District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Taunton man pleaded guilty on Sept. 23, 2022 in federal court in Boston to possessing hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography.

Rudy Frabizio, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Dec. 9, 2022. Frabizio was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in May 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2021.

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

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Due to his prior conviction, Frabizio faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

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

BOSTON – A former Methuen man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to his role in a Lawrence-based drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and cocaine.

Pablo Rosario Pablo a/k/a “Angel Ayala Roque” a/k/a “Cuco,” 57, formerly of Methuen, pleaded guilty on Sept. 21, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and other controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and other controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2023.

According to court documents and information presented in court, in May 2020, law enforcement agents began investigating a Lawrence-based drug trafficking organization (DTO). Between December 2020 and December 2021, intercepted communications between members of the DTO and their associates revealed that the defendants allegedly distributed fentanyl and cocaine in and around the Merrimack Valley. Rosario Pablo was intercepted communicating in furtherance of drug trafficking. During a search of Rosario Pablo’s residence on Dec. 15, 2021, agents seized fentanyl, powder cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and steroids, as well as drug paraphernalia.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and other controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and other controlled substances carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit, is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – Pharmaceutical company Biogen Inc. (Biogen), based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has agreed to pay $900 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims to Medicare and Medicaid by paying kickbacks to physicians to induce them to prescribe Biogen drugs.

The settlement announced today resolves a lawsuit filed and litigated by former Biogen employee Michael Bawduniak against Biogen under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit a private party (known as a relator) to file a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The United States may intervene in the action or, as in this case, the relator may proceed with the lawsuit. 

In his lawsuit filed in the District of Massachusetts, Bawduniak alleged that Biogen paid kickbacks to physicians to induce them to prescribe the company’s multiple sclerosis drugs. According to the relator’s complaint, from Jan. 1, 2009, through March 18, 2014, Biogen held programs through which it offered and paid remuneration, including speaker honoraria, speaker training fees, consulting fees and meals, to health care professionals who spoke at or attended Biogen’s speaker programs, speaker training meetings or consultant programs to induce them to prescribe the drugs Avonex, Tysabri and Tecfidera in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.

“We thank Mr. Bawduniak for uncovering this behavior and bringing it to light,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This matter is an important example of the vital role that whistleblowers and their attorneys can play in protecting our nation’s public healthcare programs.”

“Bawduniak doggedly pursued this matter on behalf of the United States for over seven years,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The settlement announced today underscores the critical role that whistleblowers and their attorneys play in utilizing the False Claims Act to combat fraud affecting federal healthcare programs.”

Under the terms of the settlement, Biogen will pay $843,805,187 to the United States and $56,194,813 to 15 states. The United States will pay Bawduniak a share of the federal recovery. 

The case was monitored by the Department of Justice’s Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. 

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

BOSTON – United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins announces the recipients of the 2022 Law Enforcement Awards. Over 60 federal, state and local law enforcement personnel and community leaders who contributed to the success of federal cases during the 2021 calendar year are being recognized for their commitment to pursuing justice and public safety. Each year the U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts holds a formal ceremony to honor award recipients, which will take place in October 2022 at the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse.

These awards recognize federal agents, state troopers, local officers, investigators and community leaders for exceptional leadership, outstanding collaboration, investigative achievement and excellence, victim assistance and excellence in community engagement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted the cases nominated the honorees. In one instance, U.S. Attorney Rollins herself nominated the recipient due to their outstanding and unwavering commitment to the City of Boston – Former Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long.

“The typical workday does not exist for law enforcement professionals, they work around the clock. Day in and day out, law enforcement professionals work tirelessly in the pursuit of justice, often putting their lives on the line to protect the people of our Commonwealth against criminal operators,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins. “It is directly because of these dogged, relentless efforts that my office can hold perpetrators accountable through successful investigations and prosecutions. The Annual Law Enforcement Awards are an important opportunity to recognize and honor the professionals whose work has been instrumental to our cases and to keeping our communities safe.”

The category of Investigative Achievement Award is reserved for those who substantially contributed to the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice. The following cases and agencies will be honored:

U.S. v. Bruce Brown

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation; Newton Police Department

U.S. v. Hubley

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): IRS Criminal Investigation

U.S. v. Jasiel Correia

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; Massachusetts Office of Inspector General

U.S. v. John Casey

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Marshfield Police Department; Burlington Police Department

U.S. v. Leslie Caraceni et al., and U.S. v. Meghan Giacomuzzi

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations

U.S. v. Stefanie Hirsch et al.

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General

U.S. v. Sunil Akula

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation

The category of Investigative Excellence recognizes an individual whose actions led directly to the arrest of a dangerous subject or to the exposure of a significant criminal conspiracy. The following case and agency will be honored:

U.S. v. Anthony Deordio and U.S. v. Jonathan Monson

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation

The category of Excellence in Community Outreach and Prevention Award recognizes individuals, or a team of individuals, who have shown outstanding commitment and/or innovation in the area of law enforcement and community outreach to include training, relationship building, prevention programs and other similar activities. The following programs and agencies will be honored:

Civil Rights Opioid Work

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): New England Americans with Disabilities Act Center, a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design in Boston

Project Safe Childhood Cape and Islands Education Series

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation; Barnstable Police Department; Chatham Police Department, Orleans Police Department; Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office

Project Safe Childhood in the Berkshires Education Series

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service; North Adams Police Department; Berkshire District Attorney’s Office; North Adams Public Schools

The category of Exceptional Leadership recognizes an individual who has shown exceptional leadership of an organization or department in the face of adversity or significant challenges. The following agency will be honored:

Exceptional Leadership in the City of Boston

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Boston Police Department

The category of Outstanding Collaborative Award recognizes investigators from a multi-agency collaboration whose exceptional efforts to overcome significant challenges led to a successful conclusion. Recipients in one case also received the Victim Service Award. The following cases and agencies will be honored:

U.S. v. Anthony Howard

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation; Boston Police Department

U.S. v. Derek Sheehan

Agency/Organization of Recipient(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation; Norwell Police Department; Massachusetts State Police

*Victim Service Award

U.S. v. Samuel Rodriguez, et al.

Agency/Organization of Recipient: Massachusetts State Police; Fairhaven Police Department; United States Drug Enforcement Administration; United States Postal Inspection Service

BOSTON – A Taunton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Jerrod Lee, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Lee was indicted in October 2020 with co-defendant Ronney Fullard. In December 2021, Lee pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

In August 2020, during the execution of an arrest warrant in connection with pending state firearms charges, law enforcement found Lee and Fullard each in possession of a loaded firearm at Lee’s residence. Specifically, Lee possessed a Ruger .45 caliber pistol, Model P90 loaded with five rounds of .45 caliber ammunition and Fullard possessed a Taurus PT 709 9mm pistol loaded with six rounds of 9mm ammunition. Due to prior felony convictions, federal law prohibits both defendants from possessing firearms and ammunition.

On March 10, 2022, Fullard was sentenced to time served (approximately 14 months) and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to the same charge.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Taunton Police Chief Edward James Walsh made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle 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 Boston man was sentenced yesterday for racketeering (RICO) and drug trafficking conspiracies stemming from his involvement in the Boston-based street gang, NOB.

Joshua Teixeira, a/k/a “Trouble,” 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2022, Teixeira pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Teixeira is one of 10 defendants indicted in June 2020 as part of a federal sweep targeting numerous NOB street gang members and associates, all of whom have pleaded guilty to various charges and are scheduled to be sentenced in the upcoming months. 

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

Teixeira was an active and central member of the NOB gang who personally committed, planned and supported various crimes on behalf of the NOB gang including drug trafficking activities involving multiple pounds of marijuana. In May 2018, Teixeira drove with two other NOB members/associated into a rival gang territory during ongoing hostilities between the gangs. Teixeira was armed with a 9mm handgun and fired at least six rounds at a group of people in a residential neighborhood, leading to an exchange of gunfire. No one was hit by Teixeira’s gunfire. The Court determined this conduct constituted attempted murder and took it into consideration at sentencing.

