District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Fitchburg woman was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for her role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Monica Troche, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Nov. 30, 2021, Troche pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Troche also pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, heroin and 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 phone communications by the DTO and its suppliers revealed that Troche worked with Anthony Baez to distribute a fentanyl and heroin mixture and cocaine. On six separate instances, between May and September 2019, Troche assisted Anthony Baez selling a fentanyl and heroin mixture as well as cocaine to a cooperating witness. Specifically, on Sept. 24, 2019, Troche and Anthony Baez sold a cooperating witness 500 grams of fentanyl and 500 grams of cocaine.  Additionally, in August and September 2019, multiple calls between Troche and Anthony Baez were intercepted during which they discussed establishing a drug supply and customer base for Troche. At the time of her arrest in November 2019, over 58 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin were seized from Troche’s residence. In total, Troche was responsible for distributing over one kilogram of fentanyl and 500 grams of cocaine.

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

Troche was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. Troche is the fourth 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 May 17, 2022.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics and 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 indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a November 2020 bank robbery.

Angel Robles, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. Robles was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,833. On Oct. 4, 2021, Robles pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery.

On Nov. 9, 2020, Robles entered a Citizen’s Bank in Concord, gave the teller a note that read, “ROBBERY, ONLY READY TO DIE ON A DEATH WISH,” stole approximately $358 and then fled the bank. Robles also admitted to committing three additional robberies. On Aug. 3, 2020, Robles robbed a Metro PCS in Lynn, holding a gun against the clerk’s back before stealing $4,000 from a safe and fleeing the store. On Oct. 17, 2020, Robles robbed a clothing store in the Northgate Shopping Plaza in Revere with another individual, stealing five North Face jackets valued at $1,500. When a clerk attempted to stop Robles he said, “If anyone comes at me I’m going to shoot s*** up.” When the clerk made an additional attempt to stop Robles, he told the clerk “Back up before I stab you.” On Oct. 28, 2020, Robles robbed a Citizen’s Bank inside a Stop & Shop in Lynn, stealing $5,000. Surveillance video from the robbery showed that Robles brandished what appeared to be a handgun.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; Concord Police Chief Joseph F. O’Connor; and Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gotlob and Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BOSTON – A Pittsfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for failing to register as a sex offender.

Jarrett Woodruff, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Nov. 12, 2021, Woodruff pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender.

In August 2018, Woodruff was convicted in Pittsfield District Court of three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age and was sentenced to 251 days in prison. Because Woodruff had already served 251 days during pre-trial detention, he was placed on probation with conditions and was required to register as a Level 3 sex offender. While on probation, Woodruff fled from Massachusetts to Ohio without notifying authorities of his whereabouts and did not register as a sex offender in Ohio.

In February 2019, a Massachusetts state court issued an arrest warrant for Woodruff on a new child sexual abuse charge. Woodruff subsequently fled from Ohio to Georgia, where he again did not register as a sex offender. In October 2020, Woodruff was located at an apartment in Dunwoody, Ga., where he attempted to evade arrest by climbing into the adjoining neighbors’ apartment balconies before jumping to the ground where he was apprehended. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Douglas Bartlett, Acting United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A former clerk for Boston Police Department’s (BPD) District A-1 Detectives Unit was sentenced today in connection with an investigation of overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department.

Marilyn Golisano, 69, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 90 days in prison followed by three years of supervised release with the first three months to be spent in home confinement. Golisano was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $29,000 to the City of Boston. On Sept. 13, 2021, Golisano pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds and six counts of wire fraud.

Golisano, who handled the overtime paperwork for the unit, submitted dozens of false and fraudulent overtime slips in 2017 and 2018 claiming she had worked extra hours, with many of those slips bearing forged signatures of her supervisor. Although Golisano’s work was done primarily on the computer, Golisano never logged into the BPD computer system at all during many of the overtime shifts she claimed to have worked. Furthermore, on several occasions when Golisano was supposedly working overtime in downtown Boston, cellphone location information placed Golisano well outside the city. In total, Golisano stole $11,000 from BPD in 2017 and $18,000 in 2018 as a result of the fraud.

From 2016 through 2018, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Pittsfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed multiple drugs in the Brockton area.

Edward Chapman, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 11 years in prison and eight years of supervised release. In March 2020, Chapman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone, and marijuana.

In 2018, law enforcement began investigating members of a violent drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Brockton. The investigation identified Chapman, a Pittsfield area drug trafficker with three prior state court convictions for drug distribution offenses, as a heroin and cocaine dealer who was being supplied by co-conspirator and fellow DTO member Jose Perez Felix. Intercepted calls revealed that Chapman regularly picked up heroin and cocaine from Perez Felix.

In June 2019, a federal grand jury sitting in Boston, returned a 16-count indictment, charging Chapman and 16 others with controlled substance and firearm offenses. Chapman is the 11th defendant to be sentenced in the case. All remaining defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

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 United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; 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 Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Alathea Porter of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The leader and organizer of a highly sophisticated drug trafficking operation was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for manufacturing and distributing a multitude of controlled substances using the Dark Web.

Binh Thanh Le, 25, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. Le was also ordered to forfeit more than 59 Bitcoin (currently worth in excess of $2 million), $114,680 in cash, $42,390 representing the proceeds from the sale of a 2018 BMW M3, along with other items including a pill press and currency counter. On Sept. 29, 2021, Le pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, Ketamine and Alprazolam (Xanax).

This sentence marks the first judicial forfeiture of cryptocurrency in the District of Massachusetts.

“The Dark Web is a rising threat to our communities and must be taken very seriously. Anonymous networks open the door for people, including our children, to order deadly amounts of illegal narcotics from anywhere in the world and have them delivered to their doorsteps. Le took advantage of this – at only 22-years-old, he used the Dark Web to organize a complex drug distribution operation that reached a nationwide customer base and an international network of suppliers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This sentence sends a clear message to Dark Web criminals: the federal government is entering this space. We will find you and you will be held accountable. Thanks to the incredible work of our law enforcement colleagues, there is one less cybercriminal hiding in the shadows.”

“When the U.S. Mail system is unwittingly used to transport illegal narcotics it is taken very seriously,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. “The sentence imposed today on Binh Thanh Le should give fair warning that Postal Inspectors will identify and seek prosecution of those individuals involved in dark web illegal commerce. The Postal Inspection Service is continuously working to disrupt and dismantle the underground marketplace and enhance its ability to prevent and combat criminal activity.”

“Le attempted to use the Dark Web to conceal his drug trafficking business, using its assumed anonymity to distribute dangerous drugs throughout the United States and reap a generous profit,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ Boston Field Office. “This sentence shows that crimes conducted in the cyber realm have very real, very significant consequences. HSI is proud of our partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and stands ready to assist our federal, state and local partners in thwarting crimes like these.”

“This was a very long and complex investigation that involved a lot of help and assistance from multiple agencies including the United States Postal Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Stoughton Police and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office,” said Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey. “Hundreds of hours of investigative work shut down a significant drug operation that was supplying club drugs through sales on the dark web. This is a great example of law enforcement partners working together to keep people safe.”

Le was indicted in June 2019 along with co-conspirators Steven McCall and Allante Pires. According to court records, Le received wholesale quantities of controlled substances in the mail from various international sources. Le and, allegedly, his co-conspirators then processed and manufactured those controlled substances at an office space Le rented in Stoughton. To distribute the drugs, Le 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. After receiving the orders and payment via Bitcoin, Le and, allegedly, others mailed the drugs to customers throughout the United States.

On March 27, 2019, Le met with undercover law enforcement officers at a hotel in Norwood to exchange $200,000 worth of Bitcoin for cash. Le was arrested after he transferred the Bitcoin to the agents. 

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.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; USPIS INC Larco-Ward; HSI SAC Millhollin; Norfolk DA Morrissey; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; 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 and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, handled the forfeiture.

