2022, Carrasco pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, more than 100 grams of heroin and more than 500 grams of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 10, 2022.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Harvard University Police Chief Vic Clay; Christine Elow, Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore B. Heinrich 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.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with using others’ identities to fraudulently obtain over $65,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.

Wilson Radhames Peguero Brea, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2023. Peguero was arrested and charged in December 2021.

According to the charging documents, Peguero used the name and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to apply for and obtain PUA benefits. Peguero also applied for and received additional PUA benefits using another victim’s identity as well as his own.

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

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

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

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

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

BOSTON – A Marblehead man and woman were arrested today in connection with their alleged submission of fraudulent applications for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds for several purported non-profit religious organizations and related businesses they controlled.

Brian Andrew Bushell, 47, and Tracey M.A. Stockton, 64, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions. Bushell and Stockton will appear in federal court in Boston today at 1:15 p.m.

According to the charging documents, Bushell – a purported Orthodox Christian monk who presented himself as “Father” and “Rev. Fr.” Bushell or Andrew – controlled several Marblehead-based organizations, including an Orthodox Christian charitable foundation (St. Paul’s Foundation); a “monastic house” (Shrine of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Patron of Sailors, Brewers & Repentant Thieves); a purported residence for clergy (Annunciation House); a monastic brewery (Marblehead Brewing Co.); and a craft saltern (Marblehead Salt Co.). Stockton, a Massachusetts attorney, served as general counsel and authorized representative of these organizations. Bushell and Stockton resided together at a Marblehead residence that they called Annunciation House.

Shortly after CARES Act funds became available in April 2020, Bushell, with Stockton’s assistance, allegedly began submitting numerous applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to receive Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) for the organizations that he controlled. It is alleged that in the applications, Bushell vastly overstated the organizations’ 2019 operational expenses for the purpose of obtaining larger loan amounts. In support of the applications to the SBA, Bushell and Stockton allegedly submitted false documents, such as income statements, that fabricated the organizations’ revenues and expenses. As a result of their alleged misrepresentations on these applications and in subsequent loan increase requests, Bushell and Stockton obtained $3.5 million in EIDL funds for St. Paul’s, St. Nicholas, Annunciation House and Marblehead Salt.

According to the charging documents, Bushell and Stockton also submitted numerous applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds for Bushell’s organizations. In supporting documentation for the applications as well as in correspondence with PPP lenders, Bushell and Stockton allegedly inflated the number of employees and the amount of payroll expenses that each borrower organization had. For instance, with respect to several applications, it is alleged that Bushell and Stockton listed, as employees, at least eight individuals who were never employed by any of Bushell’s organizations. As a result of their misrepresentations on these applications and related submissions, Bushell and Stockton obtained an additional $146,608 in PPP funds.

“We allege that these two individuals engaged in brazen, criminal behavior that took advantage of our government’s efforts to rescue organizations—both for-profit and non-profit— by assisting with specific, legitimate expenses during the global pandemic,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Pandemic relief funds are not “free money” – they are a lifeline designed to help business owners and non-profit leaders experiencing real economic hardship. Our government should not and will not foot the bill for fancy designer handbags and lavish lifestyles. Hard-working people deserve these funds.”

“Today, we arrested a purported Orthodox Christian monk and his attorney for misdirecting millions of dollars in federal emergency assistance from businesses struggling to survive, to line their own pockets for their own personal enrichment. We believe they clearly knew that what they were doing was wrong, but they did it anyway, spending tens of thousands of dollars on exclusive memberships, expensive wine, property, renovations, and even a $40,000 wristwatch,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Their alleged greed is an affront to every hard-working taxpayer, and during these challenging times where scammers are doing everything they can to defraud people of their hard-earned money, the FBI is doing everything we can to make sure they don’t succeed.”

“The VA Office of Inspector General is a proud partner of the PRAC Fraud Task Force,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the VA Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of fraud in government programs intended to provide relief to those impacted by the pandemic.”

The charging documents allege that, upon receiving EIDL and PPP funds, Bushell and Stockton used those funds on expenses that would not have been permitted under either program, even had the funds been obtained lawfully. Specifically, Bushell and Stockton allegedly spent over $1 million of the CARES Act proceeds for extensive renovations to two Marblehead properties they planned to develop into a monastic complex that featured a chapel, brewery, beer garden, approximately $90,000 in audio video system equipment and nearly $40,000 in antique furniture. They also purchased a new residential property and various fixtures, furnishings, and equipment for their various properties. Bushell, who claimed to have taken a vow of poverty, also allegedly used fraudulently obtained CARES Act funds to purchase over $40,000 in Swiss watches, a nearly $7,000 Goyard designer handbag for Stockton, $2,400 on items from Hermès and other luxury goods.

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 scheme, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property. 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 VA-OIG SAC Algieri made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Marblehead Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, are prosecuting the case.

This case was investigated in connection with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force, which was established to promote transparency and coordinate oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC brings together federal agents from 14 agency Inspector Generals to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in authorized COVID-19 funds.

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.

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

BOSTON – Eleven individuals from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California have been charged in connection with their alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization involving cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy).

This morning, five defendants were arrested in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and will appear in federal court in Boston later today. Three defendants were arrested in Brooklyn, N.Y. and are expected to appear today in the Eastern District of New York. Three defendants remain at large.

“We allege that this group of individuals conspired to sell deadly narcotics in Massachusetts communities then laundered millions of dollars’ worth of their drug proceeds through a global network to conceal their illegal activity. Thanks to the incredible collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement, this alleged large-scale criminal enterprise has been stopped in its tracks,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Money is the lifeblood to drug trafficking activity and those who launder directly contribute to the ongoing drug crisis. Dirty money always leaves a trace, and no amount of laundering – whether through financial institutions or digital currency exchanges – will allow perpetrators to evade detection by law enforcement. That is a promise.”

“Today’s arrests by FBI Boston’s Organized Crime Task Force have disrupted a sophisticated transnational criminal organization that is accused of trafficking kilos of cocaine and laundering at least $25 million in illicit proceeds from their illegal businesses all over the world,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Now, these individuals know the FBI is just as committed to eradicating organized crime as this group was to allegedly embracing it. This investigation should be a warning to others engaged in similar conduct: we will infiltrate your network, shut you down, and bring you to justice, no matter where you are.”

According to the charging documents, following a months-long undercover operation, investigators identified Jin Hua Zhang as the leader of a criminal organization whose members laundered millions of dollars, conspired to distribute multiple kilograms of cocaine in Massachusetts and operated throughout the United States, including the greater Boston area, as well as overseas. It is alleged that Zhang directed his co-defendants and others to deliver hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and millions of dollars in wire transfers and bank deposits to undercover agents in exchange for cryptocurrency. The funds were proceeds of drug trafficking and various fraud schemes that were based in the United States and abroad. Zhang allegedly believed cryptocurrency would enable his organization to transfer illicit funds without detection by banks’ security teams or law enforcement. In total, it is alleged that Zhang and his co-conspirators laundered more than $25 million

According to court documents, to date, funds have been traced from Zhang’s organization to Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, India, Cambodia and Brazil, among other locations.

Additionally, the investigation also revealed that Zhang and members of his organization allegedly conspired to distribute kilogram-sized quantities of cocaine and MDMA to undercover agents and cooperating witnesses. For example, it is alleged that on May 25, 2022, Zhang directed a co-defendant to deliver more than one kilogram of cocaine to an undercover agent in New Jersey. On Aug. 12, 2022, Zhang and co-defendant Yanbing Chen allegedly worked together to deliver more than three kilograms of cocaine to an undercover agent in Boston.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Boston Organized Crime Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Quincy and Altamonte Springs (Fla.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Brian A. Fogerty of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

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

Addendum

            The following defendants have been charged:

(1) Jin Hua Zhang, 35, of Staten Island, N.Y.;

(2) Licheng Huang, 39, of Braintree, Mass.;

(3) Feng Chen, 38, of Canton, Mass.;

(4) Roger Luo, 35, of Winthrop, Mass.;

(5) Thong Nguyen, 28, of Saugus, Mass.;

(6) Augustin Villa, 59, of Cranston, R.I.;

(7) FUGITIVE;

(8) Rongjian Li, 35, of Staten Island, N.Y.;

(9) FUGITIVE;

(10) Yanbing Chen, 28, of Staten Island, N.Y.; and

(11) FUGITIVE.

