District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Boston drug trafficker pleaded guilty on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, to his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Hassan Monroe, 38, of Quincy, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for June 22, 2022.

In June 2020, Monroe was charged along with 23 others as part of Operation Snowfall.  According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement conducted an investigation into drug trafficking activities by Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the defendants, through their drug trafficking activities, assumed control over multiple apartments, where they stored, cooked, packaged and sold drugs. As a result, their activities caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents.

The investigation also targeted large-scale drug suppliers and their associates. It is alleged that the targets continued to distribute cocaine and cocaine base throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. Monroe is the ninth defendant to plead guilty in the case.

Monroe was a significant drug supplier and distributor within the drug conspiracy. Monroe purchased and distributed wholesale quantities of cocaine and is estimated to have distributed over one kilogram of cocaine and 200 grams of cocaine base. During the investigation, a search of a “stash house” associated with Monroe recovered over 400 grams of cocaine, six firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition. 250 grams of cocaine and a loaded firearm were recovered from Monroe’s car and a subsequent search of Monroe’s residence recovered cocaine and two loaded firearms. 

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $ 250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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

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

BOSTON – A Truro man was arrested today in connection with illegally selling firearms.  

James McNulty, 59, was indicted on one count of dealing in firearms without a license. McNulty was released on conditions following an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal.

According to the indictment, between around January 2021 to April 2021, McNulty offered for sale and sold at least 55 firearms on Cape Cod. McNulty does not possess a license to import, manufacture, or deal firearms.

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. 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 James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Truro and Provincetown Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A man traveling from the Dominican Republic under an assumed identity was sentenced yesterday for attempting to enter the United States using a false U.S. passport.

Felipe Batista, 48, previously residing in Brighton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Judge Gorton also ordered Batista to pay restitution in the amount of $190,281 to the U.S. Social Security Administration and MassHealth. Batista will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.

On Sept. 16, 2021, Batista – originally charged as “John Doe” – admitted his true name and pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of a passport and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Batista arrived at Boston Logan International Airport on a commercial flight from the Dominican Republic on March 4, 2020. While attempting to pass inspection by Customs and Border Protection, he provided officers a U.S. passport bearing his image, but the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a different person.

An investigation revealed that Batista applied for the passport in November 2019 in Brighton. In the application, he fraudulently listed the personal identifying information of a United States citizen from Puerto Rico. He also attached a copy of the citizen’s birth certificate in support of the application. Batista’s use of the citizen’s information to fraudulently acquire and use the passport were only his latest efforts to misappropriate the citizen’s identity. Batista first assumed the citizen’s identity as early as 2001, and he was posing as the citizen since 2012 in order to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits from federal and state government programs. 

United States attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Office of Inspector General, U.S. Social Security Administration; Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Bureau of Special Investigations, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

“Today we say the names of Philip McCloskey, Jonathan Rizzo and Robert Whitney. Three lives that were stolen. Their memories will live on. This decision by the First Circuit definitively ends the legal process and Mr. Sampson remains a convicted serial murderer, sentenced to death. Court Opinions, however, don’t erase trauma and pain. Our office will continue to support these loving and supportive families in every way we can.” 

BOSTON – A Springfield woman was indicted today by a federal grand jury in connection with the reselling of stolen goods on eBay and for money laundering.

Mimi Mai, 48, was indicted on one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods, four counts of money laundering and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Mai was arrested today and made an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield this afternoon.

According to the indictment, Mai owned and operated EZ Exchange, a pawn shop in Holyoke. It is alleged that Mai knowingly purchased stolen goods from pawn shop patrons and resold the items on eBay at prices well above what she had paid the sellers. The stolen goods included a variety of household items, such as power tools, electronic devices, sunglasses and beauty and personal care products. Between 2018 and 2021, Mai allegedly earned more than $2.1 million from the sale of items she had listed for sale as “new” on eBay. It is alleged that Mai used her eBay earnings to buy property in Florida.

The charges of interstate transportation of stolen goods and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of at least 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Boston Field Office; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Springfield Police Department, New England State Police Information Network and investigators from Home Depot, CVS, Target and Stop & Shop. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Curley and Deepika Bains Shukla of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office are 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 Minnesota man pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court Boston for sending threatening emails to a Boston-area college student.

Eric Bolduan, 47, of Rochester, Minn., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to stay away from, and have no contact with, the Massachusetts victim. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim. Earlier in the hearing, Bolduan pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure another person. Bolduan was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2021.

Bolduan downloaded images of a female student attending Boston College from her social media pages and from other publicly available sites. Bolduan then located a pornographic image of a different female with a similar appearance and posted the images of the victim alongside the pornographic image to various pornographic websites in order to make it appear that the victim was involved in pornography. Thereafter, Bolduan sent threatening and harassing emails to the victim. For example, on May 5, 2016, Bolduan sent an email to the victim that included the following language:

I noticed the attached photo of you online and wanted to follow up with you. I’m going to find you this summer.  Once I’ve got you I will have my way with your body for several days, until I finally tire of you.  You will experience things that will give you nightmares for the rest of your life.  I want to look into your eyes as you experience pain at levels you never imagined were possible.  By the time I’m done with you your body will be shattered and broken.  I promise that you’ll never be the same again.

Bolduan attached a screenshot of a pornographic webpage depicting the legitimate, non-pornographic images of the victim alongside a pornographic image of a female who resembled the victim, to the email. Later that day, Bolduan sent a mass email to multiple Boston College email addresses. In the email, Bolduan listed the victim by name and attached the screenshot of the pornographic website he had emailed to the victim. Five days later, on May 10, 2016, Bolduan sent a second threatening email to the victim at her college email address.

To avoid detection, Bolduan sent the emails to the victim using an email account that was not in his true name and to further avoid detective he utilized a software that directs internet traffic through thousands of relays in order to anonymize users. 

On June 7, 2017, during a search of his residence, Bolduan admitted to harassing and threatening the victim and admitted to sending the May 5, 2016 email with attached photographs to the victim.

Members of the public who have victim assistance questions or information regarding this case should email USAMA.victimassistance@usdoj.gov.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston College Chief of Police William B. Evans made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A member of the violent MS-13 gang and leader of a local MS-13 clique was sentenced on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, in federal court in Boston for RICO conspiracy. 

Djavier Duggins, a/k/a “Haze,” 32, of Lynn, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 15 year in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2021, Duggins pleaded guilty to racketeering, or RICO, conspiracy on behalf of MS-13. 

MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational street gang operating in Massachusetts and numerous other states, as well as countries such as El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. MS-13 gang members often commit acts of extreme violence against suspected rivals, those suspected of cooperating with law enforcement, and others who the gang views as a threat. The gang is also known for recruiting young members at local high schools, who are then groomed to commit violence in furtherance of the gang’s mission. In recent years, dozens of MS-13 members have been convicted of RICO conspiracy and other serious felonies in the District of Massachusetts.

MS-13 is organized into “cliques” or branches operating in local territories. Duggins was a “homeboy,” or full member of the MS-13 gang, and the leader of the “Sykos Locos Salvatrucha” (Sykos) clique of MS-13 for the better part of a decade. Achieving promotion to “homeboy” in MS-13 generally requires the commission of a significant act of violence, often including murder. As part of his leadership role, Duggins personally recruited, mentored and encouraged younger clique members to commit violence on behalf of MS-13.

The evidence in this case showed that Duggins had been a leader of MS-13 since approximately 2006 and was part of the core group of MS-13 members who helped build up the Sykos clique of MS-13 in Lynn. In 2012, Duggins and another member of the Sykos clique participated in an attempted murder during which Duggins stabbed a victim multiple times on a public street. For that crime, Duggins was prosecuted in state court for armed assault with intent to murder and other charges and was sentenced to 54 months in state prison.

The investigation revealed that after Duggins was released from state prison in 2016, he went back to associating with MS-13 and helped co-defendant Erick Lopez Flores recruit and mentor the next generation of the gang. For example, upon learning of a 2016 murder committed by co-defendant Henri Salvador Gutierrez in East Boston, Duggins recruited Gutierrez to the Sykos clique and offered to promote him to a higher rank based on his prior violence.

Duggins remained a leader of the Sykos clique in the years following his release from state prison in 2016. During his leadership, members of the Sykos clique continued to engage in racketeering activity and violence on behalf of MS-13.

On July 30, 2018, six members of the Sykos clique participated in a horrific murder in Lynn where they lured a teenage victim to a playground pretending to be friendly with the unsuspecting victim. At the scene, the gang members surrounded the victim and repeatedly stabbed him to death. An autopsy revealed that the victim suffered at least 32 sharp force trauma wounds consistent with being stabbed repeatedly, along with blunt force injuries to the head. 

Although Duggins did not participate in the 2018 murder committed by other members of his clique, the Court noted Duggins’ leadership role and his longstanding involvement in the gang as reasons to impose the 15-year sentence on Duggins. 

