District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with his fentanyl and fentanyl analogue distribution activities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 

Moises Rodrigues, 32, of Johnston, R.I., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 60 months in prison and four years of supervised release. In October 2020, Rodrigues pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 10 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl and carfentanil and three counts of distribution of fentanyl and/or acetyl fentanyl. 

Rodrigues sold fentanyl and fentanyl analogues on five separate occasions and had a “runner”—co-defendant Robert Soucy—deliver the drugs for him on one occasion. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is a synthetic opioid that is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which itself is 50 times more potent than heroin. 

In May 2020, Soucy was sentenced by Judge Burroughs to 16 months in prison.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Providence, R.I. man pleaded guilty today to illegal possession of ammunition.

Paul Marino, 57, formerly of New Bedford, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Marino was arrested and charged in September 2020. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2021.

On various dates in September 2019, Marino attempted to purchase a handgun and silencer from a federal agent acting in an undercover capacity. During a search of Marino’s home in New Bedford on Sept. 26, 2019, agents seized three 9mm handgun magazines and 277 rounds of 9mm ammunition from a closet in Marino’s bedroom. The ammunition was in a FedEx box addressed to “Vincent Amoroso” in Rhode Island and bearing a return address in Tennessee. Agents also seized counterfeit Virginia identification documents in the names of Vincent Amoroso and Christian Bennington, each of which bore Marino’s photograph, and an American Express card in the name of Christian Bennington.

Due to a prior federal conviction for wire fraud, Marino is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

The charge of possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of a $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 Andrew E. Lelling and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The New Bedford Police Department provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Providence, R.I. man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on a firearms trafficking charge. 

Chiweze Ihunwo, 24, previously of Randolph, Mass., was indicted on one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Ihunwo was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in November 2020 and has been detained since.

According to charging documents, Ihunwo acquired numerous firearms in North Carolina and then re-sold them for a profit. In addition, Ihunwo allegedly made arrangements to sell firearms to a person who was soon thereafter arrested in connection with a June 23, 2020 shooting incident on I-95 in Providence, R.I. According to the charging documents, Ihunwo also made numerous social media posts referencing firearms or ammunition.

During a search of Ihunwo’s residence in Providence, an AK-style handgun and various rounds of ammunition were recovered. 

The charge of dealing in firearms without a license carries 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 Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Randolph Police Department, the Providence Police Department and the Rhode Island State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Maine man was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston for travelling to have sex with a minor and child pornography offenses.

Patrick Plummer, 29, of Parsonsfield, Maine, was charged in a criminal complaint with traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age and transportation of child pornography.

According to the complaint, Plummer communicated via various messaging applications with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl and devised a plan to meet the purported child in Georgetown, Mass. to have sex. On Sept. 26, 2020, Plummer allegedly drove from Maine to a predetermined location in Georgetown, as they had planned. Officers arrested Plummer on scene, and found him in possession of four cell phones, a computer and a spring-release knife. Preliminary analysis of the electronic evidence seized from Plummer’s car revealed in excess of 100 images and videos of child pornography on at least three of the devices. Preliminary analysis also revealed evidence that Plummer was logged into the account from which he had communicated with the undercover officer. Forensic analysis of the devices is ongoing.

According to court documents, Plummer admitted that he had traveled from Maine to meet the purported 13-year-old girl, that he was talking to approximately 10 underaged girls and that investigators would find child pornography on his devices. 

The charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life in prison 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 Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Georgetown Police Chief Donald C. Cudmore made the announcement today. The Essex County District Attorney’s Office provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The case was 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 former Regional Officer for the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges.

Michael Cotto, a/k/a “King Gordo,” 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2021.

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.

Cotto, a former member of the New Bedford Chapter, admitted to his role in the drug distribution activity of the Latin Kings in New Bedford, and a variety of violent acts committed in furtherance of the Latin Kings. One such violent act was a February 2018 beating, known as a “termination,” of an individual who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. The victim was found by New Bedford Police bleeding from his injuries and transported to the hospital. 

Cotto also admitted to conspiring in August of 2018 to terminate a leader of the Fitchburg Chapter who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. On intercepted phone calls, Cotto discussed an elaborate ruse to trick this leader into attending a meeting at which he would be ambushed and beaten by other Latin Kings members.

In December 2018, a surveillance video depicted Cotto participating in a group assault of another individual. Cotto can be observed striking the victim with a baseball bat.

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. Cotto is the 30th defendant to plead guilty 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.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. 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. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-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 married couple was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston on fraud charges arising from their claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds.