BOSTON – A Beverly Farms man was charged today in a 13-count indictment in connection with a payroll scheme involving underreporting of overtime hours for his union employees and failing to collect and pay payroll taxes.

Frank Loconte, 61, was indicted on four counts of mail fraud, one count of theft or embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, four counts of making false statements pertaining to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and four counts of willful failure to collect and pay taxes. Loconte will appear in federal court in Boston today at 3:30 p.m.

According to the indictment, from 2009 to 2022, Loconte was the president of NER Construction Management Corporation, a Wilmington-based construction company that employed union workers. Loconte was also the president of the company’s employment management company, NER Management LLC. Loconte was responsible for collective bargaining with multiple unions, including the Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Local Union No. 3 and various local unions affiliated with the Massachusetts and Northern New England Laborers’ District Council of the Laborers International Union of North America. On behalf of NER, Loconte was bound by collective bargaining agreements with the unions which governed the transfer of worker benefit contributions to employee welfare and pension benefit plans, each of which was subject to ERISA provisions. As a result, NER was required to make periodic contributions to the benefit funds each hour worked by covered employees at rates prescribed and to deduct dues from the pay of each union worker which was also to be forwarded to the benefit funds.

It is alleged that from approximately January 2014 and May 2022, Loconte engaged in a scheme to defraud the union benefit funds and the IRS by paying certain of its union workers for overtime hours worked without reporting these hours to the union benefit funds and without making the required payroll tax withholdings and payments. At times, it is alleged that some NER employees were paid entirely in cash for overtime hours worked and, at other times, the employees were paid by check without the required withholdings. Loconte also allegedly caused NER to file false and fraudulent remittance reports with the benefit funds and the unions which underreported the overtime hours worked by these employees thereby depriving the benefit funds and unions of contributions owed to their members. It is further alleged that Loconte caused NER to file false and fraudulent IRS payroll taxes that underreported the amount of wages paid. Instead of paying employment taxes, Loconte used NER business accounts to pay for personal expenses, including vehicles, personal property taxes, household improvements, and golf memberships, and failed to report these benefits to the IRS, as required by the IRS. As a result, Loconte allegedly defrauded union workers of more than $l million dollars for overtime work covered by the collective bargaining agreements and defrauded the IRS of more than $3 million by not making the required payroll tax and union dues withholdings and payments.

The charges of mail fraud provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, making false statements and willful failure to collect and pay over taxes each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, two 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; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Jonathan Russo, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of Rollins’ Criminal Division 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 Marlborough man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with filming his sexual abuse of two children and surreptitiously producing or attempting to produce child pornography involving 11 others over a span of years.

Philip Raymond, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 60 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On March 30, 2022, Raymond pleaded guilty to 13 counts of sexual exploitation of children, and attempt. Raymond was arrested and charged in October 2020 and has remained in federal custody since.

“Over the course of eight years, Mr. Raymond exploited 13 young, defenseless children known to him. He grossly took advantage of the trust placed in him by his victims and their families to inflict indescribable trauma and suffering. Mr. Raymond’s reprehensible conduct is a parent’s worst nightmare. He is a predatory danger to society who will now spend 60 years behind bars where he can no longer harm children,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Although nothing can erase the indescribable trauma and pain inflicted upon the victims and their families, we hope this sentence will bring accountability to the defendant and acknowledge both the bravery of children who are able to come forward and my office’s dedication to fighting for victims whose trauma often stays with them for years. We will prosecute those who seek to sexualize and exploit our children to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Today’s sentence is a victory for the many victims whose lives and dignity were destroyed by Raymond through his sickening behavior over many years,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI New England is grateful for the crucial support of the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, the District Attorney for Middlesex, the Massachusetts State Police and the Marlborough Police Department in this case. Without their tireless efforts it’s likely Raymond would have continued damaging the lives of countless children for years to come.”

Between 2004 and 2012, Raymond produced or attempted to produce child pornography involving 13 different children who were friends of his own child and entrusted in his care. A search of Raymond’s home in 2019 resulted in the seizure of various digital devices containing evidence that Raymond had filmed his sexual abuse of two of those children. The digital evidence also showed that Raymond had set up a recording device in his own child’s room and in his home’s bathroom to attempt to record imagery of children in the nude. In total, Raymond recorded 13 different children. According to court records, Raymond is also facing charges in Middlesex Superior Court for child rape as well as possession of other child pornography discovered during the search of his residence.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; HSI SAC Millhollin; Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Marlborough Police Chief David Giorgi made the announcement today. 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 Malden man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with illegally possessing a firearm.

Herby Paul, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2023. Paul was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 26, 2022.

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

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

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to distributing counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl, made using multiple pill press machines.

Miguel Angel Fajardo, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 14, 2023. Fajardo was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 25, 2022 and subsequently charged by an Information on July 1, 2022.

During a search of Fajardo’s apartment on March 25, 2022, approximately 7.3 kilograms worth of fentanyl pills, an industrial pill press and “M” and “30” pill stamps consistent with markings on pharmaceutical-grade Oxycodone pills were seized. Pill stamps are commonly used to make counterfeit pills appear to be legitimate pharmaceutical-grade pills. Also inside Fajardo’s apartment, approximately 1.4 kilograms of fentanyl powder, two individual finger presses, 50 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition concealed in a microwave, four kilograms of cutting agent and two air purifying respirators – which are commonly used when working with fentanyl powder were also found. Additionally, two one-kilogram pill press machines and another large pill press in the landing outside the apartment were found.

“The opioid crisis remains a clear and present danger to our community, claiming over two thousand lives in Massachusetts in 2021 alone,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Fajardo possessed a staggering quantity of fentanyl – almost nine kilograms – and a clandestine laboratory outfitted with all the tools and materials necessary to press fentanyl into counterfeit pills. By seizing nearly 48,000 such pills along with the tools we believe Mr. Fajardo used to make them, our law enforcement partners likely saved countless lives.”

“The state of Massachusetts continues to face a fentanyl crisis unlike ever before,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division. “Those responsible for distributing this lethal drug within fake prescriptions pills and contributing to the loss of life for those battling addiction need to be held responsible for their actions.  In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic, DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute this poison in our communities.”

The charge of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of $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.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, DEA SAC Boyle and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig E. Estes and Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – Two former employees of eBay, Inc. were sentenced today for their roles in a cyberstalking campaign targeting the editor and publisher of a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.

Stephanie Popp, 34, of Louisville, Ky., eBay’s former Senior Manager of Global Intelligence, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and two years of probation. Stephanie Stockwell, 28, of Redwood City, Calif., the former manager of eBay’s Global Intelligence Center, was sentenced to two years of probation, with one year to be served in home confinement. Both sentences were imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young

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, Brian Gilbert and Veronica Zea previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy to cyberstalk the victims. Cooke was sentenced in July 2021 to 18 months in prison. Gilbert and Zea are awaiting sentencing.

Between approximately Aug. 5, 2019 and Sept. 6, 2019, Stockwell, Popp and their 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.                    

In August 2019, the defendants and their 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.

Stockwell, at Baugh’s direction, purchased a laptop for use in harassing the victims, and used an anonymous email account to order online live spiders and a prepaid debit card to purchase a late-night pizza delivery to the victims’ home. Other deliveries ordered to the victims’ home included a book on surviving the death of a spouse, a bloody pig mask, a fetal pig and a funeral wreath. Stockwell also prepared an eBay “Person of Interest” report for the Bay Area—a fictitious list of potential suspects to provide to the Natick Police Department to deflect the police from suspecting that eBay employees were actually harassing the victims. 

As part of the second phase of the campaign, Popp sent private Twitter messages and public tweets, drafted or approved by Baugh, Gilbert, or Cooke, criticizing the newsletter’s content. The threatening Twitter messages 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’ home address and threats to show up at their home. The harassment also featured Craigslist posts inviting members of the public to experience sexual encounters at the victims’ home.                   

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.

BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to receiving child pornography. 