Following an investigation in November 2018, Duggins was indicted along with five MS-13 members who participated in the July 2018 murder in Lynn. In a related case, the government charged a juvenile co-conspirator who was the sixth person involved in the Lynn murder. All six defendants indicted in this case, along with the juvenile charged in the related case, have pleaded guilty. Duggins is the fourth defendant to be sentenced. On Feb. 16, 2022, Henri Salvador Gutierrez, a/k/a “Perverso,” was sentenced to life in prison. On Feb. 14, 2022, Erick Lopez Flores, a/k/a “Mayimbu,” was sentenced to 40 years in prison. On Feb. 15, 2022, Jonathan Tercero Yanes, a/k/a “Desalmado,” was sentenced to 33 years in prison. Sentencing hearings for the two remaining co-defendants, Eliseo Vaquerano Canas, a/k/a “Peligroso” and Marlos Reyes, a/k/a “Silencio,” have not yet been scheduled by the Court.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha, Kaitlin O’Donnell and Philip Mallard of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty on Feb. 16, 2022, in federal court in Worcester to drug and firearm offenses.

Lavon Pemberton, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2022. Pemberton was charged by criminal complaint in June 2020 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2020.

On May 14, 2020, Pemberton was observed driving approximately 100 miles per hour on the Massachusetts Turnpike. During a subsequent traffic stop, law enforcement smelled an overwhelming odor of marijuana in the vehicle and marijuana paraphernalia was visible in the passenger compartment as well as the glove box. Pemberton was also found in possession of .8 grams of cocaine and .15 grams of methamphetamine contained in three individually wrapped baggies. When law enforcement approached Pemberton to arrest him, Pemberton ran and tried to climb over a guardrail at a nearby overpass but was immediately apprehended. A search of Pemberton’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of a loaded Ruger SR9 firearm containing 17 rounds of ammunition – eight 9MM hollow point rounds and eight 9MM full metal jacket rounds with one in the firing chamber – as well as 120 grams of marijuana and $5,720 in cash. At the time of the stop, Pemberton was on supervised release due to a previous federal firearms conviction.

The charge of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least two 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; and Colonel Christopher Mason of Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’s Worcester office is prosecuting the case. 

BOSTON – A former Hyde Park man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to accessing child pornography while on federal supervised release for a similar offense.

David Ladeau, 66, pleaded guilty to access with intent to view child pornography. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2022. Ladeau was charged in Oct. 13, 2021.

Ladeau was previously convicted of federal charges in Massachusetts in 2010 for possession of child pornography. Later, in 2015, Ladeau was convicted of conspiracy to possess child pornography in the Middle District of Tennessee. While on federal supervised release for those convictions, law enforcement identified images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on Ladeau’s court-monitored computer. A subsequent investigation determined that in January and February 2021, Ladeau had been using the computer to access child pornography saved on a thumb drive.

Based on Ladeau’s prior convictions, the charge of access with intent to view child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

BOSTON – A Reading man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to distribute meth in and around the Boston area.

Aaron Smith, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. In issuing this sentence, Judge O’Toole cited Smith’s participation in the Court-run RISE (Repair, Invest, Succeed, and Emerge) Program. In May 2020, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.

In late 2018, Smith began purchasing meth from two meth dealers in Boston which evolved into a partnership in which they allowed Smith to pay wholesale cost for meth being shipped from Phoenix. In April 2019, investigators seized a two-pound package of meth from Phoenix that was being shipped to Massachusetts. Smith had contributed cash toward the purchase of this seized meth and was supposed to receive one pound.

In August 2019, Smith agreed to purchase a pound of meth from a cooperating witness, who said the meth was coming from a new supplier in California. Smith met with the cooperating witness at a coffee shop in Boston and took possession of a pound of meth he believed was from the California supplier. Smith was subsequently arrested after exiting the coffee shop.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Acting Commissioner Gregory P. Long, Boston Police Department made the announcement. The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, and Arlington Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON - A New Jersey man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester in connection with attempting to produce child pornography.

Jordan Winczuk, 36, of Bellmawr, N.J., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 45 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Oct. 27, 2021, Winczuk pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of commission of a felony offense involving the sexual exploitation of minor as a registered sex offender.

“While on parole for a previous child exploitation conviction, Mr. Winczuk again sought to sexualize and harm another child. Now, this predator is a federal prisoner,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Today’s sentence illustrates my office’s unwavering commitment to prosecute those who seek to sexualize and harm our children. Through deception and lies, this Level 3 sex offender sought to rob another child of their innocence. Our exceptional law enforcement partners made sure that didn’t happen.”

“Jordan Winczuk repeatedly exploited the innocence of children by portraying himself as someone they could trust. Today’s sentence ensures this danger to society can never sexually exploit another child again,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “While Mr. Winczuk is behind bars, his victims will try to recover from the emotional scars he left them with, and the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice others like him who are intent on harming children.”

In January 2018, Winczuk, a Level 3 sex offender, contacted a Worcester boy through social media. Over a period of weeks, Winczuk attempted to convince the victim, who had disclosed that he was only 11 years old, to photograph his genitals and send those pictures to Winczuk via Instagram. During his contact with the victim, over a period of weeks, Winczuk posed as a 13-year-old girl, the brother of the purported teenage girl and as a first responder in efforts to influence the victim to send photos of himself. In February 2018, a search of Winczuk’s New Jersey residence recovered cell phones that contained child pornography and included multiple conversations in which he requested sexually explicit images from other apparent minors. At the time, Winczuk was on parole following a state conviction in New Jersey for sexually assaulting a boy and endangering the welfare of a child through the distribution of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey State Parole Board. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen M. Noto and Danial Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

BOSTON – An Ipswich man was arrested and charged by criminal complaint today for distribution and possession of child pornography.

Julien Toulotte, 23, was charged with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Following an initial appearance this morning before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein, Toulotte was detained pending a detention and probable cause hearing which is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2022. 

According to the charging document, in January 2021, Toulotte began communicating with an undercover agent purporting to be a 15-year-old girl through social media applications. In February 2021, Toulotte sent videos depicting child pornography to the undercover agent. It is alleged that Toulotte also sent multiple nude photos of himself and encouraged the purported teenager to send photos of herself in return. On March 11, 2021, a search of Toulotte’s residence in Ipswich resulted in the recovery of his electronic devices that contained over 300 images and approximately 300 videos depicting child pornography – including child pornography videos of infants and children approximately two to four years of age. In November 2021, additional search warrants were executed related to this investigation.

The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based 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; Ipswich Police Chief Paul Nikas; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Lincoln Police Chief A. Kevin Kennedy made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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 Connecticut man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges arising from an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $500,000 from his former employer, New England Sports Network (NESN).

Ariel Legassa, 49, was indicted on seven counts of mail fraud and three counts of unlawful monetary transactions. Legassa was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Feb. 2, 2022.

According to the charging documents, from approximately December 2020 to January 2022, Legassa orchestrated a scheme to defraud NESN. It is alleged that Legassa negotiated a legitimate contract with a New York company to provide web development services for NESN and simultaneously created a fictitious business under a similar name in Connecticut, that he then used to receive fraudulent payments from NESN. During the pendency of the legitimate contract between the New York company and NESN, in addition to approving legitimate invoices from the New York company, Legassa allegedly created and approved several fake invoices from the Connecticut company. In all, it is alleged that NESN paid the Connecticut company, which did not have an actual business purpose, $575,500 into an account controlled by Legassa, who then spent the funds on personal expenses, such as paying off a car loan, and transferred the funds into other accounts under his control.

The charge of mail 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 from the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the 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 and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A member of the violent MS-13 gang was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for RICO conspiracy and for his participation in the murders of two teenagers in Massachusetts—one in 2016 in East Boston and the other in 2018 in Lynn—in each instance playing a critical role in repeatedly stabbing a teenager to death.

Henri Salvador Gutierrez, a/k/a “Perverso,” 23, a Salvadoran national, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to life in prison. In June 2021, Gutierrez pleaded guilty to racketeering, or RICO, conspiracy on behalf of MS-13. As part of his activities in furtherance of MS-13, Gutierrez played a critical role in two horrific murders in which teenagers were repeatedly stabbed to death in public parks in Massachusetts. Each of the victims was murdered with extreme atrocity and cruelty in violation of Massachusetts law.

MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational street gang operating in Massachusetts and numerous other states, as well as countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. MS-13 gang members often commit acts of extreme violence against suspected rivals, those suspected of cooperating with law enforcement, and others who the gang views as a threat. The gang is also known for recruiting young members at local high schools, who are then groomed to commit violence in furtherance of the gang’s mission. In recent years, dozens of MS-13 members have been convicted of RICO conspiracy and other serious felonies in the District of Massachusetts.