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

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with his illegal possession of ammunition.

Syrus Hampton, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 18 months in prison and 30 months of supervised release. The U.S. Attorney’s Office had requested 42 months in prison. In May 2021, Hampton pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

In January 2019, during a routine traffic stop by local law enforcement for a car lights violation, Hampton sped away from police and jumped out of his still-running minivan – causing the vehicle to run over a police officer’s foot and crash into two other cars, including one occupied by a pregnant woman and her children. Hampton was shortly apprehended and was found in possession of an Uzi-style machinegun firearm that had been made from a kit and bared no serial number (commonly known as a “ghost gun”) loaded with an extended magazine containing 20 rounds of ammunition and a bullet in the chamber. Hampton was prohibited from possessing ammunition due to a prior felony conviction punishable by more than one year in prison.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announces that, in accordance with an agreement reached with Massachusetts state District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph, Judge Joseph has today referred herself to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct, a forum that is designed to investigate and address judicial misconduct and to make final recommendations on discipline to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the state’s highest judicial body. As part of this agreement, Judge Joseph has also made factual admissions that the Commission can consider as part of its review, along with the public allegations previously made in this case.

Former court officer and co-defendant Wesley MacGregor, who is no longer employed by the Massachusetts state court system, has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States with respect to the single count of perjury with which he is charged.  

In light of these agreements, the United States has filed a motion to dismiss three of the four counts of the pending indictment, and to defer prosecution on the final count against Mr.  MacGregor. This will resolve the entirety of the pending federal prosecution. 

“This case is about the conduct of a sitting state court judge, on the bench, in the course of her judicial duties. Its purpose has been to shed light on, and, as warranted, to secure accountability for that conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “After I was assigned to oversee this matter, I undertook a full and comprehensive review of the evidence, the applicable law, and relevant equitable and prudential factors. Having done so, I have concluded that the interests of justice are best served by review of this matter before the body that oversees the conduct of Massachusetts state court judges, rather than in a continued federal criminal prosecution. The requirement that Judge Joseph refer herself to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct and make certain factual admissions will ensure that review takes place.”

Judge Joseph and Mr. MacGregor were indicted in April 2019 in the District of Massachusetts on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly preventing an ICE Officer from taking custody of an alien defendant. Mr. MacGregor was also charged with one count of perjury.

Mr. Cunha, the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, was assigned to oversee this matter by the Department of Justice upon recusal of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

BOSTON – A former employee of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for possession of child pornography.

David St. George, 75, of Arlington, was sentenced on Sept. 14, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. St. George was also ordered to pay a $5,100 special assessment and restitution of $3,000 to each of the victims in this case. On March 30, 2022, St. George pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

“Child pornography is not a victimless crime. It depicts child abuse. Plain and simple. Every single image or video of the material entails unspeakable harm and trauma inflicted upon an innocent child, and those who possess, distribute or view it not only break the law but more importantly revictimize these children with each act that sexualizes them,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “As the chief federal law enforcement officer of our Commonwealth and a mother, I see it as my duty in this role to protect our children. And my office will dedicate every resource necessary to do so.”

“The child sexual abuse materials that St. George possessed captured the horrific abuse of children. Searches of his home and electronics revealed he possessed thousands of these images while he was employed by the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI is committed to pursuing those who possess and trade child sexual abuse material wherever they hide, even when they go to great lengths to anonymize their activity and conceal their identities.”

In May 2018, investigators received information regarding a shared secure online storage account containing child pornography. The IP address for this account ultimately was linked to St. George’s internet. The storage account contained over 5,000 files, including sexually explicit images and videos of children, many of which depicted child sexual abuse – including the depiction of an adult raping an infant of approximately one year of age.

In September 2018, a search of St. George’s residence revealed thousands of files of child pornography, including the depiction of sexual assaults of children between six-and-eight years old. Emails revealed that St. George continued to re-post child sexual abuse materials despite being repeatedly banned by an online service provider. During the search, St. George admitted that he had been receiving and downloading child pornography from the Dark Web while taking steps to conceal his identity, as well as receiving and downloading child pornography via email for upload to his shared secure storage account.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and HSI SAC Millhollin made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James D. Herbert of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Fall River woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to child sexual exploitation charges.

Nichole Cyr, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2022. Cyr was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2020.

“Today, Ms. Cyr admitted to some of the most egregious conduct that my office prosecutes. She sexually victimized two children in her life – one that was only a toddler – captured the abuse on camera, and then shared the horrific material. Ms. Cyr took advantage of these young, innocent children entrusted to her care. For that, this predator is now a convicted felon facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “My office will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to investigate and prosecute those who prey on and sexualize our children.”

“The production of child sexual abuse material immortalizes the horrific act of sexually abusing a child through photos and video, making it even more difficult for survivors to heal from the trauma of abuse. Today’s plea ensures Cyr will face significant time behind bars for her actions,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “The protection of children is one of our greatest and most solemn duties as a law enforcement agency. HSI will continue in our mission to investigate predators like Cyr and bring them to justice before they can do more harm.”

In July 2020, Cyr was arrested for child exploitation offenses after child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including images and videos, were located on her cell phones. Forensic analysis of Cyr’s phones revealed CSAM involving a two-year-old victim and a seven-year-old victim, including videos and photographs that showed Cyr sexually abusing the two-year-old victim on various dates. Forensic analysis also revealed that Cyr had shared the CSAM with another individual. Subsequent investigation determined that the Cyr produced the CSAM of the two minor victims, who she had babysat on multiple occasions.

The charging statute provides for a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, HSI SAC Millhollin, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III, Fall River Police Chief Paul Gauvin and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Chief of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Colombian man, who was extradited from Colombia after indictment, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in an international drug trafficking organization.

Henry Carrillo-Ramirez, 52, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In November 2019, Carrillo-Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and four counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Carrillo-Ramirez was indicted in April 2017 and extradited from Colombia in April 2019.

Since 2013, Carrillo-Ramirez and at least four co-conspirators were involved in a conspiracy that trafficked thousands of kilograms of cocaine, sourced in Colombia, by boat via Venezuela to Spain, Puerto Rico, and other locations. The cocaine was sourced from the Catatumbo region of Colombia and transported to Isla Margarita, Venezuela. Thereafter – based on an agreed-upon date, time, sea coordinates, and code word – small motorboats carrying the cocaine would meet a fishing vessel located offshore onto which the cocaine was transferred and transported to points in Europe and the Caribbean. Carrillo-Ramirez played an indispensable part in the conspiracy – organizing the shipments and transportation of the cocaine from Colombia to Venezuela, managing logistics, providing at-sea coordinates, and serving as the communications hub of the conspiracy.   

It is estimated that Carrillo-Ramirez and his co-conspirators successfully shipped approximately 1,200 kilograms of cocaine to Spain in June 2014. In all, law enforcement seized at least 2,235 kilograms of cocaine from Carrillo-Ramirez’s drug trafficking conspiracy.

In August 2014, an international law enforcement operation located and boarded a vessel travelling from South America to Spain and seized 960 kilograms of cocaine. In November 2014, an allied British vessel carrying U.S. Coast Guard officials interdicted a boat arranged by Carrillo-Ramirez and others destined for Puerto Rico that was approximately 30 nautical miles west of Montserrat. Once the vessel was stopped, the crew was observed jettisoning bales of cocaine, which were recovered and weighed 180 kilograms. The remaining bales were lost at sea. In December 2014, the Spanish Guardia Civil boarded another vessel in international waters arranged by Carrillo-Ramirez and others and seized an additional 728 kilos of cocaine. In August 2015, U.S. investigators disabled a Yamaha power boat in the Farjardo coast area of Puerto Rico that was arranged by Carrillo and others. A search of the proximate area recovered 13 bales containing nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attachés in Bogotá, Colombia, worked with law enforcement partners in Colombia to secure the arrest and extradition of Carrillo-Ramirez to the United States. Valuable assistance was provided by the Colombian National Police, the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Portuguese Air Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – An Ohio man has been arrested in connection with possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Thiago da Silva Pinheiro, 42, of Cincinnati, Ohio was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson, Pinheiro was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 22, 2022.