Andre Tilahun, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2023. Tilahun was arrested and charged in May 2021.

In April 2021, a search was conducted at Tilahun’s home where a laptop belonging to Tilahun was seized. A forensic examination of the laptop revealed that Tilahun received images depicting child pornography on the Kik Messenger platform. Tilahun also participated in a Kik chatroom where participants shared child pornography.

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 Quincy Police Department and Weymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division 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 – Louis D. Coleman III was sentenced to life in prison today for the kidnapping and killing of Jassy Correia.

Coleman, 36, of Providence, R.I., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On June 1, 2022, Coleman was convicted by federal jury in Boston of the federal charge of kidnapping resulting in death.

“Jassy Correia was a vibrant and beautiful 22-year-old woman and mother of a toddler daughter. Louis Coleman, a total stranger to her, abducted her, raped her and strangled her to death. The pain and suffering Louis Coleman inflicted on Jassy Correia that night and her loving family – her mother, her father, her brother and so many others every single day since Feb. 24, 2019 – will never be relieved by this sentence. By his depravity and his horrific disregard for Ms. Correia’s life, Louis Coleman forfeited his right to live free in society,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “To this day, Louis Coleman has shown no remorse. After he lured 22-year-old Ms. Correia into his car, sexually assaulted her and violently killed her, Louis Coleman did not once consider turning himself in – rather he concocted a gruesome plan to conceal the assault and murder he just committed. Today’s sentence of life in prison is a just punishment. Our office is incredibly grateful for the courage of Jassy Correia’s family. I also want to commend the unprecedented cooperation demonstrated in this case by federal, state and local law enforcement partners across multiple states from the moment this investigation started.”

“This crime was gut-wrenching and there is no question today’s sentence is just. Louis Coleman took Jassy Correia’s life—a life full of promise, away from her. No sentence can bring solace to her family, and it cannot erase the harm he inflicted, but thanks to the tireless efforts of our Violent Crimes Task Force along with the Boston, Providence, and Delaware State Police Departments, we were able to remove this dangerous threat from our community so he can’t hurt anyone else,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.

In the early morning hours of Feb. 24, 2019, Ms. Correia went out with friends to a nightclub in downtown Boston to celebrate her upcoming birthday. Just after 2 a.m., Ms. Correia became separated from her friends and tried to get a ride home from an Uber driver who was idling in front of the nightclub. The driver was waiting for a larger group and refused to give Ms. Correia a ride. Seconds later, video surveillance captured Coleman approach Ms. Correia. According to evidence presented at trial, Coleman tricked Ms. Correia into believing he would give her a ride back to her friend’s apartment.

After getting into the vehicle with Ms. Correia, video surveillance showed Coleman make a series of short turns before pulling over, just a few blocks from where he had originally parked, for approximately 12 minutes. Coleman then began driving south to his apartment in Providence.

Surveillance footage from Coleman’s Providence apartment building showed Coleman, at about 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, parking and exiting the vehicle, and then returning a short time later carrying a blanket. He then walked from the car to the front of the building carrying the Ms. Correia’s lifeless body over his shoulder. Once he entered the building, surveillance video showed Coleman dragging her towards the elevator and subsequently towards his apartment.

In the days that followed, Coleman visited two car washes and his internet search history reveled that he Googled things such as “how to pull a tooth out that’s not loose;” “can a person fit inside a suitcase;” “buy dumpster;” “oil barrel;” “how to clean for embalming;” “turkey baster;” and “target sanitizing bleach.” In addition, Coleman purchased a $150 air purifier, 36 pounds of baking soda, duct tape, 50-gallon trash bags, personal protective equipment including full-body coveralls, an odor respirator, protective masks, safety goggles, a 600-lb rated dolly, three Tyvek suits and a large suitcase.

At 1:15 a.m., on Feb. 28, 2019, Coleman wheeled a suitcase containing the victim’s body out of his apartment and into the parking lot where his vehicle was parked. Coleman struggled to lift the suitcase containing Ms. Correia’s body into the trunk of his car, before driving away at 4 a.m.

On the afternoon of Feb. 28, 2019, Coleman’s vehicle was stopped by Delaware authorities on Interstate 95 South near Wilmington, Del. Officers ordered Coleman out of the vehicle and asked him if anyone else was in the vehicle with him, to which Coleman replied, “She’s in the trunk.”

Officers discovered the Ms. Correia’s body in the trunk of Coleman’s vehicle, bound with duct tape and in the fetal position inside a sofa cushion cover, which was inside of a black trash bag, stuffed inside the suitcase Coleman was seen bringing into his apartment on Feb. 27, 2019. Police also recovered a duffle bag, a pair of new long-handled loppers, plastic garbage bags, clothing, a red plastic gas container, a green butane lighter, black gloves, charcoal air purifiers, air fresheners, tinted safety glasses, plastic bags, work towels, cloth work-gloves, a new set of DeWalt pliers, a laptop, the computer hard-drive/tower he used to conduct his Google searches and disinfectant from the vehicle.

Additionally, two large cracks in the windshield on the passenger side were later found to contain both Coleman and Ms. Correia’s DNA.

Ms. Correia had significant bruising, a bloodied face, was bound with gray duct tape and was covered in baking soda. According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, the medical examiner determined the cause of death to be strangulation and that there was evidence consistent with a sexual assault.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Colonel Melissa A. Zebley of the Delaware State Police; and Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements Jr. made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney’s Office acknowledges the cooperation and assistance of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth G. Shine, Robert Richardson and Elianna Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Four men have been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Springfield for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic in contraband tobacco and evade taxes. 

Ravinder Arora, 60, of East Longmeadow, was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to one year probation and restitution to be determined at a later hearing. In August 2015, Arora pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit contraband smokeless tobacco trafficking and three counts of contraband smokeless tobacco trafficking; aiding and abetting.

Jugjeev Kharbanda, 37, of Seymour, Conn., was sentenced on Oct. 5, 2022 by Judge Mastroianni to one year probation and restitution to be determined at a later hearing. In January 2015, Kharbanda pleaded guilty to conspiracy and three counts of contraband smokeless tobacco trafficking.

Sukhdev Singh, 69, of West Hartford, Conn., was sentenced by Judge Mastroianni on Oct. 4, 2022 to one year probation and restitution to be determined at a later hearing. In May 2016, Singh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Jaspal Singh, 59, also of Seymour, Conn., was sentenced on Oct. 3, 2022 by Judge Mastroianni to one year probation and restitution of to be determined at a later hearing. In October 2014, Singh pleaded guilty to conspiracy and three counts of contraband smokeless tobacco trafficking.

In 2008, the defendants owned or assisted in the operation of wholesale warehouses in Springfield and Connecticut that sold tobacco products, including cigars and smokeless tobacco, as well as other non-tobacco items, to convenience stores, gas stations and other retail businesses. From 2008 to 2012, the defendants conspired with co-conspirator Syed I. Bokhari and others to avoid paying large amounts of tobacco excise taxes on smokeless tobacco and cigars sold from the warehouses.

On Aug. 11, 2022, Bokhari was sentenced to one year of probation. The government recommended a sentence of 18 months in prison. In a related civil forfeiture action, Bokhari agreed to forfeit seized tobacco, currency, and other assets, which resulted in the recovery of $2,197,985 by the government. The government has also filed an additional forfeiture motion for $30,315.51 seized in connection with Jaspal Singh’s criminal activity. The final order has not yet been issued by the Court.

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

BOSTON – A West Springfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for embezzling over $1.4 million from his employer.

Gerald Burke, 70, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Mastroianni to 31 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Burke was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims and the Internal Revenue Service. On April 13, 2022, Burke pleaded guilty to eight counts of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud and three counts of filing a false tax return.

Burke was employed as the controller of a privately owned metal stamping company in Chicopee and was responsible for the company’s finances, including directing payroll and signing checks on behalf of the company. From October 2011 until his termination in 2018, Burke embezzled $1.4 million by authorizing additional payroll payments to himself and by writing checks to himself and his credit card company from the company account. He failed to report $1.2 million of his illegal income to the IRS over the nearly seven-year duration of the embezzlement scheme, thereby evading more than $160,000 in federal taxes.                               