MS-13 is organized into “cliques” or branches operating in local territories. Gutierrez was a member of the “Sykos Locos Salvatrucha” (Sykos) and, previously, the “Trece Locos Salvatrucha” (TLS) cliques of MS-13. Achieving promotion in MS-13 generally requires the commission of a significant act of violence, often including murder. The evidence in this case showed that Gutierrez was a “homeboy,” or full member of the MS-13 gang.

On Dec. 24, 2016, in furtherance of MS-13’s racketeering activities, Gutierrez participated in the murder of a teenage boy in East Boston. The evidence showed that Gutierrez lured the victim to a public soccer stadium based on Gutierrez’s belief that the victim may have been associated with a rival gang. Gutierrez personally stabbed the victim numerous times and left the victim’s body at the bottom of a stairwell. An autopsy revealed the victim had at least a dozen sharp force wounds consistent with a stabbing, with significant injuries to the neck, chest and back. His throat appeared to have been slashed, and he had multiple incised wounds to the neck and multiple stab wounds to the chest.

In 2017, while the December 2016 murder remained unsolved, and unrelated to that investigation, immigration authorities arrested Gutierrez as part of ongoing removal proceedings. Gutierrez had entered the United States unlawfully in 2014 and was facing deportation. Authorities sought to remove Gutierrez from the United States and pointed to evidence of his association with MS-13 as part of the reasons to oppose Gutierrez’s petition for asylum and other relief. Gutierrez submitted an affidavit and testified under oath at his removal proceedings. Through his statements, Gutierrez misled the immigration court, telling the court that he was not associated with MS-13, had not committed prior violence, and was committed to living a peaceful life in the United States. Relying in part on Gutierrez’s false testimony, in an order dated June 22, 2018, a United States Immigration Judge ordered Gutierrez released and adjusted his status to that of a person admitted for lawful permanent residence in the United States. 

On July 30, 2018, barely a month after being released from immigration custody, Gutierrez committed his second murder, this time with five members of the Sykos clique of MS-13. The six assailants, four of whom were secretly armed with knives, took a 17-year-old boy to a park in Lynn and pretended to be friendly with the unsuspecting victim. At the scene, the six men surrounded the victim and repeatedly stabbed and hacked him to death. After killing the victim, the gang members left his body in the wooded area of the public park where it was discovered days later, on Aug. 2, 2018. An autopsy revealed that the victim suffered at least 32 distinct sharp force trauma wounds consistent with being stabbed repeatedly, along with multiple blunt force injuries. The victim also had small pieces of metal embedded in his head, consistent with parts of the large knives breaking with the force of the strikes to the victim’s skull. 

The evidence in this case, which included a recording of Gutierrez describing the murder in graphic detail and boasting about it, revealed that the gang members murdered the victim based on their mistaken belief that he may have been assisting law enforcement. In the recordings, Gutierrez seemingly took pleasure in recounting the horrific act and expressed laughter while saying the murder was like “chopping wood,” as he and fellow gang members “were stabbing the knife right through him, bringing it down like [...] Bang, bang, bang, bang!”

Following an investigation in November 2018 Gutierrez was indicted along with the five other MS-13 members who participated in the July 2018 murder in Lynn. The six defendants in this case included five participants in the 2018 murder, as well as one longstanding member of the Sykos clique. In a related case, the government charged a juvenile co-conspirator who was the sixth person involved in the murder.

All six defendants indicted in this case, along with the juvenile charged in the related case, have pleaded guilty. Gutierrez is the third defendant to be sentenced in the case. On Feb. 14, 2022, Erick Lopez Flores, a/k/a “Mayimbu,” was sentenced to 40 years in prison. On Feb. 15, 2022, Jonathan Tercero Yanes, a/k/a “Desalmado,” was sentenced to 33 years in prison. Djavier Duggins, a/k/a “Haze,” is scheduled to be sentenced for RICO conspiracy today, Feb. 17, 2022, at 1 p.m. Sentencing hearings for the two remaining co-defendants, Eliseo Vaquerano Canas, a/k/a “Peligroso” and Marlos Reyes, a/k/a “Silencio,” have not yet been scheduled by the Court.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha, Kaitlin O’Donnell, and Philip Mallard of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with distributing counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.

Ruben Mejia, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 45 months in prison and two years of supervised release. On Sept. 9, 2021, Mejia pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and heroin; two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin.

Mejia distributed fentanyl pressed into pills designed to resemble actual pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone. End users of Mejia’s product could reasonably believe they were ingesting legitimate oxycodone pills, unaware that they were in fact consuming street fentanyl of uncertain dosage.

Mejia personally delivered or attempted to deliver approximately 6,000 pills, in total containing over 980 grams of fentanyl, to an undercover agent. On Aug. 13, 2020, Mejia sold an estimated 500 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone pills for $4,000 ($8 per pill). Mejia sold the pills, which he stored in a baby diaper, in five bags containing approximately 100 pills each. On Aug. 26, 2020, Mejia sold another estimated 500 fentanyl pills for $4,000. Mejia was arrested on Sept. 11, 2020, after he was found in possession of an estimated 5,000 fentanyl pills, which he planned to sell for $40,000.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A former Brockton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to sex trafficking charges.

Matthew Engram, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex; trafficking two counts of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution; and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2022.

From January 2009 until August 2015, Engram and a co-conspirator recruited and trafficked three identified victims, as well as others, from a residence in Brockton and elsewhere to engage in commercial sex acts and took all or part of the proceeds. Engram advertised on websites, exchanged text messages with his co-conspirator to share advertisements, organized prostitution dates and reserved hotel rooms. When the victims did not comply with Engram’s demands to prostitute themselves for his profit, he physically assaulted them or directed his co-conspirator to physically assault them. Engram also transported, or caused to transport, the victims to other states, including Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Florida and Maine, to perform commercial sex acts.

 The charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution 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 conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  

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

BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a multi-million-dollar Medicare fraud scheme involving durable medical equipment.

Nathan LaParl, 34, of Boca Raton, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. to three years of probation, the first year to be served subject to a curfew and forfeiture in the amount of $220,671. On Jan. 21, 2021, LaParl pleaded guilty to one count of receiving kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and one count of violating the HIPAA statute.

LaParl and co-defendant Talia Alexandre sold Medicare patients’ personal and medical data to Juan Camilo Perez Buitrago. LaParl and Alexandre worked with foreign call centers to contact Medicare patients to ask if they were interested in durable medical equipment (DME) such as arm, back, knee and shoulder braces “at little to no cost.” The call centers collected demographic and insurance information from Medicare patients, which LaParl and Alexandre sold to Perez Buitrago. Together, LaParl and Alexandre received more than $1.6 million from Perez Buitrago for the patient data. Perez Buitrago used that patient data to submit more than $109 million in false and fraudulent claims, submitting claims for DME that was not prescribed, not necessary, and, in many instances, never requested or received.

To perpetuate the scheme, LaParl checked Medicare patients’ insurance eligibility by improperly accessing a patient eligibility tool provided by co-defendant Stefanie Hirsch. Hirsch owned EI Medical, Inc., a Medicare-enrolled wheelchair and scooter repair company that qualified for access to a health care clearinghouse that contains Medicare patients’ personal, medical and insurance information. Hirsch improperly gave LaParl access to that clearinghouse and charged him about $0.25 per patient eligibility check. Using Hirsch’s credentials, LaParl accessed the personal and medical data of more than 350,000 patients.

Hirsch pleaded guilty to violating the HIPAA statute and was sentenced on Sept. 21, 2021, to three years of probation. Hirsch was also ordered to pay a fine of $2,500. Alexandre pleaded guilty to one count of receiving kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and was sentenced on Dec. 8, 2021, to three years of probation with the first year spent in home detention. Alexandre was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 and restitution in the amount of $1.47 million

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Johnnie Sharp Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Birmingham Field Division; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Boston Division; and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Q. Wan of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Bronx man was sentenced yesterday in connection with his role in a large-scale drug conspiracy that trafficked dozens of kilos of heroin and fentanyl into Springfield, Mass. from Bronx, N.Y. and the Dominican Republic.

Richard Rosario, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 26 months in prison and five years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 102 months in prison. In February 2020, Rosario was convicted by a jury of one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.

Rosario routinely travelled to a heroin mill in Springfield where he and others packaged kilos of heroin for retail distribution for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) which was run by Alberto Marte. The Marte DTO had direct contact with heroin supply sources in the Dominican Republic. On a monthly basis, members of the organization transported between eight and 20 kilos of heroin to the Springfield area. Marte and 11 others have pleaded guilty to crimes resulting from their roles in the organization. In March 2020, Marte was sentenced to 15 years in prison.    

On Sept. 22, 2016, a search at the heroin mill resulted in the seizure of 1.7 kilograms of heroin, some of which was mixed with fentanyl, that had been packaged or was about to be packaged. Rosario and others had packaged 1.5 kilograms of heroin in addition to what was discovered when they searched the premises. Evidence showed that Rosario regularly packaged more than three kilograms of heroin at a time, an amount that could yield more than 200,000 dosage units of heroin.  