According to the charging documents, on Sept. 20, 2022, Pinheiro flew from Ontario, Canada to Boston with an ultimate destination of Brazil. During a screening by Customs and Border Protection at Logan Airport, customs officers observed apparent CSAM on Pinheiro’s tablet. It is alleged that a preliminary review of the tablet revealed approximately 2,800 videos and images depicting apparent CSAM, some of which depicted children as young as two to four years old. 

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

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

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

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

BOSTON – A New York woman pleaded guilty on Sept. 15, 2022 in federal court in Boston in connection with trafficking five kilograms of fentanyl.

Shanese DeJesus, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more fentanyl. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 15, 2022. DeJesus was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 5, 2022.

“Lives of real people in our communities are being destroyed by opioids on a daily basis. These are brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Ms. DeJesus trafficked five kilograms of fentanyl, a drug that kills more Americans each year than any other,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We will continue to prosecute anyone who jeopardizes the wellbeing of residents of our Commonwealth by distributing deadly drugs.”

“The state of Massachusetts is faced with an opioid crisis unlike ever before,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of Massachusetts need to be held accountable for their actions. DEA will aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals like Ms. DeJesus who distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

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

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

U.S. Attorney Rollins; DEA SAC Boyle; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Colonel Nathan Noyes, Director of the New Hampshire State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Dedham veterinarian has agreed to resolve allegations that he maintained inadequate records of controlled substances, improperly stored controlled substances at his office and residence, ordered controlled substances without a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration, and failed to report he was on probation on his DEA registration forms.

Wilbur M. Salter, II D.V.M., a veterinarian who practices at Animed Pet Hospital in Dedham, has agreed to pay $15,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the civil remedies provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The CSA was enacted to prevent the diversion or misuse of controlled substances and requires complete and accurate recordkeeping by medical professionals—including veterinarians—and others involved in the distribution and administration of controlled substances.

According to the settlement agreement, Dr. Salter admitted that he did not furnish required records with respect to Euthanasia Solution, Ketamine, Diazepam 5mg, Hydrocodone liquid, and Diazepam 1mg in connection with a 2019 DEA audit of controlled substances at his practice. As a result, the investigators found CSA violations with respect to these controlled substances. Dr. Salter also admitted that he stored controlled substances at his residence, but did not register his residence with the DEA; improperly stored Tramadol, a controlled substance, in an unlocked cabinet; ordered a schedule IV controlled substance after he no longer held a DEA registration; and did not report that the Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine had placed him on probation on his subsequent DEA registration forms, as required. 

“It is essential that all prescribers—including veterinarians—keep accurate records of controlled substances so that we can identify and prevent any diversion, especially in the midst of a rampant and destructive opioid epidemic,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We will enforce compliance of these important safeguards.”   

“The DEA is committed to ensuring that all registrants are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA, Boston Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety. DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”

During the investigation, Dr. Salter surrendered his DEA registration number and, as part of the settlement, agreed that he would not seek a new DEA registration number.

U.S Attorney Rollins and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head of Rollins’ Civil Division handled the case.

BOSTON – A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with a wire fraud and money laundering scheme involving funds obtained from “romance scam” victims. 

Kofi Osei, a/k/a Paul Proia, a/k/a Kenneth Buck, a/k/a Jeffrey Anashe, a/k/a Author Ivey, a/k/a David Label, a/k/a Manuel Abdalla, a/k/a Andrew Matses, 30, pleaded guilty on Sept. 16, 2022 to seven counts of making a false statement to a bank, six counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Jan. 20, 2023. Osei was charged in February 2021.

Between no later than 2016 through at least 2020, Osei opened bank accounts in the greater Boston area using fake identity documents. Those bank accounts were used to receive fraudulently obtained funds from a number of victims of romance scams, in which perpetrators create fictitious online personas to develop online romantic relationships with individuals in the United States and then leverage those relationships to obtain money and/or property. Once the fraudulently obtained funds reached the accounts controlled by Osei, Osei generally withdrew the money in cash, used the funds to purchase cashier’s checks, or spent the money on personal purchases. During a search of Osei’s residence and vehicle in February 2021, additional fake identity documents in the names of other aliases were recovered. In total, Osei opened more than 40 bank accounts using seven aliases. Those accounts received more than $4 million in victim funds. 

The charge of making a false statement to a bank provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering 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 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.

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

BOSTON – A Longmeadow man was sentenced on Sept. 15, 2022 in federal court in Springfield for two cases in connection with evading payment of tobacco sales tax and operating an illegal check-cashing business.

Satish Kumar, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark. G. Mastroianni to one year of probation. In November 2015, Kumar pleaded guilty in one case to one count of conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. In the second case, Kumar pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register a money transmitting business.

In 2006, Kumar purchased a wholesale warehouse business in Berlin, Conn.  Kumar systematically evaded Connecticut state tobacco taxes, in selling cigars and smokeless tobacco to convenience stores and gas stations.  Kumar consistently failed to pay the required tobacco excise taxes to Connecticut, paying just two percent of the tax owed.  In 2008, Kumar sold the business, but he continued to receive proceeds from the continuing tobacco tax fraud that occurred at the Berlin warehouse.  In June 2012, the fraud ceased when federal agents executed a search warrant at the Berlin warehouse and 12 other locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.  During the six-year scheme, Kumar and others helped to evade over $16 million in taxes owed to the state of Connecticut.

In the illegal check cashing case, Kumar owned a liquor store in Springfield, Mass. that also acted as an unregistered money transmitting business. Kumar cashed checks without the required registration despite warnings from his bank. Among the checks cashed were 195 United States Treasury tax refund checks worth approximately $1.2 million obtained through fraudulent returns filed with the IRS.

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 Investigations in Boston; Commissioner Geoffrey E. Snyder of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue; Acting Commissioner John Biello of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services; and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Morgan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the cases.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for charges related to fentanyl trafficking and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

Luis Berroa, 33, was sentenced on Sept. 15, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to seven years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. On May 18, 2022, Berroa pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Berroa has remained in federal custody since his arrest in May 2019.

During a search of Berroa’s residence in March 2019, more than 70 grams of fentanyl, a metal drug press, two handguns and ammunition were found in Berroa’s bedroom. Berroa is not licensed to carry firearms, had not applied for a license and did not purchase the handguns from a licensed federal firearms dealer. On his cellular phone, law enforcement found photographs of numerous handguns, including one of the handguns seized from Berroa’s bedroom.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson and Stephen Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced on Sept. 16, 2022 in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Kevin Martinez, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 22 months in prison and six years of supervised release. On March 23, 2022, Martinez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of cocaine.

According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez. Intercepted communications identified the DTO’s cocaine, heroin and fentanyl suppliers, which included Martinez. In October 2019, Martinez delivered nearly 500 grams of cocaine to Pedro Baez.

Over the course of the investigation, agents seized over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000.

Martinez was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. Martinez is the ninth defendant to be sentenced in the case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 3, 2022. Three of the remaining defendants, Branny Taveras, Jessica Hughes, and Hector Matos have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Four defendants have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

The operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

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 Brockton woman was sentenced on Sept. 15, 2022 in federal court in Boston for her involvement in a conspiracy that involved coercing young women to engage in prostitution.

Natashia Bowman, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Alison D. Burroughs to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution to victims. In September 2020, Bowman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise related to a prostitution business.