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 Fitchburg man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Branny Taveras, 39, 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. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 14, 2022.

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. Beginning in July 2019, electronic communications revealed that Taveras and others in the DTO distributed a fentanyl and heroin mixture on a regular basis to individuals in the Fitchburg area, including to Pedro and Anthony Baez, who redistributed that mixture to others.

Over the course of the investigation, 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. Taveras was responsible for distributing over 400 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture. 

Taveras was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. He is the 11th defendant to plead guilty in the case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison. Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 3, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2022.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting 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 indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to the April 2020 robbery of a Santander Bank branch in Boston.

Dennis C. Taylor, 49, pleaded guilty one count of bank robbery. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2022. Taylor was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Nov. 4, 2020, and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 12, 2020.

On April 29, 2020, an individual – later determined to be Taylor – dressed in a dark hooded jacket, blue latex gloves and a facemask entered a Santander Bank branch on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston where he approached a teller and demanded money. The teller handed Taylor cash from her drawer, which he placed in a white plastic bag before exiting the bank. Included within the cash was a red dye pack. Surveillance cameras on Massachusetts Avenue captured video of Taylor exiting the area and running towards a local parking garage as the red dye pack exploded into a plume of red smoke. During a subsequent search of the parking garage, law enforcement recovered a white plastic bag containing red dye-stained money and a pair of blue latex gloves. The gloves were found to match Taylor’s DNA profile.

Taylor has been previously convicted of federal bank robbery in 2004 and again in 2010.  In 2010, Taylor was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for the December 2009 robberies of a Rockland Trust bank and a TD Bank in Yarmouth.

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Ronney Fullard, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Indira Talwani to time served (approximately 14 months in prison) and three years of supervised release. On Oct. 6, 2021, Fullard pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Fullard was indicted in October 2020 with co-defendant Jerrod Lee. On Aug. 7, 2020, during a search of Lee’s Taunton residence, Fullard was found in possession of a loaded Taurus PT 709 9mm pistol with six rounds of ammunition. Fullard is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions punishable by more than one year in prison, including state convictions of assault and battery and unlawful firearm possession.

On Dec. 9, 2021, Lee pleaded guilty to the same charge and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2022.

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 Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BOSTON – A New Bedford man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to the July 2021 robbery of a Bristol County Savings Bank branch in Dartmouth. At the time of the robbery, the defendant was on supervised release for a 2014 federal bank robbery conviction.

David A. Frates, 43, pleaded guilty one count of bank robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2022. Frates was charged on Oct. 7, 2021.

On July 19, 2021, an individual – later determined to be Frates – entered a Bristol County Savings Bank branch in Dartmouth. Once inside the bank, Frates approached a teller, demanded $20,000 and threatened to stab a second teller if his demands were not met. Frates then produced a long-handled knife and repeatedly struck the knife on the teller’s counter, while repeating he was going to stab the teller. The teller handed Frates $20,000 from the bank’s vault and Frates exited the bank. An investigation by local law enforcement identified Frates as the robber and arrested him on July 21, 2021. At the time of his arrest, Frates was in possession of over $9,000 in cash.

Frates was subsequently charged by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office with the robbery and later transferred into federal custody.

Frates was previously convicted in 2014 on federal bank robbery charges for the armed robbery of a St. Anne’s Credit Union branch in New Bedford and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. In May 2020, that sentence was reduced to 81 months in prison based in part on changes in the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – The member of a violent Brockton-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.

Lutherson Bonheur, a/k/a “Boogs,” 29, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 19 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2020, Bonheur pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and cocaine; one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin; two counts of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and cocaine; two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense resulting in death.

Bonheur was arrested and charged in November 2015 along with four co-conspirators as part of a coordinated enforcement operation dubbed “Operation Heroin Highway.” The investigation identified co-conspirator Marvin Antoine to be the leader of a DTO involved in drug and sex trafficking in the Brockton area. Eventually, 10 defendants were charged and convicted in this case.

Bonheur was Antoine’s trusted right-hand man and lived at the DTO’s stash house which maintained heroin, cocaine, and firearms. The stash location also housed women who Bonheur and Antoine trafficked for commercial sex acts and were used by Bonheur and Antoine to test new batches of heroin before selling to customers. On a daily basis, Bonheur and his co-conspirators packaged and delivered drugs to a wide customer base between Brockton and the South Shore.

In addition to selling drugs, Bonheur collected drug debts owed to the DTO and at times used violence to do so. In September 2015, approximately three weeks after being released on bail for possession of heroin, Bonheur lured a heroin customer to a location in Hyde Park, under the guise that Bonheur needed the victim to conduct counter-surveillance while he purchased heroin. When they arrived in Hyde Park, Bonheur shot and killed the victim with a handgun. Bonheur subsequently drove to Antoine’s residence where they arranged a sale of the murder weapon. The handgun was later intercepted by investigators.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department and the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Foley and Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – Five members of a violent criminal enterprise were arrested and charged today in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) throughout Western Massachusetts.

“These defendants are alleged to have inundated Western Massachusetts with cocaine and crack cocaine – fueling violence and capitalizing on the devastating opioid and drug crises,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Today, thanks to the exceptional work by a multitude of dedicated law enforcement agencies, this violent criminal enterprise has been brought to its knees. Our investigation demonstrates the strength of collaboration among state, local, and federal law enforcement and the invaluable positive impact that work can have on safety in our communities. My office will continue to partner with law enforcement, medical experts and community organizations to reclaim our impacted neighborhoods.”

“Today’s arrests have dismantled a violent criminal enterprise headed by Vincente Gonzalez which we believe is responsible for flooding the streets of western Massachusetts with cocaine and crack cocaine while using firearms, force, and intimidation to protect their turf,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This case is just one example of how the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force is working with our law enforcement partners to stop the senseless violence that is a blight on our neighborhoods, and to make them safer places to live and raise a family.”

“I would like to thank the brave and hardworking men and women of the Holyoke Police Department, FBI Gang task Force, ATF, DEA, US Marshals, Massachusetts State Police, and the Hampden County Sheriffs for their dedication to duty and to the citizens of Holyoke. Today's search warrants will significantly damage the narcotic sales taking place in Holyoke. The criminals that were arrested today along with their operations being grounded to a halt, will have a great impact on the quality of life for Holyoke citizens. The narcotic sales from these locations brought gun violence to our streets, endangered the children of Holyoke and increased the opiate abuse within our City,” said Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt. “I am aware there is more hard work to be done but I am confident in the success of Holyoke due to the cooperation between our citizens and law enforcement

Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl C. Clapprood stated, “I’d like to thank our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI, our Springfield Police Firearms Investigation Unit and Warrant Apprehension Unit for their work in taking numerous illegal firearms and illicit drugs off the street in both Springfield and Holyoke Thursday morning. By sharing intelligence and having a dedicated Springfield Police Officer in the FBI Task Force we are able to work together across the region to combat senseless gun violence. The results of this Gang Task Force investigation puts a dent in the illegal drug trade across western Massachusetts and sends a clear message to the individuals possessing illegal firearms. We fully support and are thankful for the U.S. Attorney’s Offices’ efforts to address and reduce gun violence in our community.”

The following individuals were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base:

1. Vicente Gonzalez, 41, of Springfield;
2. Brigham Ocasio-Rosario, 44, of Springfield;
3. Miguel Burgos, 45, of Holyoke;
4. Khristy Guzman, 37, of Holyoke; and
5. Willie Watkins, 42, of Springfield;

According to court documents, investigators identified Gonzalez to be the leader of a violent criminal enterprise operating in Hampden County. During the investigation, controlled purchases and intercepted communications between Gonzalez and his co-conspirators revealed that, beginning in or about July 2021, the defendants allegedly prepared and trafficked large amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine in the Holyoke and Springfield areas.