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood; Chicopee Interim Police Chief Jeff Gawron; Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt; and West Springfield Police Chief Ronald Campurciani made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil L. Desroches, of Rollins’s Springfield Branch Office, and Stephen W. Hassink, of Rollins’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit, prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Tewksbury real estate developer was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for defrauding the government of more than $480,000 by engaging in a multi-year tax evasion scheme.   

Arnold Martel, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to two years of probation. The government recommended a sentence of 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Martel was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $482,489 to the IRS and a fine of $25,000. On May 13, 2021, Martel pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.

Martel deliberately evaded his responsibility to pay a significant portion of his tax obligations on income from a large condominium development that he built and marketed. From approximately 2014 through 2017, buyers paid Martel’s business the sales price for condos sold. For extras and upgrades to the condos, however, Martel directed buyers to pay him personally. Martel then failed to report this additional income to his tax preparer or report it as income on his tax returns. In total, Martel personally received more than $1.2 million in payments for condo upgrades. For tax years 2014 through 2017, Martel did not report this income on this tax returns resulting in a tax loss of over $482,000.

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

BOSTON – Two Rhode Island men have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy that spanned across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York.

Jasdrual Perez, 33, of Cranston, R.I., and Erik Ventura, 33, of Providence, R.I., were charged with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Following initial appearances before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell, Perez and Ventura were detained pending a hearing which is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2022.

According to the charging documents, in September 2019, agents began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) headed by Perez. The investigation revealed that Perez, Ventura and others allegedly conspired to distribute large quantities of controlled substances, including fentanyl pills, to customers in numerous locations across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. The investigation further revealed that the DTO manufactured fentanyl pills for distribution. In July 2021, law enforcement seized close to 1,100 counterfeit oxycodone pills suspected to contain fentanyl in Dedham, allegedly attributable to the Perez DTO.

According to court documents, on Feb. 7, 2022, a search of Perez’s residence resulted in the seizure of two pill presses, a gallon-sized freezer bag suspected to contain fentanyl pills, more than 50,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills suspected to contain fentanyl and multiple marijuana plants. In total, over 10 kilograms of suspected fentanyl was seized. A search of another home where Perez resides resulted in the seizure of more than $80,000 in alleged drug proceeds.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Providence Field Office; the Drug Enforcement Administration, Providence Field Office; the Rhode Island State Police Department; and the Cranston, Warwick and West Warwick Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig E. Estes and Lindsey E. Weinstein of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. 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 private-equity investor and former senior Staples executive was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his participation in a conspiracy to use fraud and bribery to secure the admission of his three children to the University of Southern California (USC), Harvard University and Stanford University as purported Division I athletic recruits.

John Wilson, 62, of Lynnfield, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 15 months in prison, two years of supervised release, 400 hours of community service and a fine of $200,000. Wilson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $88,546 to the IRS. On Oct. 8, 2021, Wilson was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery; three counts of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud; two counts of federal programs bribery; and one count of filing a false tax return.

In 2013, Wilson agreed to pay William “Rick” Singer $220,000 to facilitate his son’s admission to USC as a purported water polo recruit. The scheme involved presenting Wilson’s son to USC’s subcommittee on athletic admissions using a water polo profile that included fabricated credentials, awards and swim times. After Wilson’s son was accepted to USC, Wilson wired $100,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), $100,000 to Singer’s company, The Key, and $20,000 directly to Singer. Wilson paid the bribe from the corporate account of his private investment firm and falsely deducted part of it as a business expense and the remainder as a charitable contribution. Additionally, in 2018, Wilson agreed to pay Singer $1.5 million to secure the admission of his twin daughters to Harvard University and Stanford University as purported athletic recruits.

Singer previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Mark Deckett, Resident Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

UPDATE: In May 2023, The First Circuit Court of Appeals vacated all but one of the defendant’s jury conviction. In June 2023, the Government moved to dismiss four of the five criminal charges against defendant John Wilson.

BOSTON – A Nigerian national residing in Dorchester pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in online romance scams targeting individuals in the United States.

Mike Oziegbe Amiegbe, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for May 23, 2022. Amiegbe was charged by criminal complaint in March 2021.

From approximately 2017 through at least 2020, Amiegbe and others participated in a series of romance scams designed to defraud victims into sending money to accounts controlled by them. Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. In furtherance of the scheme, Amiegbe deposited checks from victims into bank accounts opened under false identities. Amiegbe and, allegedly, co-conspirators then withdrew and passed a portion of the funds to co-conspirators. Amiegbe admitted that at least $550,000 in fraud proceeds was deposited into fraudulent bank accounts he controlled.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. 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; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and William Kalb, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Office of Investigations, New York Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. 

BOSTON – A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced today on racketeering and drug charges.

Roberto Vargas, a/k/a “King Royalty,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In February 2021, Vargas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to distribute, manufacture and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base.

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.

On Sept. 30, 2019, Vargas was one of multiple members of the Latin Kings who travelled to Ruth Street and McGurk Street in New Bedford in order to confront rival gang members. After “flagging” – brandishing a yellow and black Latin Kings bandanna – in the territory of the rival gang, the Latin Kings members approached one of the rival gang members, surrounded him, pointed a firearm at him and demanded his phone. During the robbery, the victim ran and a Latin Kings member chased the victim and fired one gunshot, hitting the victim in the back. The victim fell to the ground and was transported to the hospital, where he was treated and ultimately survived the incident.

Vargas also participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy that the Latin Kings operated in multi-unit apartment buildings controlled by the gang, known as trap houses, throughout New Bedford. Recordings generated during the case captured him distributing cocaine to other Latin Kings members, as well as in a trap house with a kilogram of cocaine that was being prepared to be “cooked” into cocaine base (crack cocaine).

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. Vargas is the 45th defendant to be sentenced in the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; 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 & 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 – Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed charging a Massachusetts man for allegedly obstructing an investigation into fires set at Jewish-affiliated institutions in Arlington, Needham and Chelsea, Mass. in May 2019.

Alexander Giannakakis, 35, formerly of Quincy, Mass., was arrested by Swedish authorities in a Stockholm suburb, at the request of the United States. Giannakakis was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for making false statements in a matter involving domestic terrorism; falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact in a matter involving domestic terrorism by trick, scheme and device; concealing records in a federal investigation; tampering with documents and objects; and tampering with an official proceeding.  The United States plans to seek his extradition to face charges in Boston.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins said, “Today’s arrest in Stockholm came about as a result of a close partnership with our state, local, federal and international law enforcement partners – specifically our Swedish counterparts. International cooperation is critical to our efforts to get justice and accountability for our victims here in Massachusetts.”  

“On behalf of FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, I’d like to thank the Swedish Security Service for their assistance in helping us bring justice to the citizens who have been victimized,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI’s strong relationship and close coordination with them was critical to the success of this investigation.”

According to the indictment, in and around February 2020, Giannakakis’s younger brother became the prime suspect in an investigation into four fires that had been set at Jewish-related institutions in the Boston area: the first during the evening of May 11, 2019 at a Chabad Center in Arlington; the second at the same location during the evening of May 16, 2019; the third at a Chabad Center in Needham; and the fourth during the evening of May 26, 2019 at Jewish-affiliated business in Chelsea.

Giannakakis’s younger brother was hospitalized and in a coma since November 2019, approximately six months after the fourth fire. He remained in a coma until his death.

Investigators learned that Giannakakis had left the United States allegedly with his younger brother’s electronic devices and papers, and brought them to Sweden. In March 2020 Giannakakis re-entered the United States with his brother’s electronics. When Giannakakis was in Quincy, Mass., he was asked by investigators about his younger brother’s connection to the fires and whether the family had a storage unit. Giannakakis allegedly told investigators that his parents had a storage unit at a nearby storage facility, and later admitted that he maintained and controlled access to it.  Following a search of the storage unit, Giannakakis was also asked where else his brother might have kept property. Giannakakis allegedly responded that there were no other locations.

The indictment further alleges that Giannakakis knew that these statements and actions were intentionally false and misleading, as the night before he had visited both the storage unit and a second storage unit at the same facility, which contained items belonging to his younger brother, including t-shirts with a swastika depicted on the front, a box with his brother’s name on it, his brother’s passport, a notebook with his brother’s name on it and a swastika drawn inside, and a black backpack containing a bottle of cyanide. Giannakakis had allegedly leased the second storage unit himself and listed his younger brother as an authorized user. It is alleged that Giannakakis deliberately lied about the second storage unit and concealed it from investigators to prevent them from seizing his brother’s property.   

Finally, the indictment alleges that on March 22, 2020, Giannakakis went to the second storage unit and removed items belonging to his younger brother that were relevant and material to the ongoing arson investigation, including the backpack and the bottle of cyanide. Later that evening, Giannakakis departed the United States for Sweden and has not returned since. 