Tiffany Pacheco, a/k/a Tiffany Tavery, 35, and Arthur Pacheco, 47, who, until recently, resided in New Bedford, Mass., were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tiffany Pacheco was also indicted on five counts of wire fraud and Arthur Pacheco on two counts. The defendants were arrested in San Antonio, Texas in December 2020 and have been detained since.

According to charging documents, Tiffany was hired by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) in April 2020, shortly after her release from federal prison following a conviction for aggravated identity theft. While employed by DUA, Tiffany allegedly misused her position to submit fraudulent PUA claim information on behalf of herself and her husband, Arthur, who was incarcerated in Texas until Sept. 4, 2020, and thus ineligible for PUA funds.

Specifically, it is alleged that in June 2020, PUA claims submitted for Tiffany and her husband reflected 2019 income of $0 and no dependents. In July 2020, via her employment with DUA, Tiffany obtained access to the PUA computer system, and later changed claim information for herself and Arthur so as to increase the amount of PUA funds they would receive. For example, Tiffany allegedly increased the amount of 2019 income for her and Arthur to more than $240,000, and increased the number of their dependents to seven. Tiffany further used her access to the PUA system to verify the increased reported 2019 income on both claims without the required income verification documents.

It is further alleged that the PUA claim for Arthur was fraudulent because he was incarcerated in Texas until Sept. 4, 2020, and thus ineligible for PUA funds. In November 2020, Arthur called DUA and falsely denied that he had been incarcerated during the timeframe leading up to September 2020, and that he was only incarcerated for approximately a month.  Tiffany also spoke with DUA and misrepresented the period of time for which Arthur had been incarcerated.

A search of the New Bedford apartment where Tiffany and Arthur resided uncovered various tools of identity fraud, including an ID laminator, 100 blank ID cards, 68 hologram overlays, 150 card lamination sheets and 649 sheets of blank checks. Law enforcement also seized approximately $17,000 cash and a notebook that appeared to contain the personal identifying information of various individuals. On Sept. 23, 2020, DUA terminated Tiffany’s employment.

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

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

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William S. Waolker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Michael Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigation made the announcement. The New Bedford Police Department, Massachusetts Parole Board and Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, Program Integrity Unit provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Abely and Dustin Chao of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to his role in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme involving durable medical equipment.

Nathan LaParl, 34, of Boca Raton, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of receiving kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and one count of violating the HIPAA statute. U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2021.

According to charging documents, 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. Together, LaParl and Alexandre received more than $1.6 million from Perez 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.

In October 2020, Perez pleaded guilty to health care fraud and paying kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2021. Alexandre and Hirsch are scheduled to plead guilty on Feb. 24, 2021.

Two other defendants, Jessica Jones and Elizabeth Putulin, pleaded guilty yesterday.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Johnnie Sharp Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Birmingham Field Division; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Boston Division; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Q. Wan of Lelling’s Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for aggravated identity theft. 

Luis Rafael Noble Diaz, 43, who previously resided in Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 35 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Noble Diaz will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In Sept. 2020, Noble Diaz pleaded guilty to false representation of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft. 

On Aug. 20, 2014, Noble Diaz submitted an application for an identification card at the Registry of Motor Vehicles office in Boston using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico. Noble Diaz is a citizen on the Dominican Republic and in the United States without legal authority. At the time he submitted the fraudulent RMV application, Noble Diaz was on supervised release after serving a 10-year federal prison sentence for distributing heroin and cocaine base, commonly referred to as crack. After he was charged in this case, Noble Diaz was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Utah-based cocaine trafficker was sentenced today in federal court in Boston after previously being convicted by a federal jury.

Droel Jared Encarnacion, 28, of Medford, Mass. and Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2020, Encarnacion was convicted following a jury trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. 

In August and September 2018, federal investigators were conducting a wiretap investigation into Encarnacion and his co-conspirator, Robin Manuel Suazo, who lived in Lynn, Mass. The two men discussed their fentanyl and cocaine distribution activities in several calls and discussed shipping drugs from Utah to Boston. On Sept. 17, 2018, Encarnacion shipped, via, FedEx, a package containing approximately 427 grams of cocaine from his home in Utah to his mother’s address in Medford, Mass. Encarnacion then flew to Boston to pick up the cocaine. Agents stopped the two men as they drove together in a vehicle toward Lynn, and located the FedEx package of cocaine in the vehicle, showing Encarnacion as the sender of the package. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared Dolan of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to fentanyl trafficking.

Andres Arias, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2021.