In furtherance of the trafficking activity, the investigation revealed that the enterprise used violence and threats of violence to control Gonzalez’s territory in Holyoke. For example, court documents allege that in July 2021, Gonzalez, Ocasio and other co-conspirators attempted a violent armed kidnapping at the enterprise’s drug sale location in Holyoke. During the incident, Gonzalez and Ocasio allegedly brandished and pointed firearms at the victim and, after the victim fled the building, chased and attempted to detain the victim with their firearms.

Today, investigators seized approximately 400 grams of cocaine, cocaine base, 12 firearms, ammunition, drug proceeds and drug packaging materials.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, 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 other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta, Holyoke PD Chief Pratt and Springfield PD Superintendent Clapprood made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police’s Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team (CINRET) and the Hampden District Attorney’s Office’s Strategic Action and Focused Enforcement (SAFE) Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

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

BOSTON – A Mexican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with a murder aboard a scalloping vessel off the coast of Massachusetts.

Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the second degree, one count of attempted murder, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2022. Meave Vazquez was indicted in November 2018.

On Sept. 23, 2018, the scalloping vessel, The Captain Billy Haver, was sailing approximately 55 miles off the coast of Nantucket with seven crew members aboard, including Meave Vazquez and the three victims. Inside the shucking house, Meave Vazquez used a hammer to strike Victim A hard in the head into unconsciousness. Meave Vazquez then walked out onto the deck and stabbed Victim B multiple times with a long fillet knife. In response to the commotion, Victim C climbed up from the ice hold, was struck in the head by Meave Vazquez with the hammer and fell back down the ladder, bleeding from his head. Meave Vazquez then struggled with the vessel captain before climbing to the top of the rigging mast.

Victim A and Victim B were taken by rescue boat to a nearby ship for medical attention where Victim B was pronounced dead.

Meave Vazquez remained at the top of the mast until the Coast Guard arrived that evening and was immediately taken into custody. Meave Vazquez was transferred into federal custody upon his arrival at the Boston port the next day. Maeve Vazquez is in the United States illegally.

The charge of second-degree murder provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of attempted murder provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of assault with a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Meave Vazquez will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Noble, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S Coast Guard Investigative Services Northeast Region; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Laura J. Kaplan of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – Twin brothers from Hyannis were sentenced today in federal court in Boston on gun and drug offenses.

Di’lon Smith, a/k/a Dilon Smith, and Denzel Smith, 29, were each sentenced by U.S. Chief District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 14 years in prison and three years of supervised release. On Nov. 10, 2021, the defendants pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue called cyclopropyl fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and a controlled substance analogue and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Between Oct. 3, 2017 and Nov. 29, 2017, the brothers conspired to sell fentanyl and cyclopropyl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue that has been associated with numerous fatalities. The brothers used a Hyannis apartment rented by Di’lon Smith to store the drugs for street-level resale. A search of the apartment on Nov. 29, 2017 found the brothers in possession of fentanyl and more than 100 grams of cyclopropyl fentanyl intended for sale, a Smith & Wesson .22 caliber revolver loaded with six rounds of ammunition, a Heckler & Koch automatic pistol and magazines loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition, and drug-trafficking paraphernalia, including narcotic presses and a digital scale.

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 Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Robert E. Richardson of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts has reached an agreement with the Massachusetts State Police to resolve allegations that the agency failed to comply with its communications obligations for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“Every Massachusetts resident should be able to communicate clearly with law enforcement, whether they are crime victims, witnesses or perpetrators, or seeking assistance for potential civil remedies,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Our residents include people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This agreement now ensures that the Massachusetts State Police comply with federal law, protect civil rights, and more effectively advance public safety for everyone in our District.”

Following an investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office found that the Massachusetts State Police did not have an ADA-compliant policy or procedures for effective communication with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Massachusetts State Police was cooperative throughout the investigation and, under the terms of the agreement, will implement a policy on communicating with people who are deaf or hard of hearing, ensure appropriate auxiliary aids and services are available and display conspicuous notices of their availability. Additionally, all sworn members who interact with the public will participate in training on the ADA’s effective communication requirements and appropriate ways of serving people with disabilities.

U.S. Attorney Rollins made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of Rollins’ Civil Rights Unit handled the matter.

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

BOSTON – Two drug traffickers pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to their roles in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy.

William Velez, 40, of Boston, and Mark Daileanes, 53, of Litchfield, N.H., pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Daileanes also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2022 and July 27, 2022, respectively. The defendants were indicted in May 2021, along with two other defendants, Andrew Lunn and Anthony Elwell. 

On four occasions between June and September 2020, Lunn sold pure methamphetamine to a cooperating witness in amounts ranging from 100 to almost 280 grams. Velez supplied Lunn with the methamphetamine for each of those deals. For one of the deals, in July 2020, Elwell provided Daileanes with money to purchase 280 grams of methamphetamine from Lunn.

Lunn pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2021. Elwell has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial 

The charges of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division, made the announcement today. The New Hampshire State Police and the Everett, Nashua (N.H), Merrimack (N.H.), Litchfield (N.H), and Manchester (N.H.) Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Texas woman was sentenced today for her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently claim COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.

Donna Wasson, 37, of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Wasson was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $5,437. On Nov. 8, 2021, Wasson pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors, or gig economy workers).

Wasson applied for Massachusetts unemployment benefits despite residing in Texas and receiving unemployment benefits via the Texas Workplace Commission. In addition, Wasson carried out instructions concerning other fraudulent unemployment claims from a former Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) employee, and accessed unemployment claims under multiple stolen identities to fraudulently obtain benefits to which she was not entitled.

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, Program Integrity Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, and Dustin Chao, Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions 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 Tewksbury woman has been charged in a superseding indictment for allegedly embezzling more than $1.8 million from her employer and collecting unemployment assistance while employed fulltime.

Joanne Dinoto a/k/a Joanne Mara, 47, was charged in a superseding indictment with an additional count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. In November 2021, Dinoto was indicted on one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.   

According to the charging document, between December 2013 and April 2020, Dinoto stole more than $1.8 million from her employer, a flooring company based in Acton, by falsely inflating her compensation, using her employer’s corporate credit card for personal expenses, and forging at least two checks to herself from her employer’s checking account. To hide her scheme, Dinoto allegedly modified her employer’s accounting records. It is also alleged that during the period August 2020 through May 2021, Dinoto collected unemployment benefits from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance under her true Social Security number, while also working full time for a lighting company based in Wilmington under a fake Social Security number. The superseding indictment further alleges that, between 2015 and 2020, Dinoto did not report more than $1 million in funds she embezzled from the Acton company nor her wages from the Wilmington company on her federal income tax returns. 

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Office; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, made the announcement today. The Acton Police Department and Middlesex District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is 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 registered nurse pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester in connection with tampering with morphine prescribed to a nursing home resident in her care. 

Gwen Rider, 42, of Northborough, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deception. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 15, 2022. Rider was arrested and indicted in April 2021.

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

The charge of tampering with a consumer product provides for a sentence up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deception provides for a sentence of up to four years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Northborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy and Kristen M. Noto of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug and firearm offenses.

Brandon Ortiz, 25, of Manchester, N.H., pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for July 27, 2022.

On June 6, 2019, law enforcement responded to a 911 call about a motor vehicle incident involving a firearm. During the investigation, officers seized fentanyl, cocaine, a loaded semi-automatic pistol and ammunition from Ortiz. Ortiz is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to a prior 2018 domestic violence conviction.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence 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 other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BOSTON – A Marstons Mills man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on charges of distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.

Steven Carme, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 63 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On Nov. 3, 2021, Carme pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.

Between Feb. 2, 2017 and Feb. 5, 2019, Carme downloaded and distributed numerous image and video files depicting child pornography via peer-to-peer file sharing software. During a search of Carme’s residence, a laptop and an external hard drive were seized. Forensic review of the external hard drive revealed approximately 7,881 images and 616 videos of child pornography. During an onsite interview at his residence, Carme admitted that the laptop and hard drive were his and that he downloaded, stored and distributed child pornography.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A member of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced today on racketeering charges.