United States Attorney Rachel 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 Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Morgan of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for distributing methamphetamine from his condominium in Boston’s Back Bay area. 

Corey Goldberg, 47, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr., to 30 months in prison and six years of supervised release. Goldberg was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $282,604. In September 2020, Goldberg pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two counts of distribution of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.

In August 2019, investigators became aware that Goldberg was distributing crystal methamphetamine to customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, some of whom were then reselling the drugs to retail customers. On three different dates between Aug. 23, 2019 and Sept. 18, 2019, Goldberg sold between one and two ounces of methamphetamine to a cooperating witness. These sales all took place in Goldberg’s Back Bay condominium. During a search of Goldberg’s residence in October 2019, investigators seized approximately 39.2 grams of 97% pure methamphetamine from the kitchen and approximately 246.6 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine from a safe in Goldberg’s bedroom.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Merrimack (N.H.) Police Chief Brian Levesque; and Portsmouth (N.H.) Police Chief Mark Newport made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dapcic of Rollins’ Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Westfield woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with a hoax bomb threat made against Boston Children’s Hospital.

Catherine Leavy, 37, was indicted on one count of making a false bomb threat and one count of intentionally conveying false or misleading information that a bomb was on the way to Boston Children’s Hospital. Leavy was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 15, 2022 with one count of explosive materials - willfully making a false bomb threat. She will appear in federal court at a later date.

According to the charging documents, in August 2022, agents began monitoring threats made against Boston Children’s Hospital and its employees. Among the wide range of healthcare services it provides, Boston Children’s Hospital is home to the Gender Multispecialty Service (GeMS) program – the first major healthcare program in the United States to focus on gender-diverse and transgender adolescents.

On Aug. 30, 2022, Boston Children’s Hospital received a telephonic bomb threat. As a result of the call, the hospital and surrounding area was placed on lockdown status and a bomb squad was dispatched. An investigation determined no explosive devices were located at the Hospital. Law enforcement obtained subscriber and call detail records and location information for the phone number that called in the bomb threat. According to court documents, the phone number was subscribed in Leavy’s name and cell tower data indicated the phone was nearby Leavy’s residence at the time the bomb threat was made.

During a search of Leavy’s residence on Sept. 15, 2022, the phone allegedly used to make the threat from Leavy’s residence was recovered.

The charge of making a false bomb threat provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of intentionally conveying false or misleading information 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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Westfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini and Jared C. Dolan, Chief and Deputy Chief of Rollins’ National Security Unit, respectively, are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – The owner of a residential and commercial landscaping business operating in the South Shore area was sentenced yesterday for failing to report approximately $1.5 million in income to the Internal Revenue Service.

Scott Herzog, 47, of Norwell, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to a year and one day in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Herzog was also ordered to pay restitution of $499,958 to the Internal Revenue Service. On June 3, 2022, Herzog pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return.

Herzog owned and operated Herzog Landscape Solutions. From 2016 through 2018, Herzog received gross income of at least approximately $4.1 million from landscaping customers but provided his bookkeeper with only partial information about that income from customer payments. Herzog directed customers to pay him personally for jobs and then cashed many of these payments or deposited them into bank accounts unaffiliated with the landscaping business. Herzog then failed to report approximately $1.5 million in these receipts in the tax returns his tax preparer filed on his behalf. As a result of this conduct, Herzog underreported his personal income tax obligations, causing a loss to the Internal Revenue Service of nearly $500,000.

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

BOSTON – A partner in a Mumbai-based prescription drug company pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to charges arising from his operation of an overseas pharmacy that sold unapproved prescription drugs and controlled substances, including opioids, and shipped them from Asia into the United States.

Manish Kumar, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import misbranded prescription drugs and controlled substances conspiracy to distribute Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances and one count of making false statements to federal officers. U.S. District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Jan. 18, 2023. Kumar was charged by complaint and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2021.

Kumar was a partner in a drug company in Mumbai, India that sold prescription drugs, including generic erectile dysfunction drugs, and Schedule II controlled substances, such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and tapentadol, and Schedule IV controlled substances, such as tramadol, to customers in the United States who did not have prescriptions. As part of the conspiracy, Kumar personally directed and managed shipments of drugs from drug suppliers in Singapore and India into Massachusetts and other states. Kumar and his co-conspirators operated their business from at least 2015 until 2019, when Kumar was arrested on unrelated charges. After his arrest, Kumar made false statements to law enforcement in February 2020 about his involvement in the sale of controlled substances.

The charges of conspiracy to import illegal drugs and the charge of false statement each provide for a sentence of up to five years of incarceration, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years of incarceration, 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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial, & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Jamaica Plain man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with the May 20, 2022 robbery of a TD Bank in Cambridge.

Jalonni Shabazz, a/k/a Jalonni Tucker, 40, was indicted on one count of bank robbery. Shabazz was previously charged by criminal complaint on July 15, 2022.

According to the charging documents, On May 2, 2022, at approximately 12:49 p.m., a suspect wearing a royal blue baseball hat and surgical mask entered the TD Bank on Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. The suspect handed the teller a note that read, “All of the Money - No Dye packs - or alarms,” and then told the teller, “This is a robbery honey.” The man then fled on foot after taking cash from the teller.

During a search of the area surrounding the bank, investigators located a royal blue baseball hat consistent with that worn by the suspect during the robbery. It is alleged that DNA obtained from the strap and interior headband of the hat belonged to Shabazz. In addition, analysis of the bank’s surveillance footage allegedly identified Shabazz’s features – including his tattoos, hair and clothing – to be consistent with that of the suspect.

At the time of the alleged robbery, Shabazz was on supervised release following a 2017 federal conviction for two bank robberies for which he was sentenced to 54 months in prison.

The charge provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and up to three years of supervised release as well as a $250,000 fine. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A former Tyngsborough police officer pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to bank fraud and violations of the National Firearms Act (NFA).

Daniel Whitman, 37, of Salisbury, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy; two counts of bank fraud; two counts of making false statements to a bank; one count of possession of an unregistered firearm; one count of conspiracy to violate provisions of the NFA; one count of making a firearm in violation of the NFA; and one count of transferring a firearm in violation of the NFA. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 27, 2023. Whitman was arrested and charged in January 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2021.

Whitman was a police officer with the Tyngsborough Police Department and was the owner and principal manager of Hitman Firearms, LLC, a retail gun shop in Tyngsborough. Whitman and co-conspirator Bin Lu sought to build a large indoor shooting range, which would serve regional and international customers, and offer shooting clinics and other services. Whitman and Lu brought in a Chinese investor, who contributed several million dollars to the project. However, in applying for loans from federally insured financial institutions, Whitman hid the true source of their initial funding from the banks and filed false documents in connection with their loan applications.

In addition, Whitman knowingly made, possessed and transferred firearms that had been modified by the addition of stocks and short barrels, resulting in their classification as short-barreled rifles (SBR) under the NFA. These SBRs were not properly registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by the NFA, nor did Whitman pay the applicable taxes or fulfill other requirements under the NFA.

In June 2021, Lu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 13, 2022.

The bank fraud charges provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The NFA charges provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. The Tyngsborough and Westford Police Departments provided special assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris, Christine J. Wichers and Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield woman has been sentenced for her role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed heroin and crack cocaine across western Massachusetts and into Vermont.

Nia Dinzey, a/k/a “Nia Moore-Bush,” 32 was sentenced on Oct. 3, 2022 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 86 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On July 13, 2022, Dinzey pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and 500 grams or more of cocaine; five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and/or crack cocaine; two counts of money laundering conspiracy; seven counts of money laundering; one count of conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; one count of engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; one count of aiding and abetting the crime of engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; and one count of aiding and abetting the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Nia Dinzey was arrested and charged in January 2018 and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in December 2018 along with other members and associates of a Springfield-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributed heroin and crack cocaine. Dinzey pleaded guilty to all counts in July of 2022.

“Trafficking drugs and firearms onto our streets fuel violence, trauma and chaos in our neighborhoods. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our Commonwealth,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Ms. Dinzey and her co-conspirators jeopardized the protection, health and safety of our communities and she will now have several years to focus on improving herself and finding better alternatives to crime.”