The charges of making false statements in a matter involving domestic terrorism and falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact in a matter involving domestic terrorism by trick, scheme, and device each provide for a sentence of up to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of concealing records in a federal investigation, tampering with documents and objects, and tampering with an official proceeding each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Chief Juliann Flaherty of the Arlington Police Department; Chief John Schlittler of the Needham Police Department; Chief Brian Kyes of the Chelsea Police Department; Chief Paul Keenan of the Quincy  Police Department; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey made the announcement today.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Swedish law enforcement authorities including the Swedish Security Service, as well as the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott L. Garland, Acting Chief of Rollins’ National Security Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and John McNeil, also with Rollins’ Criminal Division.

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

BOSTON – A Colorado woman and a Houston woman were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for their roles in a multi-million-dollar Medicare fraud scheme.

Jessica Jones, 32, of Lakewood Colo., and Elizabeth Putulin, 31, of Houston, Texas were each sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. to three years of supervised release, the first year to be served in home detention. Judge O’Toole, Jr. also ordered Jones to pay restitution in the amount of $8.6 million and ordered Putulin to pay restitution in the amount of $20.7 million. Jones and Putulin are also barred from engaging in an occupation business in the health care industry. On Jan. 20, 2021, Jones and Putulin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Jones and Putulin conspired with Juan Camilo Perez Buitrago to submit more than $107.6 million in false and fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment (DME) such as arm, back, knee and shoulder braces. Jones and Putulin helped Perez manufacture and submit false and fraudulent Medicare claims by establishing shell companies in more than a dozen different states, including Massachusetts. At Perez’s request, Jones and Putulin purchased Medicare patient data from foreign and domestic call centers that targeted elderly patients and instructed call centers to contact the Medicare beneficiaries with an offer of ankle, arm, back, knee and/or shoulder braces “at little to no cost.”  Perez then submitted Medicare claims for those patients without obtaining a prescriber’s order to ensure that the braces were medically necessary. Jones and Putulin further facilitated the fraud by answering frequent phone calls from Medicare patients who received DME that they did not request, want or need. Additionally, Jones and Putulin responded to insurance companies’ requests for prescriber’s orders and medical records, which they were unable to provide.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Johnnie Sharp Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Birmingham Field Division; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Boston Division; and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Q. Wan of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Southbridge man was pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to cocaine possession.

Revel Pedro Rivera, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2022. Rivera was indicted in September 2020.

In early July 2020, federal agents intercepted a package containing a kilogram of cocaine that was shipped to Rivera’s residence from Puerto Rico. Agents removed the cocaine and replaced it with a counterfeit substance. On July 6, 2020, Rivera accepted delivery of the package and was arrested as he left the property with the package that he believed contained cocaine.  

The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A member of MS-13 was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for RICO conspiracy and his participation in the July 2018 murder of a teenage boy in Lynn, who suffered at least 32 sharp force trauma wounds consistent with being stabbed repeatedly, along with blunt force injuries to the head. 

Jonathan Tercero Yanes, a/k/a “Desalmado,” 24, a Salvadoran national, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 33 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In May 2021, Tercero Yanes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, also known as RICO conspiracy, on behalf of the MS-13 gang. As part of his plea, Tercero Yanes also admitted to participating in the 2018 murder of a teenager, who was murdered with extreme atrocity and cruelty, and with deliberate premeditation, in violation of Massachusetts law.

MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational street gang operating in Massachusetts and numerous other states, as well as countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. MS-13 gang members often commit acts of extreme violence against suspected rivals, those suspected of cooperating with law enforcement, and others who the gang views as a threat. In recent years, dozens of MS-13 members have been convicted of RICO conspiracy and other serious felonies in the District of Massachusetts.  MS-13 is organized into “cliques” or branches operating in local territories. Tercero Yanes belonged to the “Sykos Locos Salvatrucha” clique of MS-13, which operated in the cities of Lynn, Chelsea and other parts of Massachusetts.

In November 2018, Tercero Yanes and five other MS-13 members of the Sykos clique were indicted following an investigation into the murder of a teenage boy, whose body was found in a park in Lynn on Aug. 2, 2018. The six defendants in this case included five participants in the murder, as well as one longstanding member of the Sykos clique. In a related case, the government charged a juvenile co-conspirator who was the sixth person involved in the murder. 

The evidence in this case, which included a recording of one of Tercero Yanes’ co-defendants describing the murder in graphic detail, revealed that Tercero Yanes and five other MS-13 gang members murdered the victim based on their mistaken belief that he may have been assisting law enforcement.

On July 30, 2018, the gang members lured the victim to a playground and at least four of them were armed with knives. The group pretended to be friendly with the unsuspecting victim and took him to a wooded area of the park where they surrounded the victim and repeatedly stabbed him to death. At least four of the six assailants, including Tercero Yanes, stabbed the victim, while two others assisted at the scene. After killing the victim, the gang members left his body in the wooded area of the public park. An autopsy revealed that the victim suffered at least 32 sharp force trauma wounds consistent with being stabbed repeatedly, along with blunt force injuries to the head.

The investigation also revealed that Tercero Yanes had been stopped by immigration authorities on at least two occasions prior to his participation in the July 2018 murder, including efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to have him detained in immigration custody in November 2017 based on a belief that Tercero Yanes posed a threat to public safety. Tercero Yanes was released on bond from immigration custody in November 2017.

All six defendants indicted in this case, along with the juvenile charged in the related case, have pleaded guilty. Tercero Yanes is the second defendant to be sentenced in the case. Yesterday, Feb. 14, 2022, Erick Lopez Flores a/k/a Mayimbu was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Henri Salvador Gutierrez, a/k/a “Perverso,” is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 16, 2022 for RICO conspiracy and his participation in the July 2018 murder, as well as his participation in a December 2016 murder in East Boston.  Djavier Duggins, a/k/a “Haze,” is scheduled to be sentenced for RICO conspiracy on Feb. 17, 2022. Sentencing hearings for the two remaining co-defendants, Eliseo Vaquerano Canas a/k/a “Peligroso” and Marlos Reyes a/k/a “Silencio” have not yet been scheduled by the Court.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Kaitlin O’Donnell of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

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

Tyson Jorge, a/k/a “King Music,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately 35 days in prison). The government recommended a sentence of 21 months in prison.

On Aug. 25, 2021, Jorge 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.

Jorge was involved in the New Bedford Latin Kings’ racketeering conspiracy and in the gang’s drug distribution efforts throughout the New Bedford. Jorge attended gang meetings in which violence against rival gang members was discussed. 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. Jorge is the 44th defendant to be sentenced in the case in the case.

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

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement. 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 & 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 – The former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Boston Grand Prix was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with multiple schemes to defraud equipment and small business financing companies as well as the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Internal Revenue Service.

John F. Casey, 58, formerly of Ipswich, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. Casey was also ordered to pay $1,998,097 in restitution and ordered to forfeit $1,570,399. On Oct. 21, 2021, Casey pleaded guilty to 23 counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, four counts of money laundering and three counts of filing false tax returns.

Casey became the CFO of the Boston Grand Prix in January 2015. The Boston Grand Prix organization made payments to, or on behalf of, Casey totaling approximately $308,292 in 2015 and $601,073 in 2016 which Casey failed to include in the gross income he claimed on his personal tax returns for those years.

Casey also owned an ice rink in Peabody from October 2013 until he sold it in June 2016. Between October 2014 and October 2016, Casey obtained over $743,000 in funds from equipment financing companies, purportedly for the purchase of equipment for the ice rink, when in fact he no longer owned the rink for four months during this period. In addition, in August 2016, more than two months after he sold the Peabody rink, Casey obtained over $145,000 in small business loans for the rink business. In order to secure the financing, Casey submitted false documents and information including fake invoices for the equipment, bank records purporting to show deposits into Casey’s accounts related to the Peabody rink, inflated personal and corporate tax returns and personal financial statements falsely claiming ownership and value of various assets. Casey also submitted a fake Deed of Sale containing a forged signature in support of one of his loan applications. Relying on Casey’s false statements, the financing companies provided funding to Casey in amounts and on terms they otherwise would not have made. Most of the funds provided by the victim companies were never repaid.

In addition, between March 2020 and at least May 2021, Casey orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program loans from the SBA and a Massachusetts Sector-Specific Relief Grant – available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act – by submitting false applications for companies he created and controlled and by improperly using the fraudulently obtained loan and grant funds for personal expenses. Specifically, Casey submitted at least 14 loan applications to the SBA and intermediary lenders which contained false information concerning, among other things, the gross revenues of the companies during the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average monthly payroll of the companies and the existence of some of the companies.