Bowman was charged by an Information in November 2019 for her involvement in a sex trafficking business ran by co-conspirator Matthew Engram, a/k/a “Magic.” From January 2009 until August 2015, Bowman assisted Engram in the recruitment and trafficking of multiple victims from a residence in Brockton and elsewhere to engage in commercial sex acts and took all or part of the proceeds for the financial benefit of the enterprise.

Engram and Bowman recruited multiple victims by falsely promising good earnings. Engram and Bowman advertised the victims on websites and Engram exchanged text messages with Bowman to share advertisements, organized prostitution dates and reserved hotel rooms. To maintain control, Engram used physical violence, intimidation and isolation to create a climate of fear that compelled the victims to continue engaging in commercial sex acts for the profit of the prostitution business. When the victims did not comply with Engram’s demands or did not make enough money, he physically assaulted them or directed Bowman to physically assault them. Engram or Bowman also transported the victims to other states, including Florida, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Pennsylvania, to perform commercial sex acts for the business.

On May 19, 2022, Engram was sentenced by Judge Burroughs to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, two counts of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Philadelphia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit and Trial Attorneys Shan Patel and Vasantha Rao of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced on Sept. 15, 2022 for fraud, identity theft, firearm and drug offenses.

Jammy Alphonse, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 94 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On May 19, 2022, Alphonse pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, false representation of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft, possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Beginning in or around May 2020, Alphonse conspired to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, which were made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Specifically, Alphonse conspired to submit false PUA claims in other persons’ names and using other persons’ personally identifiable information. Alphonse and his co-conspirators created email accounts for the purpose of submitting fraudulent PUA claims from Alphonse’s Everett residence and other locations. The fraudulently obtained funds were then directed into accounts held in Alphonse’s name or in the name of a co-conspirator.

Additionally, in February 2021, Alphonse submitted an application to rent a property in East Boston using the name, Social Security number and date of birth of another person. As a result, Alphonse resided in that apartment from approximately February 2021 through Aug. 6, 2021, when he was arrested on a federal firearms offense. A search of the apartment recovered a loaded Glock model 43X, 9-millimeter firearm, 47 rounds of ammunition, and approximately 75 grams or more of fentanyl, among other things.

Alphonse was previously arrested and charged in August 2021 with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon following a shooting in Cambridge, Mass., in July 2021. Alphonse has remained in custody since that date.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged in federal court in Boston in connection with illegally possessing ammunition.

Tyreek Hall, 20, was charged by criminal complaint on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Following an initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell, Hall was detained pending a probable cause hearing scheduled for Oct. 3, 2022.

According to the charging documents, on June 9, 2022, Hall was found in possession of a semi-automatic pistol, bearing no manufacturer serial number (commonly known as a “ghost gun”), that being a Glock-style, 9x19mm caliber privately made firearm and eight rounds of ammunition. Hall is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; 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 today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of Rollins’ Organized Crime and 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.

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

BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced on Sept. 14, 2022 in federal court in Worcester for unlawful firearm possession and trafficking in fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.  

Daniel Donald, 41, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 16 years in prison followed by eight years of supervised release. In October 2021, Donald was convicted by a federal jury of one count of possession with intent to distribute over 100 grams of heroin, over 500 grams of cocaine, over 28 grams of cocaine base (a/k/a crack cocaine), and fentanyl; and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Based on his criminal history, the Court determined that Donald qualified as a Career Offender with respect to his drug convictions and an Armed Career Criminal with respect to his possession of the firearm. 

In April 2017, law enforcement began investigating drug sales by Donald and his co-defendant Robert Young on Groton Street in Worcester. On Nov. 30, 2017, searches of two apartments leased by Donald at the property resulted in the discovery of a “hide” located between the exterior and interior walls of the detached apartment located at the rear of the property. One kilogram of cocaine, 345 grams of heroin, over 80 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 200 pills containing fentanyl and a loaded 9 mm firearm were seized. 

In November 2021, Young was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Westborough, Wellesley, Douglas, and Southbridge Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm, John T. Mulcahy and Lucy Sun of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

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

BOSTON – A North Andover man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for fraudulently using someone else’s Social Security number.

Angel Manuel German Familia, 38, was sentenced on Sept. 14, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. German Familia is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On May 31, 2022, German Familia pleaded guilty to two counts of false representation of Social Security number.

In 2016, German Familia fraudulently applied to renew a driver’s license at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a United States citizen. German Familia also applied for MassHealth benefits and opened bank accounts in the victim’s name. German Familia was using the stolen identity since as early as 2009 and had submitted a Social Security card and birth certificate in the victim’s name in a previous RMV application.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and the North Andover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak III of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced on Sept. 9, 2022 in federal court in Boston to fentanyl trafficking.

Saury Rodriguez-Ruiz, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 26, 2022, Rodriguez-Ruiz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Rodriguez-Ruiz was indicted along with his co-conspirator, Danybelkis Vasquez-Rodrigue, in January 2021. On Aug. 30, 2022, Vasquez-Rodrigue was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 13, 2022.

In November 2020, law enforcement began an investigation into Rodriguez-Ruiz, who had been identified as a Lawrence-based drug supplier. On Nov. 24, 2020, Rodriguez-Ruiz distributed nearly one kilogram of fentanyl to a cooperating witness. In exchange for the fentanyl, the cooperating witness made two payments to Rodriguez-Ruiz’s associates in December 2020. The first payment of $10,000 was to an associate of Rodriguez-Ruiz and the second payment of $32,000 was to Rodriguez-Ruiz’s co-conspirator, Vasquez-Rodrigue.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Strike Force including the Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business to launder the proceeds of online investment fraud schemes.

Tochukwu Abel Edeh, 32, a Nigerian national previously residing in Jacksonville, Fla., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Edeh was charged by criminal complaint and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2021.

Edeh managed used car dealerships and currency transfer services in Texas, Florida and Nigeria. This included a trading company as well as a cryptocurrency firm, both of which were based in Nigeria, through which Edeh exchanged Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for profit.

In or around 2015, Edeh conspired with others to launder and transmit proceeds of Ponzi-style investment fraud schemes based in Nigeria. Specifically, the schemes purported to offer trading and Bitcoin investing services when, in fact, investor funds were stolen and later victims’ investments were used to pay purported returns to earlier investors. Edeh laundered the fraud proceeds using a network of co-conspirators in the United States and using his personal and business accounts in the United States and Nigeria. Edeh, along with his 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 provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the 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. 

BOSTON – A Westfield woman was arrested and charged today in connection with a hoax bomb threat made against Boston Children’s Hospital.

Catherine Leavy, 37, was charged with one count of explosive materials - willfully making a false bomb threat. She was arrested this morning at her home in Westfield and, following an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein, was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 16, 2022 at 12:00 p.m.

According to the charging documents, in August 2022, federal 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, in which the caller allegedly said, “There is a bomb on the way to the hospital, you better evacuate everybody you sickos.” 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 Boston Children’s Hospital. Law enforcement obtained subscriber and call detail records and location information for the phone number that called-in the bomb threat. Records obtained allegedly indicated the phone number was subscribed in Leavy’s name and that it pinged off a cell tower nearby Leavy’s residence at the time the bomb threat was made.

During a search of Leavy’s residence this morning pursuant to a federal search warrant, the phone used to make the threat from Leavy’s residence was recovered.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. 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 – A Pawtucket, Rhode Island man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to charges related to a violent kidnapping tied to a Cape Cod heroin trafficking ring.

Albert Lee, also known as “Mook,” 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2022. Lee was charged along with four co-conspirators in March 2020.

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, Lee 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 Lee and allegedly his co-conspirators erroneously believed the victim was cooperating with law enforcement. A video of the kidnapping and assault was filmed and maintained by Lee’s co-conspirators.

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. 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.