Nia Dinzey and her husband, Dinelson Dinzey, obtained narcotics in the Springfield area, transported them to Vermont themselves or via couriers and distributed the drugs in the Barre area. The two then conspired to launder the drug proceeds through bank accounts allegedly held by co-defendant Daphne Moore in trust for Nia Dinzey. The DTO would make cash deposits of its Vermont drug proceeds into the accounts. To obtain the proceeds, Nia Dinzey and, allegedly, Moore would facilitate withdrawals of those funds from the accounts in Massachusetts. Additionally, Nia Dinzey, her husband and others also conspired to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms and in a May 5, 2017 firearms sale. According to court documents, six firearms involved in this conspiracy were traced to individuals connected to Vermont or New Hampshire.

Dinelson Dinzey previously pleaded guilty and, in October 2019, was sentenced to 19 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Moore has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the ATF’s Springfield Area Firearms Enforcement Task Force with assistance of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, ATF’s Burlington Field Office, the Massachusetts State Police and the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Curley 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 Methuen man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for selling a fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl mixture to an undercover agent on five occasions.

Andi Guerrero-Lara, a/k/a “Manny Sierra,” 25, was sentenced on Sept. 28, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to seven years in prison and four years of supervised release. On Jan. 5, 2022, Guerrero-Lara pleaded guilty to a seven count superseding indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl; three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl; two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

In December 2019, Guerrero-Lara was indicted along with co-defendant Angel Rivera-Valle. He was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment on Sept. 2, 2020.

The defendants were members of a drug trafficking organization operating in the Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts that regularly sold large quantities of fentanyl.  Between September and October 2019, an undercover agent purchased a fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl mixture from the defendants on five separate dates. According to court documents, after Rivera-Valle was arrested, Guerrero-Lara led agents on a high-speed car chase in 2019 that spanned numerous miles and three cities during which Guerrero-Lara endangered multiple lives, as he narrowly missed crashing into a construction zone and police vehicles. Ultimately, Guerrero-Lara stopped his vehicle at an apartment complex in Lawrence and was arrested.

On Sept. 8, 2020, Rivera-Valle was sentenced by Judge Sterns to 64 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

“Drug traffickers like Mr. Guerrero-Lara are a danger to our communities. This individual pumped deadly opioids into our neighborhoods and, when he was finally exposed, recklessly endangered multiple lives in lengthy, a high-speed car chase,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Opioids are the leading cause of now record-high drug overdose deaths – cutting short the lives of far too many. This sentence should serve as a warning to drug traffickers: you will be identified, prosecuted and held accountable.”

“Massachusetts is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis as deaths from fentanyl soar. The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those, like Mr. Guerrero-Lara, who are contributing to the crisis,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. “This sentence holds Mr. Guerrero-Lara accountable for his crimes and we will continue to work to put other callous distributers like him behind bars.”

This case is part of a coordinated enforcement operation in the Merrimack Valley called “Devil’s Highway.” The operation targeted the distribution of opioids, including fentanyl and heroin and resulted in charges against a total of 40 people for federal drug offenses, with at least a dozen more individuals facing state charges.        

U.S. Attorney Rollins and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Andover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty on Sept. 28, 2022 in federal court in Boston to firearm and narcotics charges arising from a traffic stop in Dorchester.

Rahiym Mervin, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2023. Mervin was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 30, 2022.

“Despite his multiple past encounters with the criminal legal system and being out on bail for a separate state gun and drug case, Mr. Mervin continued engaging in illegal activity involving narcotics and firearms,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Now he is in the federal system. We will continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to assist in removing dangerous, violent individuals from our communities. The hard-working people in these communities deserve to feel safe.”

“Residents in Boston suffering from substance use disorder are often the most vulnerable to violent crime in the neighborhoods of Boston,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox. “The Boston Police Department, with our law enforcement partners, are committed to saving lives by stopping the flow of narcotics and illegal firearms into our neighborhoods, and I commend these efforts to hold offenders accountable for preying on our most vulnerable. I look forward to continued collaboration to target those individuals causing this harm”.

On the evening of Dec. 15, 2021, Mervin was observed speeding on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester and was subsequently pulled over by local police. A search of Mervin’s rented vehicle resulted in the recovery of two high-capacity firearm magazines, 380 grams of cocaine, 135 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine, cocaine and caffeine and 96 grams of a fentanyl analog – an extremely potent opioid, substantially more powerful than heroin. A loaded 9mm handgun and a portion of the narcotics were also discovered inside a “hide” behind the climate control panel in the dashboard. Mervin was arrested on scene and has been in custody since.

At the time of his arrest, Mervin was on bail on similar gun and narcotics charges pending in Norfolk County arising from an incident in Quincy in May 2019. In addition, Mervin was previously convicted in June 2016 in Plymouth County of possessing a firearm without a license, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, six 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.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, Commissioner Cox and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil of Rollins’ Criminal Division 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 Buzzards Bay man pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2022 in federal court in Boston to his role in a violent kidnapping tied to a Cape Cod heroin trafficking ring.

Cameron Cartier, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2023. Cartier was charged along with four co-conspirators in March 2020.

“Mr. Cartier’s conduct is nothing short of horrifying. He actively and willingly participated in a violent scheme to kidnap, beat, terrorize and threaten to sexually assault a victim who he incorrectly believed was working with law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This case is a good example of how drug trafficking activities can drive violence in our communities. Pursuing drug traffickers and violent criminals and removing them from the neighborhoods they terrorize and harm is a top priority of my administration.”

This case arose from an investigation into a wide-ranging heroin trafficking conspiracy in the Cape Cod area. According to court documents, in April 2019, Cartier and his co-conspirators lured a known victim from Massachusetts to Rhode Island, where they kidnapped and held him, stripped him naked, assaulted and threatened to rape him, and then took his clothing and cellular telephone. The purpose of this kidnapping and assault was to retaliate against the victim because Cartier and allegedly his co-conspirators erroneously believed the victim was cooperating with law enforcement. A video of the kidnapping and assault was allegedly filmed and maintained by Cartier’s co-conspirators.

On Sept. 14, 2022, co-conspirator Albert Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. On Aug. 11, 2022, co-conspirator Anthony Basilici pleaded guilty to his role in the violent kidnapping as well as drug trafficking, witness retaliation and intimidation charges. Three remaining defendants – Edwin Otero, Justin Joseph and Tony Johnson – have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in January 2023.

The charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Barnstable Police Chief Matthew K. Sonnabend; and Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Lauren Graber of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A father and son who own and operate two Woburn restaurants, Taste of Brazil—Tudo No Brasa and The Dog House, were arrested today and charged with human smuggling. 

Jesse James Moraes, 64, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 42, both of Woburn, were charged with conspiring to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, and residence is or will be in violation of law. Marcos Chacon, 29, also of Woburn, was charged with knowing transfer of a false identification document knowing that such document was produced without lawful authority, and with illegal reentry by a deported alien. The word “alien” is used in this release because it is the language utilized in the statute(s) these individuals are alleged to have violated.

Following an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Court Chief Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley in federal court in Boston, Jesse Moraes, Hugo Moraes and Marcos Chacon were detained pending a detention hearing.

Additionally, Chelbe Willams Moraes, a resident of Brazil, was charged in a four-count indictment unsealed today with conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for financial gain; encouraging and inducing an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for financial gain; money laundering; and money laundering conspiracy. He is the brother of Jesse Moraes and uncle of Hugo Moraes.

According to the charging documents, Chelbe Moraes and his coconspirators smuggled individuals from Brazil into the United States for a fee of approximately $18,000 – 22,000. Once the individuals were in the United States, Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes allegedly employed them in their restaurants in Woburn, withholding their wages in order to pay off their smuggling debts. Chelbe Moraes, Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes also allegedly gave or offered to give fake documentation to the individuals in order to support asylum claims or obtain work authorization. Marcos Chacon allegedly sold fake documentation to the individuals at the request of the Moraes defendants.

The charge of encouraging and inducing, and conspiring to encourage and induce, an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for financial gain, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, and residence is or will be in violation of law provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of knowing transfer of a false identification document knowing that such document was produced without lawful authority provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of illegal reentry by a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of money laundering and money laundering conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, 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; Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in charge for the Homeland Security Investigations New England Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr., made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to counterfeiting hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. currency.