Robert Lara, a/k/a “King Rizz,” 29, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately four months in prison) and three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of eight months in prison. On Oct. 28, 2021, Lara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.

The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.

Named for its origin on Devon Street in Boston, the Devon Street Kings, or D5K, Chapter of the Latin Kings, included approximately a dozen members. The Devon Street Kings, in turn, reported to the Massachusetts State Leadership of the Latin Kings, providing information, structure, funds and other resources to further the Latin Kings goals and directives in the state. Lara attended numerous meetings of the gang, contributing to its joint account known as the “fundo” and participating in a violent assault of another member at a hotel in the Boston area, which was imposed as punishment for violating the rules of the gang.

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. Lara is the 46th defendant to be sentenced in the case.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; 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 Joseph C. Cordeiro 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 the Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty today in connection with cocaine trafficking, firearms, money laundering and fraudulent tax return charges.

William Hoey, 41, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine; two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime; two counts of money laundering; and three counts of filing a false and fraudulent tax return. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2022.

On three occasions between July 2019 and September 2019, Hoey sold over 348 grams of cocaine to a cooperating witness.

On Oct. 22, 2019, while travelling to meet with the cooperating witness for another cocaine deal he had arranged, Hoey was stopped by agents in his vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 499.4 grams of cocaine as well as a 9 mm Ruger handgun containing seven live rounds of ammunition. Hoey admitted that he had the gun in case there was a problem during the cocaine deal. A subsequent search of Hoey’s residence resulted in the seizure of approximately 835.9 grams of cocaine from a safe, a Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition, a black Beretta firearm with 10 rounds of ammunition, $4,450 in cash, cutting agents, a scale, weights, a money counter and several cellphones.

Hoey also attempted to conceal drug trafficking proceeds by moving money from his bank accounts into accounts held by someone else. On Oct. 25, 2019, Hoey caused TD Ameritrade to issue a check from his account in the amount of $80,400 payable to another person, that was then deposited into a recently opened Leominster Credit Union account in the other person’s name. And, on March 24, 2020, Hoey caused another check to be issued by TD Bank in the amount of $87,180 payable to the same individuals that was deposited into the Leominster Credit Union account. Hoey conducted these financial transactions knowing that the funds in both the TD Ameritrade and TD Bank accounts did in fact include funds from his drug trafficking activities.

Additionally, in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Hoey knowingly and willfully filed false and fraudulent tax returns by omitting his income from drug dealings in his tax filings for each year.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of 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. The charge of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, provides for a mandatory sentence of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – Pharmaceutical company Mallinckrodt ARD, LLC (formerly known as Mallinckrodt ARD, Inc. and previously Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), has agreed to pay $233,707,865 as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that from 2013 until 2020, it knowingly underpaid Medicaid rebates that resulted from its price increases for the drug H.P. Acthar Gel (Acthar), in violation of the False Claims Act. In March 2020, the government filed a complaint detailing these allegations and how Mallinckrodt unlawfully required Medicaid programs to foot the bill for an increase in price from $50 per vial to $28,000 per vial, as though a new version of Acthar came on the market in 2013, when in fact, it did not. 

Mallinckrodt’s payment of approximately $233.7 million includes approximately $123.6 million to the United States and approximately $110.1 million to several states, pursuant to the terms of separate settlement agreements Mallinckrodt has or will enter into with those states. In October 2020, Mallinckrodt filed for bankruptcy protection and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware has approved Mallinckrodt’s settlement with the government.

In connection with the settlement, Mallinckrodt also entered a five-year corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG). The CIA contains unique drug price transparency provisions and monitoring provisions focused on Medicaid rebate and patient assistance program activities. The CIA also requires Mallinckrodt to establish a risk assessment program, implement executive recoupment provisions and obtain compliance related certifications from company executives and board members. 

Pursuant to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, drug manufacturers are required to pay quarterly rebates to state Medicaid programs in exchange for Medicaid coverage of the manufacturers’ drugs. The statute requires pharmaceutical companies to pay inflation-based rebates for drugs, which are designed to insulate the Medicaid program from drug price increases outpacing inflation. These rebates are calculated as the difference between the drug’s current price and the price the drug would have had if its price had increased at the rate of inflation since 1990, or the date when the drug was first marketed, whichever date is later.

The government alleges that Mallinckrodt knowingly underpaid rebates due for Acthar from 2013 until 2020. Acthar is a specialty drug that has been approved for various indications, including multiple sclerosis and infantile spasms. Specifically, the government alleges that Mallinckrodt and its predecessor, Questcor, began paying rebates for Acthar in 2013, as if Acthar was a new drug first marketed in 2013. In doing so, Mallinckrodt and Questcor ignored all pre-2013 price increases when calculating and paying Medicaid rebates for Acthar.

The government also alleges Mallinckrodt received an unlawful and improper windfall as a result of these practices, because the company raised the price of Acthar significantly – from approximately $50 per vial in 2001 to $40,000 per vial today. In particular, the government alleges that Acthar’s price had already risen to over $28,000 per vial by 2013. Mallinckrodt’s decision to disregard all pre-2013 price increases for Medicaid rebate purposes significantly lowered Medicaid rebate payments for Acthar. The government further alleges that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services repeatedly warned Mallinckrodt against this practice in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Mallinckrodt, however, refused to take corrective action. Under the settlement agreement, Mallinckrodt admits and agrees that there is only one Acthar, that FDA approved Acthar in 1952 and that Acthar was first produced, distributed and marketed prior to 1990.

“Mallinckrodt illegally reduced the amounts it paid to state Medicaid programs by improperly calculating the rebates it owed,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Today’s settlement vindicates the interests of the American taxpayer by ensuring that no pharmaceutical manufacturer can illegally boost its profits at the expense of state Medicaid programs, and the people and families those programs serve. This company unlawfully siphoned money out of the Medicaid program which poor people depend on for their medical care.”

“The Department is committed to protecting tax-payer funded health care programs and their ability to supply reasonably priced pharmaceutical products to elderly and vulnerable populations” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “As this settlement demonstrates, the department will pursue those who seek to undermine these protections.” 

“The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program relies on drug manufacturers to report accurate pricing information in order to calculate appropriate Medicaid rebates,” said Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge with the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Taxpayers rightly expect that pharmaceutical companies will play by the rules rather than falsely report prices to boost profits. Any drug company shirking that responsibility can expect to be held accountable for its deception.”

“Drug company schemes to undermine Medicaid and Medicare payment rules harm these critical taxpayer-funded health programs,” said Chief Counsel Gregory E. Demske of the Office of Inspector General. “Under this CIA, OIG will scrutinize Mallinckrodt’s Medicaid rebate practices and Mallinckrodt will be required to provide advance public notice of price increases for Acthar and other drugs.”

“This settlement resolves allegations that Mallinckrodt cheated the Medicaid program, and ultimately taxpayers, out of hundreds of millions of dollars, by exploiting a system that was set up to keep a check on rising drug prices to ensure that our most vulnerable citizens are able to receive medical treatment,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “It also illustrates how the FBI and our partners will not allow pharmaceutical companies to dodge their obligations in order take advantage of federal health insurance programs at the expense of those who need them the most.”

The government’s allegations were originally alleged in a case filed under the whistleblower, or qui tam, provision of the False Claims Act. The act permits private parties to sue for fraud on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The act also permits the government to intervene in such actions, as the government has done in this case.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; Principal Deputy AAG Boynton; HHS-OIG Chief General Counsel Demske; and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Rollins’ Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit; Raquelle Kaye of Rollins’s Asset Recovery Unit; and Trial Attorneys Augustine Ripa and Michael Hoffman of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled the matter.