On Aug. 11, 2022, one of Lee’s co-conspirators, Anthony Basilici, pleaded guilty to his role in the violent kidnapping as well as drug trafficking, witness retaliation and intimidation charges. Three remaining defendants – Cameron Cartier, Edwin Otero, Justin Joseph and Tony Johnson – have pleaded not guilty and are presumed innocent.

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 prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 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 member of a Brockton drug crew pleaded guilty yesterday to fentanyl distribution and firearm charges.

Jason Miranda, 27, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, three counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Jan. 18, 2023. Jason Miranda was indicted along with three alleged co-conspirators in November 2019.

According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating a violent Brockton-area drug crew that distributed large quantities of fentanyl throughout southeastern Massachusetts. The drug crew ran a fentanyl delivery service that encompassed all of Brockton as well as neighboring cities. Specifically, it is alleged that drug users/customers placed orders for fentanyl by contacting a cellphone maintained and shared by crew members, which included Jason Miranda, his brother Natalio Miranda, Placido Pereira and Djoy Defrancesco, who worked together to deliver the fentanyl order. Beginning in September 2019, agents succeeded in using an undercover law enforcement officer to make six purchases of fentanyl from members of the crew.

On Oct. 16, 2019, a search was conducted at an address in Taunton where Jason Miranda had been staying. Agents seized a black Glock .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol with a defaced serial number; two different ammunition clips containing 9 millimeter ammunition; a money counter; a safe containing $28,000 in cash; and a painting of Miranda holding up a large stack of cash.

Because of Miranda’s criminal record, the charge of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl provides for up to 30 years in prison, at least six years of supervised release and a fine of up to $2 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of 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 Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Whitman and Bridgewater State University Police Departments as well as the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for using two victims’ identities to open bank accounts and attempting to purchase an $83,000 Chevrolet Camaro. 

Brandon Brouillard, 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 47 months in prison and five of supervised release. On April 7, 2022, Brouillard pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

In February 2021, Brouillard used the identity of a New Hampshire resident to open a bank account at Avidia Bank where he wired $108,000 from another individual’s Bank of America account. Brouillard also fraudulently obtained a New Hampshire driver’s license in the name of a New Hampshire resident, which he used to attempt to obtain a car loan from Capital One which was ultimately denied.

On April 17, 2021, Brouillard test drove a 2021 Chevrolet Camaro at a dealership in Norwood, Mass. After test-driving the Camaro, Brouillard agreed to purchase the car for $83,000 and paid for the vehicle with a cashier’s check made out to the dealership. He provided his Massachusetts driver’s license, proof of insurance, signed sales contract, Massachusetts application for registration and car title in connection with the purchase. 

On April 19, 2021, Brouillard picked up the Camaro from the dealership. A few days later, the dealership learned that the account listed on the bank check provided by Brouillard was frozen. The dealership contacted Brouillard, who promised that he would wire $83,000 to pay for the car.

On April 26, 2021, an Arizona resident contacted local police and reported an attempted fraudulent wire transfer of $83,000 from the victim’s bank account. The victim reported that a fraudulent email purportedly from the victim was sent to the bank, requesting a wire transfer of $83,000 to pay for the victim’s “brother-in-law’s car.” The bank contacted the victim for verification, and the victim did not approve the transfer. Starting in or about September 2020, the victim’s accounts were compromised, and large fraudulent purchases were made and shipped to Brouillard’s address. It is estimated that approximately $500,000 of the victim’s funds were stolen.

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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Braintree, Natick, Newton, Norwood, Worcester and Scottsdale (Ariz.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Akorn Operating Company LLC (Akorn), an Illinois-based pharmaceutical company, has agreed to pay $7.9 million to resolve allegations that it caused Medicare to pay false claims. Specifically, Akorn caused Medicare Part D to pay for three Akorn generic drugs that were no longer eligible for Medicare coverage. As part of the settlement, Akorn admits that it continued to sell generic drugs under obsolete prescription-only labeling.

FDA-approved “prescription only” (Rx-only) drugs may be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription. Medicare Part D reimburses for Rx-only drugs, but it does not reimburse for “over the counter” (OTC) drugs, which may be purchased by retail customers without a prescription. Subject to FDA approval, pharmaceutical manufacturers may seek to fully convert a brand-name Rx-only drug to an OTC drug. After FDA’s approval of a drug’s full conversion to OTC status, the drug is no longer considered an Rx-only product and makers of generic equivalents, like Akorn, are then required either to seek FDA approval for their own OTC switch or to seek withdrawal of their generic’s Rx-only approval and cease marketing it. 

Akorn is a pharmaceutical manufacturer which sold, among other products, the following generic drugs: (1) Diclofenac Sodium 1%, a generic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory cream (Diclofenac); (2) Olopatadine Hydrochloride 0.1% and 0.2%, a generic antihistamine eyedrop (Olopatadine); and (3), Azelastine Hydrochloride 0.15%, a generic antihistamine nasal spray (Azelastine) (collectively, Akorn Generics) during the relevant time. The FDA approved a full Rx-to-OTC conversion of the brand names of Diclofenac and Olopatadine in February 2020 and for Azelastine in June 2021. 

As part of the settlement, Akorn has admitted that it delayed seeking the required conversions for the Akorn Generics from Rx-only to OTC status. Akorn continued to sell newly manufactured units of the Akorn Generics under their obsolete Rx-only labeling rather than beginning the process of converting these products to OTC or withdrawing their approval and ceasing their distribution. 

Akorn did not apply to the FDA for an OTC conversion of Diclofenac until March 2021 or for Olopatadine until January 2021. Akorn eventually sought to withdraw its FDA approval for Azelastine, rather than convert it to OTC use, but did not do so until January 2022. FDA implemented this withdrawal in February 2022.

Under the Department of Justice’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases the Department of Justice credited Akorn’s cooperation in this matter.  

The allegations resolved by the settlement agreement were, in part, originally brought in a case filed under the whistleblower, or qui tam, provision of the False Claims Act. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Albermarle, LLC v. Akorn Operating Company LLC. (D. Mass. 2021). The whistleblower will receive approximately $946,000 from the recovery. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham R. George, Chief of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit, and Senior Trial Counsel Augustine Ripa of the Department of Justice handled the matter.

BOSTON – A New Bedford man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with heroin distribution.

Ramon Serrano, 43, pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2022 to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2023. Serrano was charged in July 2019.

During a search of Serrano’s residence in Feb. 20, 2019, approximately $27,000, digital scales, cellular telephones and a money counter were recovered. Additionally, over 544 grams of fentanyl and heroin as well as over 206 grams of cocaine – divided into separate plastic bags for distribution – were also found at Serrano’s residence.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute over 100 grams of heroin 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. 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 New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Maine recidivist sex offender has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for failing to register as a sex offender when he moved from Haverhill, Mass. to Fryeburg, Maine.

Frank Boyd, 53, was indicted on one count of failure to register as a sex offender, in violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Boyd was previously charged by complaint on Aug. 4, 2022 and is currently in state custody. He appeared in federal court in Boston yesterday.

According to the charging documents, Boyd was a Level 3 Sex Offender who had been convicted of sex offenses against children in 2001 and 2009.  Accordingly, he was required to register as a sex offender and update his registration any time he moved or changed employment. 

In 2020, Boyd registered and listed a Haverhill, Mass. address as his residence. It is alleged that on or around March 23, 2021, police determined that Boyd was no longer living at the Haverhill residence he had listed on his registration form and was later found to have moved to Fryeburg, Maine. He did not register as a sex offender in Maine nor update his sex offender registration in Massachusetts at any point prior to his arrest on state charges on July 27, 2022. Boyd has two prior state court convictions in 2009 and 2015 for failure to register as a sex offender.

The charge of failure to register as a sex offender provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Kevin Neal, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Maine made the announcement today. The Haverhill and Fryeburg (Maine) Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum 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 – One of the leaders of a local MS-13 clique has agreed to plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy.