In the course of his pandemic assistance fraud, Casey stole the identities of two women and used their personal identifying information to file fraudulent applications. Finally, in January 2021, while awaiting trial for the financing fraud scheme, Casey submitted an application for a $70,000 pandemic-related relief grant to the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation containing false information about the operating expenses of a company that was not in business in 2019 or 2020. Between April 2020 and April 2021, approximately $676,552 in COVID-19 relief funds was deposited into bank accounts controlled by Casey, and he used the vast majority of the funds for personal expenses, including a three-carat diamond ring which was ordered forfeited, a six-month membership to Match.com, private school tuition, residential rent payments, living expenses, payments on personal credit card accounts, restaurant meals, car payments and luxury hotel stays.  

Casey also laundered the proceeds of his fraud schemes and failed to include the income from the Peabody rink fraud scheme on his 2014, 2015 and 2016 personal federal tax returns. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay 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 – An East Longmeadow man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for placing a lit firebomb at the entrance of a Longmeadow senior health care facility on April 2, 2020, and for lying to the FBI about his whereabouts on that day.

John Rathbun, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. As part of his supervised release, Judge Mastroianni ordered that Rathbun not enter the campus of the Longmeadow facility for any reason.

“Mr. Rathbun’s hate-filled and ruthless actions put the entire Longmeadow community at risk,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Today’s sentence sends a powerful message that hate and bigotry have no place in Massachusetts. Everyone deserves to live free of fear and authentically and fully as themselves. My office will continue to support and work alongside the Jewish community with our law enforcement partners to investigate any acts of violence rooted in bias or hate.”

“There is no way to undo the damage John Rathbun did to the elderly residents of this Jewish assisted living facility, and to the entire community, with his hateful, repulsive, and violent behavior. But today’s sentence does hold him accountable for placing a lit firebomb in their path and for lying to us about it,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Make no mistake, the FBI will use every investigative tool available, along with the expertise and skills of our partners on our Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify, assess, and disrupt threats like this one in order to keep our communities safe.”

On June 15, 2021, Rathbun was convicted by a federal jury of one count of attempting to transport or receive explosive devices in interstate or foreign commerce with the knowledge or intent that the device will be used to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle or other real or personal property and one count of attempting to maliciously damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce.

On Nov. 13, 2020, Rathbun was convicted by another federal jury of lying to the FBI by claiming that he had not left his house on April 2, 2020. 

On the morning of April 2, 2020, Rathbun assembled, placed, and lit a homemade firebomb at the driveway entrance of Jewish Geriatric Services Lifecare, Inc., a Jewish nursing home complex in Longmeadow. The device consisted of a five-gallon Scepter fuel canister filled with gasoline and a partially charred wick comprised of pages from a Christian religious pamphlet. Forensic analysis identified Rathbun’s DNA on the canister and pamphlet.

On April 15, 2020, Rathbun falsely stated to a federal agent that he was at home on April 2, that he was not familiar with the location on Converse Street where the device was placed and that he had not possessed or even seen the fuel canister.

U.S. Attorney Rollins; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force with valuable assistance also provided by the Longmeadow and East Longmeadow Police Departments and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil L. Desroches and Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case, along with Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Risa Berkower. 

BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a $100,000 settlement with Brockton Urology Clinic LLC (Brockton Urology), a physician practice located in North Easton, to resolve allegations that it violated federal health care laws resulting in false claims to Medicare.

As detailed in the settlement agreement, in 2011, Brockton Urology entered into an agreement with a Massachusetts hospital which obligated Brockton Urology to administer a “Prostate Cancer Center of Excellence” at said hospital. However, as Brockton Urology admits, the hospital never created a Prostate Cancer Center of Excellence and Brockton Urology never provided a physician to serve as the director of a Prostate Cancer Program. Yet from April 2011 through December 2017, the hospital paid Brockton Urology purportedly pursuant to the agreement and Brockton Urology referred patients to the hospital.

The United States contends that this course of conduct constitutes an unlawful financial relationship between Brockton Urology, a party that referred health services, and the hospital, the entity that billed Medicare for those services. Through this violation of the law, Brockton Urology caused the submission of false claims to Medicare.

“Strict adherence to federal laws and regulations concerning the administration of our health care system is critical,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “These safeguards are designed to protect the United States government from waste, fraud, and abuse.  Our Office and its law-enforcements partners are vigilant in our efforts to stop anyone—hospitals, corporations, and even physician practices—that might be cutting corners and failing to follow our health care laws.”

“This settlement sends a clear message that these types of financial arrangements will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that all medical providers properly follow health care rules and regulations,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “I appreciate the partnership with the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office in identifying and prosecuting this type of fraud.”

“The False Claims Act exists to protect the wallets of hard-working taxpayers,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This settlement with Brockton Urology is a result of our continued efforts to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the patients who depend on them.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins, HHS-OIG SAC Coyne and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles B. Weinograd and Jessica J. Weber of Rollins’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.

BOSTON – A Romanian national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on racketeering conspiracy charges relating to an ATM skimming operation that stretched throughout Massachusetts and other states including Connecticut, New York and South Carolina. 

Dragush Nelo Hornea, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 21 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Dragush Hornea will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. Judge Young also ordered Hornea to pay restitution in the amount of $90,452 and issued a forfeiture money judgment of $18,090.54. On Oct. 5, 2021, Dragush Hornea pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (more commonly known as RICO conspiracy) and one count of conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices. Dragush Hornea was extradited from Germany to the District of Massachusetts in April 2021 after being indicted in May 2017.

Dragush Hornea was a member of the Hornea Crew, led by co-conspirators Constantin Denis Hornea and Ludemis Hornea. Over a period of 18 months, the Crew engaged in an ATM skimming scheme to steal debit card numbers and PINs from unsuspecting bank customers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, South Carolina, Georgia and other locations within the United States. Members of the Crew installed skimming devices in the following locations: Amherst, Bellingham, Billerica, Braintree, Chicopee, Quincy, Southwick, Waltham, Weymouth and Whately, Mass.; Enfield, Conn.; Columbia, Greenville, Greenwood, Mauldin, and Saluda, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; and Yadkinville, N.C. The stolen information was then used by Hornea and other co-conspirators to clone the victim customers’ debit cards and make unauthorized withdrawals from victim bank accounts at ATMs throughout the United States. In total, the skimming activities resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.

Dragush Hornea was indicted with 13 co-defendants in May 2017, along with another co-defendant charged in a superseding indictment. All 15 defendants have pleaded guilty and those sentenced have received sentences ranging from one year and one day to 65 months in prison.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistance with the investigation was also provided by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Service; Massachusetts Department of Correction; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Amherst, Billerica, Braintree, Boston, Quincy, Southwick, Waltham, Whately, and Westwood Police Departments in Massachusetts; Greenwich (Conn.), New York City, Houston, Florence and Saluda (S.C.) Police Departments; Connecticut State Police; South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; Richland County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Department; and the Solicitor’s Offices of Greenville and Saluda Counties. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided invaluable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Dragush Hornea to the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy E. Moran, Chief of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Gang Unit, prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A leader of MS-13 was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for RICO conspiracy and his participation in the July 2018 murder of a teenage boy in Lynn, who suffered at least 32 sharp force trauma wounds consistent with being stabbed repeatedly, along with blunt force injuries to the head. 

Erick Lopez Flores, a/k/a “Mayimbu,” 33, of Lynn, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 40 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In July 2020, Lopez Flores pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, also known as RICO conspiracy, on behalf of the MS-13 gang. As part of his plea, Lopez Flores also admitted that he participated in the 2018 murder of a teenager, who was murdered with extreme atrocity and cruelty, and with deliberate premeditation, in violation of Massachusetts law.

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

MS-13 is organized into “cliques” or branches operating in local territories. Lopez Flores belonged to the “Sykos Locos Salvatrucha” clique of MS-13, which operated in the cities of Lynn, Chelsea and other parts of Massachusetts. Lopez Flores was one of the leaders of the Sykos clique and had been an MS-13 member since approximately 2006. 

In November 2018, Lopez Flores and five other MS-13 members of the Sykos clique were indicted following an investigation into the murder of a teenage boy, whose body was found in a park in Lynn on Aug. 2, 2018. The six defendants in this case included five participants in the murder, as well as one longstanding member of the Sykos clique. In a related case, the government charged a juvenile co-conspirator who was the sixth person involved in the murder. 

The evidence in this case, which included a recording of one of Lopez Flores’ co-defendants describing the murder in graphic detail, revealed that Lopez Flores and five other MS-13 gang members murdered the victim based on their mistaken belief that he may have been assisting law enforcement.

On July 30, 2018, the gang members lured the victim to a playground and at least four of them were armed with knives. The group pretended to be friendly with the unsuspecting victim and took him to a wooded area of the park. At the scene, the gang members surrounded the victim and repeatedly stabbed him to death. At least four of the six assailants stabbed the victim, while Lopez Flores and a juvenile gang member assisted at the scene. Lopez Flores authorized the murder in his capacity as one of the leaders of the clique. After killing the victim, the gang members left his body in the wooded area of the public park. An autopsy revealed that the victim suffered at least 32 sharp force trauma wounds consistent with being stabbed repeatedly, along with blunt force injuries to the head.