Pharmaceutical company Mallinckrodt ARD LLC (formerly known as Mallinckrodt ARD Inc. and previously Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Questcor)) (collectively Mallinckrodt), has agreed to pay $260 million to resolve allegations that Mallinckrodt violated the False Claims Act by knowingly: 1. underpaying Medicaid rebates due for its drug H.P. Acthar Gel (Acthar); and 2. using a foundation as a conduit to pay illegal co-pay subsidies in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute for Acthar. In 2019 and 2020, respectively, the government filed separate complaints detailing these allegations. The settlement, which is based on Mallinckrodt’s financial condition, required final approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, which approved the settlement on March 2.

“The department is committed to protecting tax-payer funded health care programs and their ability to supply reasonably priced pharmaceutical products to elderly and vulnerable populations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “As this settlement demonstrates, the department will pursue those who seek to undermine these protections.” 

In connection with the settlement, Mallinckrodt also entered a five-year corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The CIA contains unique drug price transparency provisions and monitoring provisions focused on Medicaid rebate and patient assistance program activities. The CIA also requires Mallinckrodt to establish a risk assessment program, implement executive recoupment provisions, and obtain compliance related certifications from company executives and board members.

“Mallinckrodt illegally reduced the amounts it paid to state Medicaid programs by improperly calculating the rebates it owed,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts. “Today’s settlement vindicates the interests of the American taxpayer by ensuring that no pharmaceutical manufacturer can illegally boost its profits at the expense of state Medicaid programs, and the people and families those programs serve. This company unlawfully siphoned money out of the Medicaid program which poor people depend on for their medical care.”

“When pharmaceutical companies manipulate Medicare Part D by covering patient copays, the whole structure of the Part D program is undermined,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Our office is committed to maintain the financial integrity of taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare, and therefore we will continue to pursue fraud actions like this so that Medicare Part D and other federal healthcare programs remain viable for those who rely on the benefits.” 

“Drug company schemes to undermine Medicaid and Medicare payment rules harm these critical taxpayer-funded health programs,” said Chief Counsel Gregory E. Demske of HHS-OIG. “Under this CIA, OIG will scrutinize Mallinckrodt’s Medicaid rebate practices and Mallinckrodt will be required to provide advance public notice of price increases for Acthar and other drugs.”

“This settlement resolves allegations that Mallinckrodt cheated the Medicaid program, and ultimately taxpayers, out of hundreds of millions of dollars, by exploiting a system that was set up to keep a check on rising drug prices to ensure that our most vulnerable citizens are able to receive medical treatment,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI, Boston Division. “It also illustrates how the FBI and our partners will not allow pharmaceutical companies to dodge their obligations in order take advantage of federal health insurance programs at the expense of those who need them the most.”

Medicaid Drug Rebate Claims

Pursuant to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, drug manufacturers are required to pay quarterly rebates to state Medicaid programs in exchange for Medicaid’s coverage of the manufacturers’ drugs. The statute requires manufacturers to pay inflation-based rebates for drugs, which are designed to insulate the Medicaid program from drug price increases outpacing inflation. These rebates are calculated by comparing the drug’s Base Date Average Manufacturer Price (AMP), which is the drug’s price on the date that the “dosage form and strength” of the drug was first marketed or 1990, whichever is later, to its current price.

In its complaint filed on March 3, 2020, the government alleged that Mallinckrodt knowingly underpaid rebates due for Acthar from 2013 until 2020. According to the complaint, Mallinckrodt and its predecessor Questcor began paying rebates for Acthar in 2013 as if Acthar was a “new drug” first marketed in 2013, rather than a drug that had been approved since 1952. Allegedly, this practice meant the companies ignored all pre-2013 price increases when calculating and paying Medicaid rebates for Acthar from 2013 until 2020. In particular, the government alleged that Acthar’s price had already risen to over $28,000 per vial by 2013, and therefore ignoring all pre-2013 price increases for Medicaid rebate purposes significantly lowered Medicaid rebate payments for Acthar. Under the settlement agreement, Mallinckrodt admitted that Acthar was not a new drug as of 2013 but rather was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and marketed prior to 1990, and agreed to correct Acthar’s base date AMP and that it will not change the date in the future.

Kickback Claims

When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare, the beneficiary may be required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a copayment. Congress included copay requirements in the Medicare program, in part, to serve as a check on health care costs, including the prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers can demand for their drugs. The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits a pharmaceutical company from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce Medicare patients to purchase the company’s drugs. This prohibition extends to the payment of patients’ copay obligations.

In its complaint filed on June 5, 2019, the government alleged that Mallinckrodt knowingly used a foundation as a conduit to pay illegal kickbacks in the form of copay subsidies for Acthar so it could market the drug as “free” to doctors and patients while increasing its price. Mallinckrodt allegedly paid these illegal subsidies through three funds that Mallinckrodt had a foundation set up to induce Medicare-reimbursed purchases of Acthar, and used the subsidies to counteract doctor and patient concerns about the drug’s high cost.     

The settlement provides for Mallinckrodt’s payment of approximately $234.7 million to resolve the Medicaid rebate allegations and approximately $26.3 million to resolve the kickback allegations. Of the amount allocated to the Medicaid rebate claims, Mallinckrodt will pay approximately $123.6 million to the United States and approximately $110.1 million to the participating Medicaid States, pursuant to the terms of separate settlement agreements Mallinckrodt has or will enter into with those states. In October 2020, Mallinckrodt filed for bankruptcy protections and this settlement with the government has been approved for payment by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

The allegations resolved by the settlement agreement were originally brought in cases filed under the whistleblower, or qui tam, provision of the False Claims Act. The act permits private parties to sue for fraud on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The act also permits the government to intervene in such actions, as the government has done in these cases, which are captioned: United States of America et al. ex rel. Landolt v. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Inc.; United States of America ex rel. Strunck et al. v. Mallinckrodt ARD, Inc.; and United States of America ex rel. Clark v. Questor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The Strunck whistleblowers will receive approximately $4.9 million from the recovery for the kickback allegations and the Landolt whistleblower will receive approximately $24.7 million from the federal recovery for the Medicaid rebate allegations.

The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).

These matters are being handled by Trial Attorneys Augustine Ripa, Michael Hoffman and Dan Schiffer of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the District of Massachusetts; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Cherico, Paul Koob and Matthew Howatt of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. HHS-OIG assisted with the matters.

The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for drug and firearm offenses.

Pablo L. Rivera, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On May 14, 2021, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin.

Rivera was arrested on state charges on Feb. 8, 2019, after a motor vehicle stop in which law enforcement recovered a loaded P-38 Walther 9mm firearm, six rounds of ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and a plastic baggie containing approximately 10 grams of heroin from the vehicle Rivera was driving.  Rivera is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior convictions punishable by more than one year in prison, including a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Greg Friedholm of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal employee was sentenced today in connection with stealing mail believed to contain controlled substances. 

Shawn M. Herron, 47, of Whitman, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Herron was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $4,000. On Oct. 22, 2021, Herron pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and one count of theft of mail by a postal employee.

Beginning in September 2005, Herron was employed with the Postal Service where he served as Supervisor of Customer Service at the Canton Post Office and later as Manager of Customer Services at the Fall River Post Office (FPO).

Herron tracked packages he suspected of containing narcotics and, rather than dealing with them appropriately, opened them and stole the contents. Specifically, Herron profiled priority parcels from Puerto Rico and West Coast states as well as parcels flagged by law enforcement as potentially containing illegal narcotics and then removed them from the mail stream. Herron tracked the suspected parcels through Postal Service databases and monitored their arrival at the FPO. After their arrival Herron located the parcels and brought them to his personal office space, where he stole the narcotics for distribution and sold them for personal gain. Over a period of about a year and half, Herron stole at least 15 packages from the mail. One of the stolen packages contained 271 grams of suspected cocaine, which Herron sold to an apparent drug dealer for $4,000. Herron intended to use the proceeds from the narcotics he stole for personal expenses, including renovations for his home.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, and Charles Dell-Anno, of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The former Chief of Staff to the now-convicted former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia III was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for making false statements in connection with lying to federal authorities about her salary-kickback arrangement with the former Mayor.