Edwin Amaya Mejia Alvarado, a/k/a “Duende,” 22, a Salvadoran national previously residing in East Boston, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly referred to as racketeering or RICO conspiracy.  The Court deferred acceptance of the proposed plea agreement until sentencing, which U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled for Jan. 19, 2023. Amaya Mejia was indicted in April 2019.

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

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

The charge of RICO 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 $250,000. The defendant also faces deportation upon the completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

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

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

BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced on Sept. 12, 2022 for his involvement in a scheme to defraud a financial institution and to obtain money from its customers’ accounts using fraudulent identification documents.

Judemario Josaphat, Jr., 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 25 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 20, 2022, Josaphat pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.             

Josaphat participated in and, at times, directed a scheme to defraud a financial institution. To carry out the scheme, Josaphat and others used fraudulent identification documents, among other means, to withdraw money from customers’ accounts at a federally insured bank in the form of checks and cash. The fraudulently obtained funds were then deposited in other bank accounts opened in the names of fictitious business entities before being withdrawn again. Between December 2017 and February 2018, Josaphat and his co-conspirators sought to withdraw over $800,000 from customers’ accounts, resulting in losses to the bank of over $350,000.

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

BOSTON – The leader of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, carfentanil and fentanyl analogue in and around the Lawrence area, as well as to possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking offense.

Luis Manuel Rodriguez Then, 31, formerly of Lawrence, pleaded guilty on Sept. 8, 2022 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, 10 grams or more of carfentanil and 10 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl (fentanyl analogue); distribution of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and 10 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2023.

From October 2018 through March 13, 2019, Rodriguez Then was a leader of a DTO that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and other substances in and around the Lawrence area. Rodriguez Then and another individual employed a third individual who was tasked with residing at a stash house maintained by and serving as a courier for the DTO. Law enforcement utilized a confidential source to conduct three controlled purchases of fentanyl from the DTO, for which Rodriguez Then and the other individual obtained the order and collected payment. The courier provided the confidential source with the requested pills, which tested positive for fentanyl. For the third transaction, the pills distributed by Rodriguez Then’s DTO tested positive for fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl analogue.

During a search of Rodriguez Then’s residence on March 13, 2019, a wall hide was located in the master bedroom containing $7,010 in drug proceeds, a loaded .22 caliber Smith and Wesson firearms and multiple fake identification cards bearing the Rodriguez Then’s likeness. During a subsequent search of the stash house multiple hidden compartments/wall hides were discovered, containing drug paraphernalia and narcotics including: approximately two kilograms of fentanyl; 732 grams of heroin; over two kilograms of cocaine; and 448.4 grams of carfentanil.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, 10 grams or more of carfentanil, 10 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl (fentanyl analogue), and distribution of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and 10 grams or more of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, mandatory four years and up to lifetime supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison to be served consecutively with any sentence on the distribution and drug conspiracy charge, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson and Lindsey E. Weinstein of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty on Sept. 6, 2022 in federal court in Boston in connection with firearms and narcotics charges.

Miguel Mejia, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of possession with intent to distribute distribution of 40 grams of more fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2023. Mejia was arrested and charged in November 2021.

“The illegal trafficking of firearms and, moreover, ghost guns, directly contributes to the gun violence and violent criminal activity we see escalating across our county. Although Boston is an outlier and we have actually seen a decrease in violent crime, I am acutely aware that any violence is too much violence. Stopping the flow of illegal firearms from entering into our communities is the most critical step in combating violent criminal activity directly at its source,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “For nearly half a year, Mr. Mejia made a profit off of bringing deadly and untraceable Glock style ghost guns as well as lethal fentanyl into our communities – endangering residents’ safety and wellbeing to line his own pockets.”

“ATF continues to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and protection of the communities that we serve,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division. “This guilty plea sends a clear message to those who illegally produce and sell ghost guns, you will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

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

The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins and ATF SAC Ferguson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman 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 – An Illinois man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with coercion and enticement of a minor.

Domenique Dequon Hines, 25, of Crystal Lake, Ill., pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor before U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young who scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2023. Hines was initially charged by criminal complaint and arrested in Illinois in December 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021. Hines was later charged in a superseding Information on Sept. 9, 2022 with coercion and enticement of a minor.

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

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

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus and Christopher R. Looney of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty on Sept. 8, 2022 in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to making threats to commit anti-LGBTQ violence against Springfield-based Merriam-Webster, Inc. and others. 

Jeremy David Hanson, 34, of Rossmoor, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication of threatening communications to commit violence against the employees of Merriam-Webster, and to another count charging the same offense, initially filed in the Eastern District of Texas, targeting the President of the University of North Texas. In a written statement of facts accompanying his plea agreement, Hanson also admitted to sending threatening communications to various corporations, politicians, and others, including the Walt Disney Co., the Governor of California and the Mayor of New York City, a New York rabbi and professors at Loyola Marymount University. Hanson also admitted that he frequently selected the object of his threatening communications because of the gender, gender identity and/or sexual orientation of various persons. 

U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 5, 2023. On April 20, 2022, Hanson was arrested and charged by criminal complaint and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on May 5, 2022.

“Every member of our community has a right to live and exist authentically as themselves without fear. Hate motivated threats of violence that infringe upon that right are not tolerated in Massachusetts in any capacity. This conviction represents my office’s dedication to protecting targeted communities and bringing accountability and justice when those who aim to endanger act upon their hatred,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “I want to remind people to call the 1-83-END-H8-NOW (1-833-634-8669) line if they have information about concerning or troubling incidents of hate, potential hate crimes, or concerns regarding individuals believed to be espousing hate-filled views or threats of actions.”

“Jeremy Hanson is now a convicted felon after admitting to making hate-fueled threats of violence related to the LGBTQ+ community,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “If you believe you are a victim or a witness to similar conduct, we encourage you to report it to the FBI so we can hold the perpetrators behind these crimes accountable for their actions, like we did in this case.”

Between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8, 2021, Springfield-based Merriam-Webster, Inc. received various threatening messages and comments demonstrating bias against specific gender identities submitted through its website’s “Contact Us” page and in the comments section on its webpages that corresponded to the word entries for “Girl” and “Woman.” Authorities later identified the user as Hanson.

Specifically, on Oct. 2, 2021, Hanson used the handle “@anonYmous” to post the following comment on the dictionary’s website definition of “female:” “It is absolutely sickening that Merriam-Webster now tells blatant lies and promotes anti-science propaganda. There is no such thing as ‘gender identity.’ The imbecile who wrote this entry should be hunted down and shot.”

Hanson also sent the following threatening message via the website’s “Contact Us” page: “You [sic] headquarters should be shot up and bombed. It is sickening that you have caved to the cultural Marxist, anti-science tranny [sic] agenda and altered the definition of ‘female’ as part of the Left’s efforts to corrupt and degrade the English language and deny reality. You evil Marxists should all be killed. It would be poetic justice to have someone storm your offices and shoot up the place, leaving none of you commies alive.”

On Oct. 8, 2021, Hanson posted another threatening comment on the dictionary’s website and a threatening message via the “Contact Us” page that read: “I am going to shoot up and bomb your offices for lying and creating fake definitions in order to pander to the tranny mafia. Boys aren’t girls, and girls aren’t boys. The only good Marxist is a dead Marxist. I will assassinate your top editor. You sickening, vile tranny freaks.” As a result of the threats, Merriam-Webster closed its offices in Springfield, Mass. and New York City for approximately five business days.

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

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. 

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

Terrence Daye, 33, of Boston, pleaded guilty on Sept. 7, 2022 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 4, 2023. 

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

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

Daye is estimated to have distributed between approximately 100 and 200 grams of cocaine base during the course of his participation in the Fidelis Way DTO and over a hundred grams of cocaine. Daye is the seventh defendant to plead guilty in the Fidelis Way related drug conspiracy. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial.