All six defendants indicted in this case, along with the juvenile charged in the related case, have pleaded guilty. Lopez Flores is the first defendant to be sentenced. Jonathan Tercero Yanes, a/k/a “Desalmado,” is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 15, 2022 for RICO conspiracy and his participation in the July 2018 murder; Henri Salvador Gutierrez, a/k/a “Perverso,” is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 16, 2022 for RICO conspiracy and his participation in the July 2018 murder, as well as his participation in a December 2016 murder in East Boston; and Djavier Duggins, a/k/a “Haze,” is scheduled to be sentenced for RICO conspiracy on Feb. 17, 2022. Sentencing hearings for the two remaining co-defendants, Marlos Reyes and Eliseo Vaquerano Canas, have not yet been scheduled by the Court.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Kaitlin O’Donnell of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – An associate of the Orchard Park gang was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for firearm and drug charges arising from his involvement in a Boston-area drug trafficking organization.

Raymond Gaines, 42, of Bridgewater, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 90 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 25, 2022, Gaines pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In April 2021, an investigation was opened into a drug trafficking organization involving Gaines. The investigation revealed that Gaines was an associate of the Orchard Park gang and that he actively sold cocaine in and around the Boston area. On June 1, 2021, Gaines was found in possession of cocaine intended for sale, as well as a Ruger .380 LCP semiautomatic handgun, loaded with one round of .380 caliber ammunition and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun, along with numerous rounds of additional ammunition. Gaines was on federal supervised release at the time of the offense.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher D. Delmonte made the announcement. 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. 

BOSTON – A Methuen woman was arrested yesterday in connection with stealing Social Security benefits intended for her child.   

Karen Silva-Brown, 56, was indicted on one count of theft of public funds. Silva-Brown was released on conditions following an initial appearance yesterday afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein. 

According to the indictment, from November 2014 through October 2018, Silva-Brown embezzled approximately $60,810 in Social Security benefits that were intended for her minor child.

The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the 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 and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Honduran national residing in Fall River was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegal reentry. The defendant was previously convicted on state charges of three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child as well as assault and disorderly conduct.

Rudy Osorto Bonilla, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (approximately eight months in prison) and three years of supervised release. Osorto will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On Oct. 14, 2021, Osorto Bonilla pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

In 2003 Osorto Bonilla, who was illegally present in the United States, was convicted in the Fall River District Court with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child. Osorto Bonilla was subsequently placed into removal proceedings and in March 2004, was deported to Honduras.

Sometime after this 2004 removal, Osorto Bonilla illegally returned to the United States. In June 2010, Osorto Bonilla arrested and later convicted in Maryland state court of assault and disorderly conduct. Following this conviction, Osorto Bonilla was charged and convicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland of illegal reentry and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Following completion of his sentence, Osorto Bonilla was placed into removal proceedings and was deported to his native country of Honduras in July 2011.

Sometime after this second removal, Osorto Bonilla again illegally returned to the United States and in June 2021 was arrested in Fall River by federal agents. His previous Order of Removal was reinstated, and his case was referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston for prosecution.

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

BOSTON – A member of the Tiny Rascals Gang (TRG) pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Massachusetts and Maine and to his involvement in six shootings in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Jaiir Coleman, a/k/a “JC”, a/k/a “Chino,” 22, of Malden, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 280 grams or more of cocaine base, and other controlled substances; one count of conspiring to possess, use and carry firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy; one count of possessing a machine gun; and one count of possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2022. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Coleman faces a mandatory term of 40 years in prison for these drug and gun crimes.

Coleman was arrested in January 2021 on state offenses and charged in April 2021 as part of Operation Street Sweepah: Kings of Belaire, an investigation that began in 2020 in direct response to increased violence in communities north of Boston where a significant spike in shootings is believed to be the result of gang-related rivalries.

Coleman is a self-identified member of TRG, one of the largest and most violent criminal street gangs in the country that operates on a decentralized structure via local groups or “sets.” TRG is involved in street-level distribution of powdered cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine and members are known for their involvement in gun violence on the street, including drive-by shootings of residences of rival gang members.

Coleman participated in a long-running conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) locally and in the Bangor, Maine, area. The charging documents describe numerous recorded conversations between Coleman and a co-conspirator in which the sale and distribution of controlled substances is discussed, including explicit instructions by Coleman about the manner in which to adulterate fentanyl and the proper prices to charge. 

Coleman admitted to committing six shootings in furtherance of this drug conspiracy. Four shootings took place on Nov. 11, 2019, in Chelsea and Somerville, during which homes and vehicles were struck with gunfire. A fifth shooting took place in May 2020 in Somerville targeting individuals who were believed to be rival gang members. A sixth shooting took place in Cambridge in July 2020, during which Coleman used a machine gun to shoot at a group of individuals in response to a video posting made on social media.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Coleman was arrested for operating with a suspended license. A subsequent search of Coleman’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of a machine gun. According to the charging documents, a music video posted online earlier that week depicts Coleman holding and brandishing the same machine gun recovered from the vehicle on Jan. 6, 2021.

The charge of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 280 grams or more of cocaine base, provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of conspiring to possess, use and carry firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to life in prison because a machine gun was involved in the offense, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possessing a machine gun 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 possessing a machine gun during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and up to life in prison to be served consecutively to the penalty for the underlying drug trafficking crime, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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 Field Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Roy E. McKinney, Director of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; Somerville Acting Police Chief Charles Femino; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow; Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis; and Revere Police Chief James Guido made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine; Middlesex County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices; Suffolk County and Essex County Sheriff’s Departments; and the Boston Police Department. 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.

BOSTON – A Waltham man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly receiving child pornography.

Robert Daigle, 45, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography. Daigle was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Jan. 11, 2022, with the same offense and, after a detention hearing, was released on pretrial conditions.

According to charging documents, a search of Daigle’s residence on Jan. 11, 2022, resulted in the recovery of electronic devices belonging to the defendant. An on-site forensic examination revealed images and videos depicting child pornography on at least one device. During an interview with investigative agents, Daigle allegedly admitted to downloading hundreds of thousands of child pornography files. 

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $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 Office; and Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in federal court in Worcester for his role in a conspiracy to traffic drugs from California to Western Massachusetts and launder the proceeds.

Miguel Betancourt, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Aug. 18, 2021, Betancourt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

In July, 2016, Betancourt received five kilograms of cocaine from a Mexican drug trafficking organization (DTO) and distributed it in Western Massachusetts. As partial payment for the cocaine, Betancourt engaged in two types of money laundering. First, by providing his source with two vehicles, from the inventory of an auto dealership Betancourt owned, for no payment. Second, Betancourt also helped wire cash from his own drug sales back to the Mexican DTO. 

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, San Diego Division, Homeland Security Investigations and the Westfield Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil L. Desroches and Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Office prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A serial sex trafficker who exploited multiple victims over a 15-year period was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on various sex trafficking charges.

Bruce “Arki” Brown, 43, of Dorchester, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 138 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On Nov. 1, 2021, Brown pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor; transportation of a minor for purposes of prostitution; two counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; obstruction of justice; and witness tampering. Brown has remained in federal custody since his arrest in February 2020.

“For more than 15 years, Brown preyed upon women and profited from his sex trafficking enterprise. His exploitation and violence caused immeasurable harm and trauma,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Many people assume that this kind of depravity doesn’t exist our communities, but it does. Sex trafficking activity on the local level is a reality – and so is imprisonment. Today’s sentence shows that those who engage in such heinous crimes will be identified, prosecuted and put behind bars. My office and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in our efforts to hold traffickers accountable and bring accountability to their victims.”

“What Bruce Brown did is unconscionable. He sexually exploited vulnerable victims and plied them with promises of a better life and then used violence, and psychological manipulation as a means of control,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s sentence cannot erase the harm inflicted upon his victims, but it keeps Mr. Brown exactly where he belongs—behind bars. The FBI will never stop working to find and help victims of human trafficking, to protect them from further abuse, and to keep their traffickers from hurting anyone else.”

Brown was originally indicted in February 2020. In June 2020, Brown was charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice and witness tampering for his attempt to influence a victim’s testimony related to the charges against him. In July 2020, Brown was charged in a second superseding indictment.

Brown targeted particularly vulnerable and transient victims and manipulated them through tailored psychological techniques to maintain control.

After Brown was charged in February 2020, he attempted to obstruct justice and tamper with his victims’ testimony. He directed co-conspirators to call victims and try to get them to alter or withdraw their testimony against him. Brown dubbed this scheme his “Plan B.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The Newton Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Mackenzie J. Duane of Rollins’ Civil Rights Enforcement Team prosecuted the case.

If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.