Genoveva Andrade, 50, of Somerset, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to time served, one year of supervised release. Andrade was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. Earlier in the hearing, Andrade pleaded guilty to making a false statement.

“Ms. Andrade had many choices – rather than serve the people of Fall River with the integrity she swore to provide, she chose to support the corrupt leadership of Jasiel Correia by lying to federal authorities in an effort to protect him. This prosecution is about the citizens of Fall River who have every right to expect that their government will focus on improving the lives of the people who live in this great City. The Mayor and his Chief of Staff put their own self interests above the needs of their constituents,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “My office will continue to hold government officials who abuse their positions of trust accountable. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to root out corruption wherever it lies.”

“Instead of doing right by the citizens of Fall River, Genoveva Andrade repeatedly lied to us about Mayor Jasiel Correia’s criminal conduct in an effort to obstruct our investigation and protect components of City Hall under their leadership,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence brings this sordid chapter in Fall River history to a close, while also making it crystal clear that anyone who lies to the FBI during the course of a public corruption investigation will not get away with it.”  

“Ms. Andrade’s admission to making false statements to special agents reveal her efforts to hide facts in this investigation,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Office. “Today’s sentencing reflects the serious nature of her role in the kickback arrangement for which she will now be held accountable.”

“Today’s events are the result of Ms. Andrade placing her loyalty to Jasiel Correia above her duty to the people of Fall River,” said Massachusetts Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha. “My office and our federal partners are committed to ensuring that public officials in Massachusetts who choose a similar path will face consequences for their criminal acts.”

Soon after Correia hired Andrade as his Chief of Staff in November 2017, she began kicking back half of her salary to Correia on a bi-weekly basis until July 2018. She also kicked back nearly all of the $10,000 city-funded “snow stipend” that Correia approved for Andrade.

Andrade made false statements to federal agents in December 2018 in connection with her salary kickback arrangement with Correia.

On May 14, 2021, Correia was convicted by a federal jury of nine counts of wire fraud, four counts of filing false tax returns, four counts of extortion conspiracy and four counts of extortion. Judge Woodlock dismissed six counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns, for which the jury convicted Correia. On Sept. 21, 2021, Correia was sentenced by Judge Woodlock to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. He still has yet to surrender. On March 3, 2022, the Court delayed Correia’s self-surrender date for the sixth time – he was scheduled to surrender the following day. Correia was previously ordered to report to prison on Dec. 3, 2021; Jan. 10, 2022; Jan. 28, 2022; Feb. 13, 2021; Feb. 14, 2022; and March 4, 2022. He is now scheduled to begin his prison sentence on April 5, 2022. The Government will continue to strongly advocate that Correia begin to serve his sentence.

U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta, IRS SAC Simpson, Massachusetts Inspector General Cunha, and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Tobin and Dustin Chao, of Rollins’ Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.

“On April 15, 2013, Boston changed forever. Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu, Martin Richard, and Officer Sean Collier were murdered, while hundreds of other innocent victims were maimed and wounded. Over the course of four days, Boston and our surrounding towns and cities sheltered in fear and disbelief. Although the scar remains some nine years later, the resiliency of our city, the families of the victims, and the hundreds of brave survivors knows no bounds.

Today’s opinion by the Supreme Court reverses the decision vacating the death sentence imposed on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev following the jury’s verdict. There remain, however, other legal issues that must be addressed by various courts. Legal rulings don’t erase trauma and pain. Our focus today, and always, is on the hundreds of families that were deeply impacted and traumatized by this horrific act of domestic terrorism.”

BOSTON – A Plainville man pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography and to charges arising from him sending obscene photos of himself to someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

David Cerasuolo, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2022. Cerasuolo was indicted in October 2020 and has remained in custody since his arrest.

Starting in June 2020, Cerasuolo used chat applications to engage in conversations with an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old girl but who was actually an undercover federal agent. During these conversations, Cerasuolo attempted to entice the 13-year-old to engage in sexual activity and sent her several photographs of himself, including one displaying his genitalia. During their communications, Cerasuolo sent over 1,000 messages to the person he believed to be the 13-year-old girl. He was also found in possession of child pornography on his cell phone.

The charge of transfer of obscene material to a minor provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. The Plainville, Arlington, Boston and Newton Police Departments and Massachusetts Department of Correction provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

BOSTON – A Marlboro woman pleaded guilty today to fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits, MassHealth, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and Section 8 housing assistance.   

Maribel Rodriguez, 63, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 7, 2022. Rodriguez was charged in December 2020.

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

The charges of theft of public funds provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of making false statements provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

BOSTON – A Lowell man was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston on firearms trafficking charges.

Isael Rodriguez, 27, was charged with one count of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of making false statements to acquire firearms from a licensed dealer. Rodriguez was released on conditions following an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Court Chief Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley.

According to the indictment, Rodriguez purchased firearms from a licensed dealer, falsely claiming that he was purchasing them for himself and then resold the firearms for profit to individuals in Boston.

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 making false statements to acquire firearms from a licensed dealer 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 other statutory factors.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; Lowell Superintendent of Police Raymond Kelly Richardson; Brookline Police Acting Chief Richard Allen; and Brockton Police Acting Chief Steve Williamson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

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

BOSTON – A former Massachusetts attorney and his wife pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with various mortgage fraud schemes.

Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr., 61, and Nancy Plunkett, 56, both of Hyannis Port, pleaded guilty to five counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr. also pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2022. The Plunketts were indicted in July 2020.

Prior to being disbarred in October 2017, Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr. owned and operated the Plunkett Law Firm where his wife, Nancy Plunkett, was his office assistant and paralegal.

The defendants engaged in several bank fraud schemes. In one scheme, from September 2012 to July 2016, the defendants defrauded six mortgage lenders and 14 homeowners for whom the Plunkett Law Firm handled the closings for new mortgage loans to refinance residential properties. The defendants informed the mortgage lenders that pre-existing mortgages were paid off from the new loan proceeds when, in fact, the Plunketts intentionally failed to pay off the prior liens and instead converted more than $900,000 in payoff funds for their own purposes. 

In other bank fraud schemes – between April 2015 and March 2018 – the Plunketts fraudulently used various names, entities and false documents to obtain three successive mortgage loans on their home in Hyannis Port in amounts of $412,000, $470,000 and $1.2 million. The defendants pledged as collateral a property in Hyannis Port that was held in a family trust for which Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr. was one of three beneficiaries. Both defendants participated in providing false documents to the lenders, including false title reports and other records to falsely represent that the property was free and clear of existing mortgage liens and forged documents in the names of other people. The defendants also made misrepresentations to a lender that Nancy Plunkett was a single woman living in Wellesley who was purchasing the property in her maiden name as a business investment when, in fact, the defendants had been married since 2014 and the property was their residence.

The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of tax evasion 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 aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild and Mackenzie Queenin, of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, and Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was charged today in federal court in Boston with the Nov. 8, 2021 robbery of an Eastern Bank branch in Lakeville.

Nathon Caeser Ribeiro Neves, 22, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of bank robbery. Ribeiro Neves was detained following an initial appearance this morning before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judith G. Dein.

According to the charging documents, on Nov. 8, 2021, a masked individual – later determined to be Ribeiro Neves – entered an Eastern Bank branch located in Lakeville. There, Ribeiro Neves allegedly passed a teller two demand notes indicating a robbery and that, “a bombing would happen if no payment was made.” The teller gave Ribeiro Neves cash from her drawer and Ribeiro Neves exited the bank leaving the demand notes behind. The notes were later processed and determined to contain fingerprints.