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

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; 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 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 remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins announced today that $642,702 from the civil forfeiture of a Waltham home of two fugitives has been approved for deposit to the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which provides compensation to United States persons injured in acts of international state-sponsored terrorism. 

The $642,702 was recovered through a civil forfeiture action against the former residence and business location of Anni Beurklian, a/k/a Anni Ajaka (Beurklian) and her husband, Antoine Ajaka, a/k/a Tony Ajaka (Ajaka). The couple was previously indicted in connection with a scheme to smuggle goods out of the United States and to supply services to Syria. While engaged in plea negotiations with the United States government, Beurklian and Ajaka fled the United States in 2018 to avoid prosecution, and are believed to be outside the United States, namely in Syria or Lebanon.

In 2020, the United States filed a civil forfeiture action against the couple’s Waltham residence, alleging that from 2014 and continuing until the couple fled the United States, Beurklian and Ajaka operated an export business, Top Tech U.S. Inc., from the Waltham home. The couple used the property home to procure goods, including electronics, computer equipment and electrical switches, from United States companies and from that home, exported those goods to various countries, including Lebanon, Egypt and China, in violation of federal law.

One of their customers was Amir Katranji (Katranji), a citizen of Syria who operates and manages EKT. In 2007, EKT and its founder, Mohammad Katranji, Amir Katranji’s father, were added to the Department of Commerce’s Entity List because the United States government had determined that EKT and Mohammad Katranji were involved in activities related to the acquisition, attempted acquisition and/or development of improvised explosive devices, which were being used against United States and Coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Title 19 of the United States Code provides that property used to facilitate the exporting or sending of merchandise from the United States contrary to law shall be seized and forfeited to the United States.

Although the couple had not returned to the United States, they filed a claim to maintain ownership of the home. In May 2021, United States Judge Leo T. Sorokin denied the claim under the fugitive disentitlement statute, which allows the court to deny a claim in a civil forfeiture action from a person who is avoiding criminal prosecution in the United States. 

Homeland Security Investigations sold the Waltham home for a net recovery of over $856,000 and applied to have seventy-five percent of the net proceeds, or approximately $642,702, be used to pay eligible victims of state sponsored terrorism. That request was approved by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice this August, resulting in these funds being deposited in the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

In July of 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated EKT, Katranji, Beurklian and Ajaka as Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators pursuant to Executive Order 13382. Accordingly, it is illegal for any U.S. person to do business with them. These designations and sanctions were imposed against EKT, Katranji, Beurklian and Ajaka in coordination with similar actions by the French government based upon evidence that EKT was involved in the development of chemical weapons used by the Syrian Government.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The civil forfeiture action was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit.

BOSTON – A Middleborough man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with his alleged theft and attempted sale of three firearms from FedEx packages he was responsible for delivering.

Frank P. O’Toole, 39, was indicted on two counts of possession or sale of a stolen firearm. O’Toole was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 12, 2022.

According to the charging documents, O’Toole previously worked as a FedEx delivery truck driver out of a FedEx facility. It is alleged that, between October 2021 and June 2022, O’Toole stole three packages he was responsible for delivering, each containing a firearm intended for a Federal Firearms Licensee. On Aug. 9, 2022 and Aug. 12, 2022, O’Toole allegedly sold the three firearms to an undercover agent during two separate controlled purchases.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum 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 Lowell woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with a $100 million home health care fraud scheme.

 Winnie Waruru, 42, of Lowell, pleaded guilty on Sept. 8, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; one count of health care fraud – aiding and abetting; one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks; two counts of making false statements; and one count of making a false statement in a health care matter. U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2023. Waruru was arrested and charged along with co-defendant Faith Newton in February 2021. Newton has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial.                                                                     

According to the indictment, from January 2013 to January 2017, Newton was part owner and operator of Arbor Homecare Services LLC. Waruru was a Licensed Practical Nurse employed as a home health nurse at Arbor. Waruru and, allegedly, Newton engaged in a conspiracy to use Arbor to defraud MassHealth and Medicare of at least $100 million by committing health care fraud and paying kickbacks to induce referrals. Newton then allegedly laundered the ill-gotten gains.

Specifically, it is alleged that Arbor, through Newton and others, including Waruru, failed to train staff, billed for home health services that were never provided or were not medically necessary and billed for home health services that were not authorized. Arbor, through Newton and others, developed employment relationships as way to pay kickbacks for patient referrals, regardless of medical necessity requirements. They also allegedly entered sham employment relationships with patients’ family members to provide home health aide services that were not medically necessary and routinely billed for fictitious visits that did not occur. As alleged in the civil complaint, Newton either directly or through Arbor, targeted particularly vulnerable patients who were low-income, on disability and/or suffering from depression and/or addiction.

Waruru and Arbor billed MassHealth for Waruru’s skilled nursing visits, many of which she did not perform, were medically unnecessary, or were not approved by a physician. Waruru was personally responsible for causing Arbor to bill MassHealth for over $1.2 million in skilled nursing visits, much of which was fraudulent. Waruru also passed cash payments allegedly from Newton to two Arbor patients to retain those patients.

The charges of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the money involved in the laundering. The conspiracy to pay kickbacks, make false statements and make false statement in health care matter each provide 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; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys  Rachel Y. Hemani of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit, David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unite and Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A former nurse has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with the diversion of opioids from two Boston-area hospitals.

Lisa Tarr, 33, of St. Petersburg, Fla., was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception and subterfuge. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.

According to the charging documents, in August 2018, Tarr was a Student Nurse working at a Boston-area hospital. It is alleged that 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 today. 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.

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

BOSTON – A former member of the Springfield Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) has been sentenced for drug offenses.

Jonathan Casiano, a/k/a “King Legend,” 36, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel on Sept. 7, 2022 to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 11, 2022, Casiano pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.

Casiano was identified as a member of the Latin Kings and a drug trafficker operating out of an apartment in Springfield. In July 2019, Casiano was arrested following a traffic stop in Springfield, during which he was found in possession of a privately made 9mm ghost gun with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, $9,880 in cash, 486 oxytocin pills and 810 plastic bags containing a total of 87 grams of fentanyl and 66 grams of cocaine.

Casiano was released from custody on the drug and firearm case in December 2019 after posting cash bail. Casiano was later indicted federally for the drug and firearm case and remained in warrant status until he was later arrested in February 2020 as part of an investigation into his ongoing drug trafficking. Following his arrest, a search of Casiano’s person and residence recovered over 2,400 individual plastic bags that contained a total of 68 grams of fentanyl, 140 grams of cocaine and other controlled substances. Each of the plastic bags were branded with a logo for retail sale ready for distribution.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings.  In total, 60 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty. Of the 62 charged defendants in the indictment, two remain in warrant status. All of the remaining defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing. Casiano is the 54th defendant to be sentenced.

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

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

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

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday 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.

Allante Pires, 25, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Pires was also ordered to forfeit a 2013 Mercedes E sedan. The government recommended a sentence of 70 months in prison. On June 2, 2022, Pires pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, Ketamine and Alprazolam (Xanax). 

Pires was indicted in June 2019 along with co-conspirators Binh Thanh Le and Steven McCall. Le, who was the ringleader of the drug-trafficking operation, created and operated a vendor site called “EastSideHigh” in markets 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. Le, Pires and McCall 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.

Over 19 kilograms of MDMA, almost seven kilograms of Ketamine, nearly one kilogram of cocaine and more than 10,000 counterfeit Xanax pills 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.

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. McCall pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy on June 28, 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28, 2022.

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 Boston; 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 – Twenty-one individuals have been indicted in federal court in Boston in connection with their alleged roles in drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that distributed cocaine and fentanyl throughout the North Shore and Central Massachusetts.