Victor Cardona, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of counterfeiting U.S. currency, specifically, $100 bills. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2023. Cardona was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in October 2019 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2019.

During a search of Cardona’s residence in October 2019, federal agents found equipment and materials used to create counterfeit bills including inkjet printers, a shredder and a “counterfeit buster” detection pen. Agents also found four authentic $100 bills, the serial numbers of which were tied to counterfeit currency recovered from across the country. Burned remains of counterfeit currency were also located in Cardona’s backyard.

In total, Cardona produced, or participated in the production of, thousands of fake $100 bills that were identified as counterfeit, recovered by the U.S. Secret Service, and traced by serial number to the authentic bills found at Cardona’s residence. To date, the government has recovered over $467,000 in counterfeit $100 bills traced back to the authentic bills found at Cardona’s residence.

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

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

BOSTON – A Framingham woman was sentenced yesterday for fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits, MassHealth, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and Section 8 housing assistance.   

Maribel Rodriguez, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to time served (approximately one day) and three years of supervised release, with the first 15 months to be spent in home confinement. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $253,199.57 to the agencies she defrauded. On March 4, 2022, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to four counts of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements.

Over a period of approximately 12 years, Rodriguez stole $68,223 in Social Security benefits, $1,908 in MassHealth benefits, $21,790 in SNAP benefits (previously known as Food Stamps) and $161,277 in Section 8 housing assistance benefits. In June 2016, she falsely informed the Social Security Administration that she lived alone when, in fact, she was living with her husband. Similarly, Rodriguez falsely told the Marlborough Community Development Authority in May 2017 that she was the only member of her household. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General, Boston Regional Office; Suzanne M. Bump, State Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A former nurse pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to diverting opioids from two Boston-area hospitals.

Lisa Tarr, 33, of St. Petersburg, Fla., pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception and subterfuge. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Feb. 7, 2023. Tarr was charged by an Information on Sept. 12, 2022.

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

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

The charge of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud provides a sentence of no greater than four years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

BOSTON – A Texas man has been arrested and charged with allegedly staging a hoax explosion at Northeastern University in Boston in September 2022 and providing law enforcement with materially false and misleading information about the incident.

Jason Duhaime, 45, of San Antonio, was charged with one count of intentionally conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive device and one count of making materially false statements to a federal law enforcement agent. Duhaime was arrested this morning in the Western District of Texas and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Duhaime, who was at the time employed as the New Technology Manager and Director of the Immersive Media Lab (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 he and a Northeastern student who was working in the Lab had collected several packages from a mail area earlier that evening and brought them into the Lab. Among the packages were two “Pelican” cases, which Duhaime brought into a storage closet inside the Lab. Duhaime allegedly told the 911 operator that when he opened one of the cases inside the closet, “very sharp” objects flew out of the case and under his shirt sleeves, causing injuries to his arms. It is further alleged that Duhaime also reported that the case contained an anonymous “violent note” directed at the Lab.

The reports 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, the evacuation of a large portion of Northeastern’s Boston campus. Numerous campus-wide alerts were issued by the Northeastern University Police Department – one of which described an “explosion.”

According to court documents unsealed today, responding local and federal law enforcement 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 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 University 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 device 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 Canadian citizen and resident of Long Beach, Calif., has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to three felony securities offenses, two of which concern his undisclosed sale of over $1.3 million worth of shares in a company for which he was the board chairman. His attorney in Yuba City, Calif., who facilitated the undisclosed stock sales, has also been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to a felony securities offense.

Avtar Singh Dhillon, 61, was charged with one count of willful failure to disclose stock sales, one count of aiding and abetting the sale of unregistered securities and one count of touting compensation nondisclosure conspiracy. Daniel V. Martinez, 62, was charged with one count of sale of unregistered securities. Plea hearings for the defendants have not yet been scheduled by the Court. Dhillon was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August 2021.

According to the charging documents, Dhillon and Martinez violated the securities laws when they worked together to sell shares of the Massachusetts-based company Arch Therapeutics, Inc., for which Dhillon was then the board chairman. Specifically, Dhillon and Martinez allegedly placed 2.75 million Arch Therapeutics shares that Dhillon beneficially owned into a limited liability company that Martinez created. It is alleged that Dhillon and Martinez then worked together to sell the shares in the open market without a valid exemption under the relevant securities laws and to distribute the approximately $1.34 million in proceeds. The proceeds were distributed primarily to third parties for Dhillon’s benefit, with a small portion distributed to Martinez directly. Dhillon thereafter willfully failed to report the stock sales to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and the investing public, as he was required to do.

Separately, Dhillon is also alleged to have participated in a securities conspiracy involving the nondisclosure of compensation paid to a subscription newsletter analyst. Specifically, Dhillon agreed with others to cause Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP), a life sciences company in San Diego, to indirectly compensate a subscription newsletter analyst to tout a securities offering by EHP without the analyst or the newsletter disclosing the compensation, as was required under the securities laws. Dhillon was both a one-time board member of and an indirect shareholder in EHP, which raised tens of millions of dollars in the securities offering.

The charge of willful failure to disclose sales provides for a sentence up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charges of sale of unregistered securities and touting compensation nondisclosure conspiracy each provide for a sentence up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by SEC’s headquarters, Boston and Los Angeles regional offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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 Worcester man was sentenced today for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Barry Jumpp, 30, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 46 months in prison and two years of supervised release. On May 11, 2022, Jumpp pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On Jan. 7, 2021, Jumpp was arrested by local authorities in connection with an outstanding warrant from Connecticut. In the pocket of Jumpp’s jacket, law enforcement found a 9 mm firearm loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. The firearm had been stolen from a Worcester resident in 2016. Jumpp is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office 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 – Southeast Florida Hematology and Oncology Group (SEFHOG), a now-defunct specialty medical practice in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has agreed to pay $130,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by receiving “upfront discounts” from its specialty pharmaceutical distributor, Cardinal Health, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. In January 2022, Cardinal Health entered into a $13.125 million settlement to resolve allegations concerning these and other upfront discounts.

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits pharmaceutical distributors from offering or paying any compensation to induce physicians to purchase drugs for use on Medicare patients. When a pharmaceutical distributor sells drugs to a physician practice for administration in an outpatient setting, the distributor may legally offer commercially available discounts to its customers under certain circumstances prescribed by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). HHS-OIG has advised that upfront discount arrangements present significant kickback concerns unless they are tied to specific purchases and distributors maintain appropriate controls to ensure that discounts are clawed back if the purchaser ultimately does not purchase enough product to earn the discount. According to admissions contained in the settlement agreement, the payments that SEFHOG received were not attributable to identifiable sales.  

Under the terms of this agreement, SEFHOG is paying $65,000 to the federal government and $65,000 to the State of Florida. This matter was handled jointly with the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Florida.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Lindsey Ross of Rollins’ Office handled the matter.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Anton Rise, 40, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 79 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2019, Rise pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

According to court filings, in the early morning of March 4, 2017, Rise was arrested with a firearm loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition tucked in his waistband shortly after he left a nightclub in Boston.

Due to prior felony convictions, Rise is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement.

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 – The former Senior Director of Safety & Security at eBay, Inc. and the company’s former Director of Global Resiliency were sentenced to prison today for their roles in a cyberstalking campaign targeting the editor and publisher of a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.

James Baugh, 47, of San Jose, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B.  Saris to 57 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Baugh was also ordered to pay a fine of $40,000. David Harville, 50, of Las Vegas, Nev., was sentenced to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. Harville was also ordered to pay a fine of $20,000. On April 25, 2022, Baugh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and through facilities of interstate commerce, two counts of stalking through interstate travel, two counts of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce, two counts of witness tampering and two counts of destruction, alteration and falsification of records in a federal investigation.  On May 12, 2022, Harville pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and through facilities of interstate commerce, two counts of stalking through interstate travel and two counts of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce.