On Nov. 15, 2021, an individual – later determined to be Ribeiro Neves – allegedly robbed a Cornerstone Bank branch in Worcester. Ribeiro Neves was arrested by law enforcement a few minutes after the robbery. According to the charging documents, Ribeiro’s fingerprints were obtained during his booking and found to be a positive match for the prints from the demand note in the Lakeville robbery. 

The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Lakeville Police Chief Matthew Perkins; and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr. made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Berkley nurse was charged and agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Boston to tampering with fentanyl intended for patients at a hospital’s post-surgery recovery unit and an outpatient vascular surgery center. 

Hugo Vieira, 41, was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product.

According to the charging documents, from December 2018 through January 2019, while working at a Massachusetts hospital and an outpatient vascular surgery center, Vieira removed fentanyl from vials meant for patients who were undergoing surgery or recovering from surgery. To conceal his conduct, Vieira allegedly replaced the diverted fentanyl with saline. Sixty tampered vials were identified at the vascular surgery center and two vials at the hospital post-surgery recovery unit. As a result, each of those vials contained less than 1.3–7% of the declared concentration of fentanyl citrate.

The charge of tampering with a consumer product provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge provides for a sentence of up to 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 other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of Rollins’ Healthcare Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Spencer man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester for possession of child pornography.   

Joseph Michael Smith, 59, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography. Smith will appear before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy tomorrow, March 4, 2022, at 1 p.m. in federal court in Worcester.

According to court documents, investigators received several tips that child pornography was shared from messenger accounts tied to Smith’s address. During a search of Smith’s residence on Nov. 10, 2021, a USB drive was seized. Smith also informed agents that child pornography was located on a black laptop in his basement. A forensic analysis of the USB drive allegedly revealed 35 videos depicting children as young as two-years-old being sexually abused.  

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 on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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

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

Roland S. Morgan, 38, was sentenced by U.S. Senior Court Judge William G. Young to 21 months in prison and two years of supervised release. On Nov. 10, 2021, Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On Oct. 28, 2020, at approximately 1:00 a.m., a Seekonk Police Officer observed a silver Mercedes exiting Interstate 95 in Seekonk. The officer noted that the vehicle’s rear license plate was not luminated, a violation of Massachusetts Law. After observing the vehicle make a number of random U-turns, the officer conducted a motor vehicle stop. Morgan was driving the vehicle and was unable to produce a driver’s license. The officer determined that Morgan had two outstanding arrest warrants issued by Attleboro District Court, at which time he was arrested. 

A subsequent search of Morgan’s vehicle recovered, among other things, a loaded .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver from under the seat where Morgan had been sitting; 43 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition; 10 metal tipped arrows; a hunting bow; narcotics; a Crossman pellet gun; a black holster; and a body armor vest.

Morgan is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to prior felony convictions for assault, drug distribution and firearms possession.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn; Seekonk Police Chief Dean Isabella; and Mahanoy Township (Pa.) Police Chief Brandon Alexander made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegal firearms sales.

Elwood Cortes-Navedo, 26, pleaded guilty to engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2022. Cortes-Navedo was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2019 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020.

On Feb. 6, 2019, Cortes-Navedo sold a Taurus, PT-22, .22LR pistol manufactured outside of Massachusetts to cooperating witnesses in the parking lot of a public swimming pool in Lowell. On Feb. 14, 2019, in his residence parking lot, Cortes-Navedo sold a Springfield Armory, XD-9 subcompact, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number and 12 rounds of ammunition to cooperating witnesses.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office and the Chelsea, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Somerville and Weymouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Timothy Moran of Rollins' Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A former Nantucket Bank employee was sentenced today for her role in two fraud conspiracies.

Rushell Harris, 32, of Nantucket, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to four months in prison and two years of supervised release, one of which will be served in home confinement. Harris was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $161,038 and forfeiture of $90,925. On Oct. 8, 2021, Harris pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. 

Between approximately June 2014 and November 2018, Harris engaged in two separate wire fraud conspiracies. In the first conspiracy, Harris exploited her position at Nantucket Bank by obtaining personally identifiable information of a customer and surreptitiously taking photographs of the victim’s account information. Harris then shared that information with co-conspirators who attempted to transfer funds out of the customer’s bank account without authorization.

In the second conspiracy, Harris helped perpetuate a fraudulent lottery scheme targeting at least 13 victims who were contacted by co-conspirators via phone, informing them that they had won large prizes, and that in order to receive the funds they needed to pre-pay taxes on their winnings. In reality, no such prizes existed. After victims made an initial payment, they were advised that additional advance payments were required for expenses such as insurance, transportation or other international customs’ fees. Harris and her co-conspirators transferred proceeds of the scheme to associates in Jamaica and in the United States.

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 Nantucket Police Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy.

Angel Cruz, a/k/a “Papo,” 62, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 50 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Oct. 18, 2021, Cruz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

In October 2016, Cruz dispatched a co-conspirator to deliver drug proceeds to a second co-conspirator in California. In exchange for the proceeds, Cruz orchestrated the delivery of nearly one kilogram of cocaine back to Fitchburg. Cruz rented a vehicle and provided cash to his co-conspirator for the trip. When returning to Fitchburg, law enforcement stopped Cruz’s co-conspirator in Ohio and found the cocaine concealed inside the rented vehicle. Phone records revealed that, prior to the stop, Cruz was in constant communication with his co-conspirator to make sure he was returning with cocaine.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau; Lunenburg Police Chief Thomas Gammel; and Colonel Richard S. Fambro, Superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol made the announcement. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division and the Merrimack (N.H.) and Concord (N.H.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man previously convicted of drug distribution pleaded guilty today to illegal possession of a semiautomatic pistol and ammunition. 

Shaquille Lee, 29, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for July 14, 2022. Lee was indicted in July 2021.

In April 2021, there was an active warrant for Lee’s arrest as a suspect in a February 2021 shooting in Canton involving a car crash and Lee allegedly firing approximately five rounds at another vehicle’s occupant. That case is currently pending in Plymouth Superior Court. On April 23, 2021, a search of Lee’s apartment found him in possession of a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, loaded with 13 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Lee was also found in possession of an additional 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition in a nearby extended firearm magazine. Lee is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a 2018 state conviction of distribution, and possession with intent to distribute, a Class B substance.

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

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Canton Police Chief Kenneth Berkowitz; and Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

BOSTON – A Brockton woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing veteran affairs benefits.   

Robin Calef, 62, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Calef was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $102,289 to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). On Nov. 5, 2021, Calef pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds.

In December 2006, Calef’s sister, who was receiving monthly benefits from the VA, passed away. Calef failed to inform the VA of her sister’s death, and the VA continued to deposit monthly benefits into a joint bank account held by Calef and her sister. As a result, from Dec. 1, 2006 to Sept. 20, 2017, the VA made approximately 129 benefit deposits into the joint bank account. Bank records revealed that Calef made monthly withdrawals of approximately the exact amount of VA benefit funds deposited into the joint account. In total, over a period of more than 10 years, Calef stole approximately $102,289 in VA funds not intended for her. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Lynn woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to her role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that manufactured and distributed hundreds of thousands of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl.

Laurie Caruso, 51, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and other controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 29, 2022. On June 30, 2021, Laurie Caruso was arrested and charged along with co-conspirators Vincent Caruso, Ernest Johnson and Nicole Benton.

According to the charging documents, Laurie Caruso was a member of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) operated by her son, Vincent Caruso, a self-admitted Crip gang member, that included Johnson and Benton, among others. The DTO allegedly sold counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl – produced using multiple large pill presses capable of generating thousands of pills per hour – to street gangs for further distribution on the North Shore of Massachusetts. A single counterfeit fentanyl pill allegedly retails between $10-$20, thereby generating millions of dollars in retails sales.