The following defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute various weights of fentanyl and cocaine and for distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine:

• Jonathan Pizarro Gonzalez, 30, of Southbridge;
• Isaac Gonzalez, 31, of Southbridge;
• Ismael Maysonet, 40, of Southbridge;
• Nataly Vazquez Pizarro, 40, of Southbridge;
• Jonathan Rivera Otero, 27, of Puerto Rico;
• Jassiel Ortiz Cardona, 28, of Puerto Rico;
• Josue Maisonet, 26, of Southbridge;
• Kimberly Heck, 38, of Southbridge;
• Edgardo Ramirez, 44, of Southbridge;
• Jacob Fuentes, 47, of Southbridge;
• Richard Watts, 27, of Southbridge;
• Juan Lara Tejada a/k/a “Mayimbe,” 31, of Lawrence;
• William Torres, 42, of Lawrence;
• Julio Rivera Morales, 49, of Philadelphia;
• Hector Luis Torres Rosario, 40, of Lawrence;
• Leduis Esteves Cabrera, 26, of Lawrence;
• Deborah Torres, 34, of Lawrence;
• Clinton Ortiz, 38, of Southbridge;
• Reinaldo Rosado, 39, of Southbridge;
• Roberto Lopez, 34, of Southbridge; and
• Henry Rodriguez-Ruiz, 47, of Southbridge.

“These defendants allegedly engaged in a large-scale criminal enterprise that sought to poison communities in Massachusetts and elsewhere with deadly narcotics. Today’s indictments should send a clear message that drug trafficking organizations operating in our Commonwealth will be rooted out, prosecuted and dismantled,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Those who exploit the vulnerable and pump lethal drugs into our neighborhoods for a profit are not welcome here. My office will stop at nothing to hold those involved accountable. Thanks to the exceptional coordinated work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, North Shore and Central Massachusetts communities and beyond can rest knowing these alleged criminals have been removed from their neighborhoods. Our efforts will not stop.”

“Illegal drug distribution ravages the very foundations of our families and communities here in Massachusetts,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division. “Let these arrests and seizures serve as an example and be a warning to those who distribute poisons like fentanyl and cocaine, that DEA will aggressively and actively pursue and hold you accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners here in Massachusetts and our solid relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail while also protecting our employees and the American public,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Today’s arrests reflect these values and should send a strong message to anyone who would attempt to use the U.S. Mail for illicit gain. This investigation highlights how the U.S. Postal Inspection and our law enforcement partners work together to disrupt Drug Trafficking Organizations that endanger our communities.”  

According to the charging documents, investigators identified Jonathan Pizarro Gonzalez and Isaac Gonzalez as the leaders of a Southbridge-based DTO comprised of Vazquez, Maysonet, Maisonet, Fuentes, Ortiz, and Heck, among others, that distributed cocaine and fentanyl to retail customers and to other drug dealers. It is alleged that the DTO regularly used the United States mail to conduct drug trafficking activities. Specifically, the DTO allegedly obtained large quantities of cocaine through packages mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses used by the DTO and mailed packages containing fentanyl to recipients in Florida and elsewhere. Intercepted communications allegedly identified William Torres, Hector Luis Torres Rosario, and Cabrera, among others as Lawrence-based fentanyl distributors who worked to directly supply Gonzalez’s DTO and other distributors with fentanyl. Approximately nine kilograms of cocaine from packages sent through the mail and 800 grams of fentanyl were seized from various DTO members over the course of the investigation.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl 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 and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams of cocaine and 40 grams of fentanyl provides 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.  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 USPIS INC Larco-Ward made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, Southbridge Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Essex County Sherriff’s Department, and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

This investigation 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 document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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

James Kenneth Couture, 42, of Sutton, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of investment adviser fraud and one count of witness tampering.  U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2022.

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

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

The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of aggravated identity theft each provide for a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison. The charge of investment adviser fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of witness tampering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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

BOSTON – A Washington man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for coercion and enticement of a minor.

Jabarie Phillips, a/k/a Jabarie Lindsey, 44, of Seattle, Wash., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On May 11, 2022, Phillips pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.

“A mere eight days after being released from prison for a manslaughter conviction, Mr. Phillips sexually exploited a 14-year-old girl – a child nearly 27 years his junior – both online and in person for his own perverse sexual gratification. Although today’s sentence cannot erase the enormous, immeasurable trauma this manipulative predator caused upon the victim and her family, I hope it provides some solace in knowing this dangerous individual will be removed from our communities for over a decade,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “As the chief federal law enforcement officer of our Commonwealth, it is my job to ensure the safety of our communities, especially that of our most vulnerable populations. My office will continue to work relentlessly to protect children from predators who seek to exploit them and rob them of their innocence.”

“Today’s sentence keeps Jabarie Phillips exactly where he belongs, behind bars, being held to account for his repulsive actions, and unable to victimize anyone else,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “What this convicted killer and child predator did is sickening, and the extensive trauma he inflicted upon the victim and her family will impact them forever. It is our sincere hope that this sentence will provide for her a measure of justice and help her heal.”

On April 23, 2019, approximately one week after being released from prison for a conviction of manslaughter, Phillips reached out to a 14-year-old middle-school girl from Massachusetts via Facebook and the two began communicating online using Facebook and their cellphones. Phillips, knowing the victim’s age, repeatedly asked her to take sexually explicit videos and photos of herself for him to view. During their communications, which continued over the course of approximately nine days, the victim told Phillips that she had issues with her family, to which Phillips responded, “If you run away let me know we can take this show on the road I need a partner in crime.” After communicating with and sexually exploiting the victim online, Phillips flew from Washington to Boston. On April 29, 2019, the girl met Phillips at Logan Airport, and then they traveled together to South Station to catch a bus to Seattle, Wash. While on the bus, Phillips engaged in sexual activity with the victim.

On May 3, 2019, authorities intercepted the bus in Minneapolis, Minn. where they arrested Phillips and recovered the girl. Phillips was arrested on two warrants – one out of Washington for violating probation following his release from prison for a 2008 conviction for manslaughter and one out of Massachusetts for kidnapping.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn made the announcement today. Various police departments in Southeastern Massachusetts also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and cocaine. 

Armando Gomes, 34, of Central Falls, Rhode Island, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. On Oct. 18, 2021, Gomes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

On three separate occasions in September 2017 Gomes sold fentanyl and cocaine to undercover officers. Gomes sold 4.99 grams of fentanyl and 6.94 grams of powder cocaine on Sept. 14, 2017; 4.86 grams of fentanyl mixed with cocaine and 6.87 grams of cocaine on Sept. 18, 2017; and 4.86 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl and 6.78 grams of cocaine on Sept. 22, 2017.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Weymouth Police Chief Richard Fuller made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON –A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for a child sexual exploitation offense.

David Tweed, 44, of Kulpmont, Penn., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield on one count of sexual exploitation of a child. Tweed was arrested on Aug. 30, 2022 and was detained following an initial appearance in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He will appear in federal court in Springfield, Mass. at a later date.

“As the chief federal law enforcement officer for our Commonwealth, there is no higher priority than ensuring the safety of our communities and specifically our children,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Tweed is alleged to have preyed on and taken advantage of a child – robbing them of their innocence for the depraved and illegal purpose of producing child sexual abuse material. The exploitation and sexualization of our children is a heinous crime that inflicts untold, long-lasting harm and trauma on its victims. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to use every available resource to bring justice to victims by identifying and prosecuting predators who seek to do them harm.”

“Sexual exploitation of any person is a serious crime, but the sexual exploitation of child is always very deeply disturbing”, said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New England. “HSI New England is appreciative that the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, who recognizes the egregious impacts that child sexual exploitation crimes have on individuals and on our community, is committed to seeking justice for the offenses that the investigation of Tweed has uncovered.”

According to the indictment, on various dates between September 2021 and December 2021, Tweed allegedly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct.

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

U.S. Attorney Rollins and HSI SAC Millhollin made the announcement. Significant assistance was provided by the Monson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

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