“The internet is incredibly powerful. It brings community, information, and even merchandise right to our homes. Mr. Baugh and Mr. Harville used the internet’s power to harass and intimidate a couple who did nothing—nothing—other than publish content that our First Amendment protects. The defendants’ toxic brand of online and real-world harassment, threats, and stalking was outrageous, cruel and defies any explanation—all the more because these men were seasoned and highly paid security executives backed by the resources of a Fortune 500 corporation. Their behavior was reprehensible. The just sentences the Court imposed today will take Mr. Baugh and Mr. Harville offline and out of our community for some time. This should serve as a strong reminder to all that holding positions of wealth and privilege does not absolve or shield criminals from accountability and incarceration. The government’s investigation continues,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.

“Both men demonstrated a clear contempt for the law when they weaponized eBay’s security department to engage in an incredibly disturbing pattern of retaliatory harassment and intimidation to torment this couple, who, thankfully, did not let their fear silence them,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “While today’s sentencings cannot erase the substantial distress their victims suffered, it does make it crystal clear that anyone who goes online to threaten, intimidate, or harass others will face real-world consequences, including federal prison time.”

Harville and Baugh were arrested and charged in June 2020. Co-conspirators and former eBay employees Philip Cooke, Brian Gilbert, Stephanie Popp, Veronica Zea and Stephanie Stockwell previously pleaded guilty for their roles in a conspiracy to cyberstalk the victims. Cooke was sentenced in July 2021 to 18 months in prison. Gilbert, Popp, Zea and Stockwell are awaiting sentencing.

Between approximately Aug. 5, 2019 and Sept. 6, 2019, Harville, Baugh and their 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. 

The defendants and their 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.

The deliveries ordered to the victims’ home included a book on surviving the death of a spouse, a bloody pig mask, a fetal pig, a funeral wreath and live insects. The harassment also featured Craigslist posts inviting members of the public to experience sexual encounters at the victims’ home.

The threatening Twitter messages 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’ home address and threatened to show up at their home. 

On Aug. 15, 2019, Baugh, Harville and a co-conspirator traveled from California to Natick to surveil the victims and install a GPS tracking device on the victims’ car. The victims spotted the surveillance team and contacted local police. Harville also purchased tools intending to break into the victims’ garage and lied to an eBay investigator who was responding to the Natick Police’s request for assistance.

After learning of the police’s investigation, Harville and Baugh deleted digital evidence related to the cyberstalking campaign. Additionally, Baugh made false statements to police and internal investigators and falsified records intended to throw the police off the trail.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta 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.

BOSTON – The main supplier and drug distributor of two Boston-area drug trafficking organizations (DTO) was sentenced yesterday for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Kenji Drayton, 42, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. On April 12, 2022, Drayton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Drayton was charged with 23 others in June 2020 as part of Operation Snowfall.

According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated a DTO – for which Drayton was a principal drug supplier – that 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 they stored, cooked, packaged and sold drugs – most of which was cocaine or cocaine base, which the DTO supplied to customers, wholesalers and distributors. The DTO’s destructive activity led to the blight of the Fidelis Way complex and reduced the quality of life of the many law-abiding people who live there.

The second part of the investigation targeted large-scale drug suppliers and their associates. It is alleged that the DTO continued to distribute cocaine and cocaine base throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. Intercepted communications in spring 2020 revealed Drayton complained about drug supply shortages resulting from the pandemic. On one call, Drayton discussed a co-conspirator’s travels to California to obtain significant quantities of cocaine for the DTO. 

Drayton served as one of the main drug suppliers and distributors within each of the identified DTOs. Drayton purchased, sold, and distributed wholesale quantities of cocaine as part of each DTO and is estimated to have distributed a total of over 3.5 kilograms of cocaine.  

Drayton is the second defendant to be sentenced in the Fidelis-Way related drug conspiracy, and the 11th defendant to be sentenced in the other charged drug conspiracy case. The remaining defendants are either pending sentencing or have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial. One defendant, Derek Hart, remains at large.

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

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

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

BOSTON – A Swansea man agreed to plead guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to possession of child pornography.

Todd Miozza, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. The Court deferred acceptance of the proposed plea agreement until sentencing, which U.S. Senior District Judge William G. Young scheduled for Jan 19, 2023. Miozza was arrested and charged on June 29, 2022.

As stated during the hearing, Miozza admitted that he had obtained child pornography over the internet using a social media platform. During a search of Miozza’ s residence in June, his iPhone and laptop were seized and found to contain child sexual abuse material – including videos depicting infants. 

Miozza was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in the District of Massachusetts in 2002.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations, New England made the announcement. The Swansea Police Department provided valuable assistance to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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 Quincy real estate broker was sentenced in federal court in Boston today for operating a scheme in which he falsely marketed properties that were not for sale, or had already been sold, and then stole the buyers’ real estate deposits. 

Michael P. Flavin, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The Court reserved imposing a restitution order until a later date. On Dec. 17, 2021, Flavin pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

Between 2017 and April 2020, Flavin solicited deposits on real estate transactions by marketing numerous real estate properties that were not actually for sale. In each case, Flavin executed purchase and sale agreements and received deposit checks from or on behalf of the potential buyers, even though the actual owners of the properties had not agreed to sell their properties or to sell them to those buyers. Flavin forged the signatures of the sellers on the purported purchase and sale agreements. Over this period of approximately three years, Flavin cashed more than 60 deposit checks totaling approximately $1.8 million. 

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 Victor A. Wild of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for misusing a Social Security number to fraudulently obtain a Massachusetts ID and driver’s license as well as MassHealth benefits. 

Manuel Alejandro Pujols Diaz, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 25 months in prison. On May 16, 2022, Pujols pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Pujols used the name and Social Security number of another individual to submit fraudulent applications to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in July 2016, August 2016 and September 2016. As a result, Pujols obtained a Massachusetts ID and driver’s license under the victim’s identity as well as MassHealth benefits.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A career criminal pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to trafficking fentanyl while still on supervised release for a previous federal conviction.

Ozair Pereira, 34, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and four counts of distribution of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2022. Earlier this afternoon, Pereira was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release.

“Today, Mr. Pereira admitted to his role in a conspiracy that sought to profit off addiction and harm,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Even more troubling, Mr. Pereira engaged in this criminal conduct while on federal supervised release for a prior drug trafficking conviction. Opioids continue to cause irreversible destruction and chaos in communities across our Commonwealth and the nation. Two thousand lives were lost last year in Massachusetts, people stolen from us that will never return. We will attack this problem with every resource we have. The goal is to cut the flow of deadly narcotics onto our streets. Drug traffickers, especially repeat offenders, be warned – you will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

On four occasions in February and March 2021, Pereira worked with co-defendant Robert Roscoe and others to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl. At the time of the offense, Pereira was on supervised release for a prior federal drug trafficking offense. Specifically, in 2018, Pereira and several other defendants were arrested as part of a wide-ranging investigation targeting drug trafficking and violence in Brockton. Pereira was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap ordering heroin from a drug supplier. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin.

On June 30, 2022, Roscoe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 24, 2022.

Because of his prior federal conviction, on the charge of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, Pereira faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least eight years of supervised release and a fine of $8 million. The charge of distribution of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least six years of supervised release and a fine of up to $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; James 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 is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a highly sophisticated drug trafficking operation that manufactured and distributed a multitude of controlled substances using the Dark Web.

Steven McCall, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. McCall was also ordered to forfeit his vehicle, a 2012 BMW 535 sedan. The government recommended a sentence of 70 months in prison. On June 28, 2022, McCall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, Ketamine and Alprazolam (Xanax). 

McCall was indicted in June 2019 along with co-conspirators Binh Thanh Le and Allante Pires. Le, who was the ringleader of the drug-trafficking operation, created and operated a vendor site called “EastSideHigh” in marketplaces on the Dark Network, more commonly known as the Dark Web. The Dark Web is any portion of the internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations or authorization that anonymize internet traffic. Le used these Dark Web markets to advertise various drugs for sale, including cocaine, MDMA, Ketamine and Xanax. Le ordered and received wholesale quantities of the drugs he and the others were distributing in the mail, principally from foreign sources in Canada and Europe. McCall and Pires then processed and manufactured those controlled substances at an office space Le rented in Stoughton. After receiving the orders and payment via Bitcoin, the men mailed the drugs to customers throughout the United States.