Laurie Caruso admitted to being a primary distributor for the DTO, which historically manufactured its own counterfeit fentanyl pills when it was based in Saugus. As described during today’s hearing, after interdiction by law enforcement, the DTO outsourced its manufacturing, and would receive deliveries of large quantities of fentanyl pills manufactured in Rhode Island. Once delivered, the DTO would repackage and distribute those pills for sale locally in communities North of Boston.  Laurie Caruso admitted to trafficking over 30 kilograms of fentanyl, sold in the form of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit Percocet pills containing pressed fentanyl.  As part of her plea agreement, Laurie Caruso also agreed to forfeit over $100,000 in cash seized from the DTO that were the proceeds of drug trafficking.

On Sept. 30, 2021, Benton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and other controlled substances and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy. Vincent Caruso and Johnson have pleaded not guilty. Vincent Caruso was recently indicted on Jan. 19, 2022, for his role in the conspiracy and faces additional charges.

The charge of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl provides for mandatory sentences of five or 10 years, and maximum penalties of up to 40 years or life in prison, depending on drug weight, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy: Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts States Police made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk County District Attorneys’ Offices; Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk and Hancock (Maine) County Sheriffs’ Departments; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; and the Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Danvers, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Revere, Bolton (Maine), Bangor (Maine), Portland (Maine) and Westbrook (Maine) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang 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.

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 Lynn man was sentenced on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, for his involvement in a scheme to defraud several financial institutions and obtain money from customers using fraudulent identification documents.

Emeka Iloba, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 33 months in prison and six years of supervised release. Iloba was also ordered to pay $1,672,677 in restitution. On Aug. 26, 2021, Iloba pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Iloba participated in, and at times directed, a scheme to defraud multiple financial institutions. To carry out the scheme, Iloba and others used fraudulent identification documents, among other means, to withdraw money from customers’ bank accounts in the form of checks, cash and wire transfers. The fraudulently obtained funds were then deposited in other bank accounts opened in the names of fictitious business entities before being withdrawn. This scheme resulted in $1,672,677 in losses between April 2017 and March 2018.

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

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today on fraud conspiracy charges in connection with the processing of fraudulent applications for store credit accounts using stolen identities.

Ricardo Voltaire, 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one month in prison and 18 months of supervised release. Voltaire was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $81,550 and forfeiture of $8,000. On Oct. 26, 2021, Voltaire pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Voltaire was a sales manager at Staples locations in Dedham and Braintree. In this role, Voltaire was responsible for processing store credit card applications, among other things. On at least 60 occasions, Voltaire processed fraudulent Staples’ store credit account applications that were submitted by co-conspirator Wagner Sozi and his accomplice – each of which contained stolen personal identifying information of another individual. Voltaire knew that his co-conspirators were not in fact the individuals named on the applications and opened store credit accounts under the stolen identities, which were then used to purchase more than $81,000 in Visa gift cards. Voltaire accepted approximately $8,000 in kickbacks from Sozi and his co-conspirator.

In May 2021, Sozi pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of making a false claim. On Dec. 8, 2021, Sozi was sentenced to 39 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Sozi was also ordered to pay forfeiture and restitution in the approximate amount of $110,000.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Mark Comorosky, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The Braintree Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely II, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Winchester man was convicted by a federal jury yesterday in connection with filing fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $13 million in forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for COVID-19 relief through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

Elijah Majak Buoi, 40, was convicted following a three-day trial of four counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2022. Buoi was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2020.

Buoi submitted six fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of his company Sosuda Tech, LLC (Sosuda) to four different SBA-approved lenders. In each loan application, Buoi misrepresented the number of employees and payroll expenses. Buoi also submitted fraudulent IRS tax forms in support of his applications. The evidence at trial showed that Sosuda was a startup company with no U.S.-based payroll and no U.S.-based employees. As a result of his scheme, Buoi obtained a $2 million PPP loan. The government recovered approximately $1.97 million of the loan funds.

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The PPP allows qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses. 

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of making a false statement to a financial institution provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Stephen Donnelly, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Association, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Regional Office; and Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Region, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial, and Cyber Fraud Unit, and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Turners Falls man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to child pornography charges.

Brian Cooper, 64, pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of child pornography, six counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 22, 2022. Cooper was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2021.

Between April 2018 and October 2019, Cooper distributed, received and possessed child pornography files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He distributed and received the child pornography files from online associates via Instagram. A search of Cooper’s residence in October 2019 revealed thousands of child pornography files stored on a tablet and multiple thumb drives. At the time of the search, Cooper was arrested on state court charges and has been detained since.

The charges of distribution and receipt of child pornography provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 40 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison. Each charge also provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; David E. Sullivan, Northwestern District Attorney; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

BOSTON – Six individuals from Maine and Massachusetts were arrested yesterday in connection with their roles in an alleged fentanyl trafficking organization with activity that spanned across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. 

Randell Starlin Medina Rodriguez, 26, of Andover; Williams Colon Sanchez, 26, of Lawrence; Douglas Morris, 31, of Bangor, Maine; Robert Rodriguez Jr., 48, of Portland, Maine; and Cortney Moulton, 37, of West Bath, Maine, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Germania Amparo, 29, of Andover, was charged separately with distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to the charging documents, in early 2021, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl and counterfeit oxycodone pills in and around the Andover and Lawrence areas. The investigation revealed that the defendants allegedly conspired to deliver hundreds of grams of fentanyl throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Specifically, it is alleged that Massachusetts-based dealers Medina Rodriguez, Colon Sanchez, Amparo and others delivered large quantities of fentanyl to wholesale customers including Morris, Rodriguez Jr. and Moulton, who in turn would distribute those substances in Maine and New Hampshire. Over the course of the investigation, over 4.3 kilograms of suspected fentanyl was seized.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess 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 of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hassink and Lauren Graber of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A lifetime Level 1 sex offender was arrested and charged by criminal complaint yesterday for possession of child pornography.

Eric Robert Johnson, 49, of Billerica, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Johnson will appear in federal court in Boston at 1 p.m. this afternoon.

According to the charging document, a search of Johnson’s residence resulted in the recovery of a laptop computer and other electronic devices, including multiple hard drives that were found hidden in Johnson’s ceiling. A preliminary review revealed that at least one of Johnson’s electronic devices contained images and videos depicting child pornography, including videos of children as young as approximately six to ten-years-old. Forensic review of the devices remains ongoing.

Additionally, according to the criminal complaint, during the search of Johnson’s residence, diapers were found and at least three mutilated dolls with the vaginal region sliced to make a hole in each doll’s body. Two children’s backpacks containing various children’s clothing including bathing suits and a nightgown were found under his bed and a bag of children’s costumes along with a sex toy were recovered in the basement.

Johnson was previously convicted in 1992 on state charges in New Hampshire of two counts of rape of a child with force.

The charge of possession of child pornography after a prior conviction for a sex offense provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of 10 years, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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 Hull man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with submitting fraudulent documentation in order to receive CARES Act small business loans. 

Shane Spierdowis, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. On Oct. 21, 2021, Spierdowis pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Spierdowis used multiple shell companies and forged bank records to fraudulently apply for and obtain a federally funded Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). Spierdowis used Social Security numbers different from his own and fraudulent documentation to open bank accounts for his shell companies. He also provided a fraudulent corporate bank statement reflecting a balance exceeding $220,000 but dated before the pertinent bank account was ever opened.

As a result, Spierdowis obtained an SBA Paycheck Protection Program loan of $101,517 for one of his shell companies, the funds for which were wired to a bank in Massachusetts. Spierdowis also obtained an SBA EIDL in the amount of $89,900 using a separate shell company.

Additionally, with respect to both loans, Spierdowis submitted fraudulent federal tax forms for both shell companies that included his signature, as the purported president of each company, and the purported payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages to purported employees during each quarter in 2019. In reality, however, for part of Q1 2019 and all of Q2 – Q4 2019, Spierdowis was in federal custody after violating his probation arising from a federal conviction for conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. The Hull Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, 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.