BOSTON – A Maine man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mass., in connection with the Dec. 28, 2020, fire that destroyed a predominately Black church in Springfield.

Dushko Vulchev, 45, of Houlton, Maine, was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of damage to religious property involving fire and one count of use of fire to commit a federal felony. Vulchev was previously charged by criminal complaint in April 2021.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of Dec. 28, 2020, law enforcement observed a fire at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Presbyterian Church (MLK Church) which caused significant damage to the building. During a subsequent investigation, it was determined that the fire was related to other incidents, including arsons and malicious damage to vehicles that occurred on church property and the surrounding area. These included a fire at the backdoor of the MLK Church on Dec. 13, 2020, and two additional fires near the backdoor of the Church on Dec. 15, 2020. Further investigation and review of video surveillance identified Vulchev as the alleged perpetrator.

According to court documents, during a subsequent search of Vulchev’s vehicle, multiple electronic storage devices containing images demonstrating Vulchev’s racial animus toward Black people, including a “White Lives Matter” mural and a photo of Adolf Hitler in a track suit were seized. Vulchev’s electronic devices also allegedly contained messages revealing Vulchev’s hatred of Black people dating back several years, with Vulchev’s recent messages from December 2020 calling to “eliminate all N*****s,” and stating “I need a gun to kill N*****s.” According to the court documents, individuals familiar with Vulchev told law enforcement that Vulchev frequently displayed racial animus towards non-whites and routinely referred to Black people using a racial epithet.

The charge of damage to religious property involving fire provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of use of fire to commit a federal felony provides for a sentence of at least 10 years in prison, in addition to any sentence received for the other charged crimes. 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 Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Massachusetts State Police Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by Hampden and Berkshire District Attorney’s Office; Springfield Fire Department; and the Springfield, Pittsfield, Houlton (Maine), Newington (Conn.) and American International College Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of Rollins’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with advertising the sale of firearms on Snapchat.  

Juan Aparicio, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2022. Aparicio was indicted in August 2020.

In June 2019 and January 2020, Aparicio posted videos on his Snapchat offering to sell numerous firearms. A search of Aparicio’s residence resulted in the recovery of a loaded assault rifle and handgun. Due to previous convictions punishable by more than one year in prison, Aparicio is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, 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; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; and Superintendent Raymond Kelly Richardson of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Office are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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 senior gaming and hospitality executive was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his participation in a conspiracy to facilitate his daughter’s admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as a purported basketball recruit through bribery and fraud.

Gamal Abdelaziz, 65, of Las Vegas, Nev., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, 400 hours of community service and a fine of $250,000. On Oct. 8, 2021, Abdelaziz was convicted following a four-week jury trial of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and honest services mail fraud and wire fraud; and one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery.

In 2017, Abdelaziz agreed to pay a co-conspirator, William “Rick” Singer, $300,000 to facilitate the admission of Abdelaziz’s daughter to USC as a purported basketball recruit. At the time, Abdelaziz’s daughter had not played basketball in well over a year and she had never been a member of her high school’s varsity basketball team.

As part of the scheme, a co-conspirator created a basketball profile for Abdelaziz’s daughter which included a photo of a different athlete and listed falsified awards and athletic honors.  Another co-conspirator who was employed in the USC athletic department, then  used that fake profile to secure the admission of Abdelaziz’s daughter to USC as a purported basketball recruit. Abdelaziz later wired $300,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, in exchange for the fraudulent admission.

Singer previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Mark Deckett, Resident Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

UPDATE: In May 2023, The First Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the defendant’s jury conviction. In June 2023, the government moved to dismiss all criminal charges against defendant Gamal Abdelaziz.

BOSTON – A Westborough man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for trafficking contraband smokeless tobacco into Massachusetts.

Muhammad Mushtaq Balaparaya, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to one year and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. In April 2021, Balaparaya pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in contraband smokeless tobacco.

Between February 2014 through April 2018, Balaparaya transported more than 500 units of contraband smokeless tobacco in violation of federal law. Balaparaya imported the contraband smokeless tobacco into Massachusetts from Pennsylvania, where he had obtained it. At no time was Balaparaya licensed to sell or distribute tobacco products in Massachusetts, nor had Balaparaya paid the required excise tax on the smokeless tobacco products that was seized from him.

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. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service employee has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with stealing packages in Gardner. 

Roberta Feliz, 32, of Fitchburg, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. A plea hearing is scheduled for March 15, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman.

According to the charging documents, from approximately February through August 2020, Feliz stole mail entrusted to her for delivery while a Postal Service employee in Gardner.

The charge of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

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

Robert A. Ronzio, 48, of North Providence, R.I., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served. In December 2016, Ronzio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the FDA. Ronzio cooperated with the government and testified at three trials of other NECC defendants. 

NECC fraudulently held itself out as a pharmacy dispensing drugs pursuant to physician-created prescriptions when in fact it operated as a manufacturer distributing drugs in bulk. NECC created numerous work-around methods to make it appear to federal and state regulators that NECC was dispensing drugs pursuant to valid patient-specific prescriptions when in fact it was not.

Specifically, NECC sales representatives requested that customers (hospitals and clinics) send in a list of patient names with their orders, but informed the customers that NECC would not label the drugs with the names of patients, thereby allowing the customers to use the drugs for any patients. NECC sales representatives requested customers send patient rosters or appointment schedules with their orders, from which NECC employees created patient-specific prescriptions that could be provided to federal or state regulators. Furthermore, NECC would not request patient names for first orders and often waived the requirement entirely for certain customers or drug orders. To determine the number of patient names required, the former owner of NECC and head pharmacist, Barry Cadden, created ratios of patient names to the number of drug units sought in an order. Ronzio admitted that the reason for these work-around methods was to maintain NECC’s status as a pharmacy and avoid heightened regulatory oversight of the FDA.

The NECC criminal case arose from the nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis that was traced back to contaminated vials of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) manufactured by NECC. In 2012, 753 patients in 20 states were diagnosed with a fungal infection after receiving injections of MPA manufactured by NECC, and more than 100 patients died as a result. The outbreak was the largest public health crisis ever caused by a contaminated pharmaceutical drug.

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

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

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D.; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda P.M. Strachan, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – An associate of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) pleaded guilty today to firearm and ammunition charges.

Derek Southworth, 34, of Fitchburg, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2022.

On April 18, 2017, Southworth provided an AK-47 style rifle and approximately 49 rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness. The transaction was captured on audio-video recording. Due to a prior conviction, Southworth is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. 

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.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against dozens of leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Southworth is the 56th defendant to plead guilty in the case.

The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms 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.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; 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 & 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 Brockton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a Smith & Wesson, .40 caliber pistol and ammunition.

David Dardy, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. On Sept. 17, 2021, Dardy pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a convicted felon.

On or about Sept. 19, 2020, Dardy possessed a Smith & Wesson, .40 caliber pistol. The firearm was loaded with five rounds of .40 caliber “Federal 40 S&W” ammunition, five rounds of .40 caliber “Perfecta 40 S.W.” ammunition, two rounds of .40 caliber “PPU 40 S&W” ammunition and one round of .40 caliber “FC NR 40 S&W” ammunition.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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 – An alleged member of the Franklin Hill street gang in Boston was sentenced today for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine base (crack cocaine). 

Timmy Hunt, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 70 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Oct. 21, 2021, Hunt pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 28 grams of cocaine base. Hunt was indicted in June 2020 along with co-conspirator Trevel Brewster.

Hunt distributed crack cocaine to Brewster, who in turn sold the drugs to a cooperating witness in February and March of 2020. Immediately prior to both sales, Hunt arrived in a separate vehicle and provided the drugs to Brewster before Brewster sold them to the cooperating witness. In total, Hunt provided approximately 40.35 grams of crack cocaine for Brewster to sell to the cooperating witness. On Sept. 16, 2021, Brewster was sentenced by Judge Casper to five years in prison and four years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; and Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes made the announcement today. Rollins’ Major Crimes 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.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in federal court in Boston for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Michael Toussaint, 40, of Hyde Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In June 2021, Toussaint pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base.

In June 2020, Toussaint was charged along with 23 others as part of Operation Snowfall.  According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement conducted an investigation into drug trafficking activities by Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the defendants, through their drug trafficking activities, assumed control over multiple apartments, where they stored, cooked, packaged and sold drugs. As a result, their activities caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents. The investigation also targeted large-scale drug suppliers and their associates. It is alleged that the targets continued to distribute cocaine and cocaine base throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown.

During the investigation, investigators identified Toussaint as a drug trafficker and distributor. From September 2019 through February 2020, during intercepted calls between Toussaint and a co-conspirator, Toussaint ordered distribution quantities of cocaine. The investigation identified that, in February 2020 alone, Toussaint participated in at least 10 drug deals and ordered over 400 grams of cocaine. Toussaint is the 5th defendant to be sentenced in the case.

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

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

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