At the time of his arrest, McCall had been manufacturing and packaging controlled substances at the co-conspirators’ stash location in Stoughton and was wearing latex gloves and a respirator.

Over 19 kilograms of MDMA, almost seven kilograms of Ketamine, nearly one kilogram of cocaine, more than 10,000 counterfeit Xanax pills and over $114,000 in cash were seized by authorities during the investigation. Investigators also recovered a computer with the “EastSideHigh” vendor page open, numerous packages containing MDMA and Ketamine, various shipping and packaging materials and a pill press from the office space in Stoughton.

McCall is the final defendant in this case to be sentenced. On March 10, 2022, Le was sentenced to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. Le was also ordered to forfeit more than 59 Bitcoin (representing a forfeiture in excess of $1.1 million), $114,680 in cash, $42,390 representing the proceeds from the sale of a 2018 BMW M3, along with other items including a pill press and currency counter. On Sept. 8, 2022, Pires was sentenced to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 70 months in prison. Pires was also ordered to forfeit a 2013 Mercedes E sedan.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Special assistance with the investigation was provided by the Homeland Security Investigations in Colorado; Postal Inspectors from around the country; and the Stoughton, Norwood and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in the January 2019 robbery of a T-Mobile store in Brockton and shooting at police officers as he and his co-defendants fled the scene.

Dennis Martin, 27, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Douglas P. Woodlock to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2019, Martin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; interference with commerce by robbery; brandishing, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Martin was charged in 2019 along with co-conspirators Stephan Rosser-Stewart, Darius Carter and Diovanni Carter.

On the evening of Jan. 26, 2019, Martin, Rosser-Stewart and Darius Carter entered a T-Mobile store in Brockton, carrying semi-automatic firearms, which they pointed at the store manager as they demanded cash and electronics. Darius Carter struck the store manager in the head with a firearm. The men stole approximately $25,000 in cash and electronics and then fled in a vehicle driven by Diovanni Carter.

Police located the getaway vehicle and a high-speed chase ensued, reaching speeds of over 70 mph in residential neighborhoods. During the chase, Diovanni Carter ordered the other men in the car to fire at pursuing police cruisers. Rosser-Stewart and Darius Carter fired a total of eight rounds at the pursuing police cruisers. Law enforcement apprehended Martin, Rosser-Stewart and Darius Carter after an object on the road disabled their vehicle and recovered the stolen phones, cash and the three firearms used in robbery. Diovanni Carter fled the scene when the car was stopped and was later apprehended in March 2019. Martin, Rosser-Stewart, Darius Carter and Diovanni Carter were each prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior criminal convictions. Martin was previously convicted of armed robbery.

On Sept. 8, 2022, Rosser-Stewart, was sentenced to 16 years in prison and two years of supervised release. In March 2021, Darius Carter pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to his role in the robbery. In March 2020, Diovanni Carter was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to over 22 years in prison.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal of the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard 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 Texas man and woman were indicted today by a federal grand jury for allegedly operating an unlicensed money transmitting business to launder the proceeds of online investment fraud and romance fraud schemes.

Charles Ochi, 27, of Grand Prairie, Texas, and Vanessa Okocha, 24, of Houston, Texas were indicted on one count each of money laundering conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Ochi will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Okocha remains at large.

According to the charging documents, beginning in or around 2016, Ochi and Okocha conspired with others to launder and transmit proceeds of Ponzi-style investment fraud schemes based in Nigeria and of romance scams. Specifically, the investment fraud schemes allegedly purported to offer trading and Bitcoin investing services when, in fact, investor funds were stolen and victims’ investments were later used to pay purported returns to earlier investors. The romance fraud schemes deceived online victims into sending money to persons with whom they believed they had a romantic relationship. It is alleged that Ochi and Okocha laundered the fraud proceeds as part of aa network of co-conspirators in the United States, including the owners of at least two used car exporting companies. Ochi and Okocha, along with their co-conspirators, did not hold money transmitting licenses in their respective states of residence, nor were they registered as money transmitters as required by federal law.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business and the charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the 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; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Division of Enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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 former naval police officer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire was charged yesterday in connection with allegedly threatening his ex-wife and her mother in Iowa.

Luis De Leon, 30, of Middleton, a was charged with three counts of making threatening communications in interstate commerce. De Leon, who is currently in custody at the Middleton House of Corrections on unrelated state charges, will make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Boston on Oct. 3, 2022.

According to the charging documents, from June 2021 until June 2022, De Leon was employed by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a Naval Police Officer.

It is alleged that on or about April 30, 2022, De Leon made a threatening phone call to his ex-wife in Iowa from a mobile telephone belonging to another individual. Specifically, during the call, De Leon allegedly made several threatening statements including, “You’re gonna f****** pay! Do you understand!? There will be death! There will be war in the street! You wanna to go war!? I’ll take you to f****** war!”

On or about May 2, 2022, De Leon was arrested by Lawrence Police on unrelated charges including carrying a dangerous weapon (a hatchet knife), resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, threatening to commit a crime and motor vehicle offenses. De Leon has remained in custody since his arrest.

Between May and June 2022, while still in custody in Middleton House of Corrections, De Leon allegedly sent two letters containing threats to his ex-wife’s mother in Iowa. In the letters, it is alleged that De Leon wrote, among other things, “I’ll be heading over there soon […] God help you and your dysfunctional family if you try and stop me. I won’t be alone either just so you know and that’s for your safety NOT MINE!!! […] If you don’t believe me just look where I’m sending this from. I don’t really have much else to lose, and do you know what men with nothing left to lose usually do?”

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 was provided by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. 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 – As part of its response to the opioid crisis, United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins sent a letter to all skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts warning that refusing to provide care for persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively enforce these protections.

The ADA, which prohibits discrimination based on disability, protects individuals with OUD. Since 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has entered into 10 settlement agreements with entities owning a total of 51 skilled nursing facilities for refusing to admit individuals prescribed medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine (Suboxone), vivitrol and methadone. To ensure compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of the ADA, skilled nursing facilities must evaluate each applicant individually to determine suitability for admission, rather than enacting a blanket policy denying admissions to all persons treated with MOUD.

“Medications can be a crucial tool in battling the opioid crisis. In many instances, these prescription treatments save lives,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins. “Yet each year, countless people are turned away from skilled nursing facilities solely because they are on prescribed MOUD. This puts vulnerable people in the awful position of either risking their life by not taking their MOUD or risking their life by continuing their opioid use. Denying access to necessary healthcare, based solely on someone’s substance use disorder exacerbates the tremendous damage opioids already cause residents of our Commonwealth and their loved ones.”

Courts may impose civil penalties for ADA violations, which could be as high as $92,383 for a first violation, and potentially double that amount for subsequent violations. These ADA enforcement actions are part of a larger effort by the United States Attorney’s Office to eliminate discriminatory barriers to treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in the medical community, in the criminal justice system, and in housing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Dorchak of Rollins’ Civil Rights Unit handled this matter.

The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2015 with the mission of enhancing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights.

BOSTON – A Malden man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with distributing methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer.

David Desousa, 32, pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2022 to one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of distributing a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and three counts of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Jan. 25, 2023. Desousa was arrested in August 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2020.

In February 2020, federal agents began an undercover investigation into DeSousa’s methamphetamine distribution activities. On three separate occasions in February, March and July 2020, Desousa met with and sold various quantities of methamphetamine to an undercover agent. Desousa was arrested on Aug. 6, 2020 in Medford while he was travelling to deliver two ounces of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. More than 55 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine and 10.814 grams of cocaine base were seized from Desousa’s vehicle. During a subsequent search of Desousa’s residence, agents seized more than 75 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Remington .380 caliber pistol. An additional 83 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine and $90,000 in cash were also seized from Desousa’s storage unit.

The charges of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $10 million and forfeiture. The charge of distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $5 million and forfeiture. The charge of distributing a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of $1 million and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Arlington Police Chief Juliann Flaherty; Medford Police Chief Jack Buckley; and Malden Police Chief Glenn Cronin made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and James E. Arnold of Rollins’s 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.