According to court documents, Arias and his co-defendant Cristian Lara Diaz, conspired to distribute fentanyl and engaged in five separate controlled sales of fentanyl to a cooperating witness for the government in Boston between April 2017 and January 2018. 

On Jan. 12, 2021, Lara Diaz was sentenced to 63 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man and a Methuen man were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in connection with a scheme involving the use of stolen identities to fraudulently obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to launder the funds.

Darwyn Joseph, 24, of Lawrence, and Ramon Joseph Cruz, Jr., 24, of Methuen, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting and one count of aggravated identity theft. The defendants were charged by criminal complaint and arrested in December 2020.

According to the charging documents, the defendants were involved in a conspiracy to use stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Specifically, Joseph and Cruz used stolen identity information of U.S. citizens to open fraudulent bank accounts which were then linked to other fraudulent bank accounts set up to receive the SBA funds. Joseph and Cruz also received through the mail some of the debit cards associated with fraudulent bank accounts into which SBA funds were deposited, and then laundered those funds by using them to purchase large numbers of iPhones for re-sale. Joseph and Cruz also wired a portion of the funds to the Dominican Republic in furtherance of the scheme.

It is alleged that over $452,000 in SBA funds were fraudulently obtained in connection with this scheme. Approximately $250,000 of this money was used to purchase iPhones in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna Nuzum and Adam Deitch of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Colorado woman and a Florida woman pleaded guilty today in connection with a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme.

Jessica Jones, 30, of Louisville Colo., and Elizabeth Putulin, 30, of Coconut Creek, Fla., each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Court Senior Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2021.

Jones and Putulin conspired with Juan Camilo Perez Buitrago to submit more than $109 million in false and fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment (DME) such as arm, back, knee and shoulder braces. In October 2020, Perez pleaded guilty to health care fraud and paying kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2021.

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. Perez directed employees, including Jones and Putulin, to list his mother, wife and yacht captain as corporate directors and to use fictitious names when registering the shell companies as DME providers. 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. It is further alleged that he submitted blatantly fraudulent claims, including claims for deceased patients and repeat claims for the same patient and the same DME. Perez failed to provide any DME for more than $7.5 million in claims. When Perez did provide DME to patients, he typically billed insurance policies more than 12 times the average price of the DME that he provided to the patient.

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. Jones and Putulin also responded to insurance companies’ requests for prescriber’s orders and medical records, which they were unable to provide.

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

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Johnnie Sharp Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Birmingham Field Division; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Boston Division; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Q. Wan of Lelling’s Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A professor and researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in connection with failing to disclose contracts, appointments and awards from various entities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Gang Chen, 56, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud, one count of failing to file a foreign bank account report (FBAR) and one count of making a false statement in a tax return. Chen was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on Jan. 14, 2021.

According to charging documents, Chen is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in China. He is a professor and researcher at MIT where he serves as Director of the MIT Pappalardo Micro/Nano Engineering Laboratory and Director of the Solid-State Solar Thermal Energy Conversion Center (S3TEC). Since approximately 2013, Chen’s research at MIT has been funded by nearly $19 million in grants awarded by various U.S. federal agencies.

Since 2012, Chen has allegedly held various appointments with the PRC designed to promote the PRC’s technological and scientific development by providing advice and expertise – sometimes directly to PRC government officials – and often in exchange for financial compensation. This includes acting as an “overseas expert” for the PRC government at the request of the PRC Consulate Office in New York and serving as a member of at least two PRC Talent Programs. Since 2013, Chen allegedly received approximately $29 million of foreign funding, including $19 million from the PRC’s Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).

From at least 2017 to 2019 when Chen was serving in several advisory roles for the PRC and PRC entities, Chen applied for and obtained a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant in order to fund a portion of his research at MIT.  In doing so, it is alleged that Chen failed to disclose information about his ongoing affiliations with the PRC as required by DOE.

Chen also allegedly failed to disclose to the IRS in his 2018 tax return that he maintained a bank account in the PRC with more than $10,000 in 2018.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of failing to file an FBAR 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 Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigation, Boston; Ramsey Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Jim Breckenridge, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Stephanie Siegmann, Chief of Lelling’s National Security Unit, and Jason Casey and Timothy Kistner also of Lelling’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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.

UPDATE: Criminal charges against the defendant in this case were dismissed in January 2022. 

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. The defendant admitted to his role in a May 28, 2019 incident in New Bedford, when a rival gang member was shot at.

Luis Santiago, a/k/a “King Tiny,” 22, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2020, Santiago 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.

Santiago admitted that on May 28, 2019, he was one of multiple members of the Latin Kings who travelled to Dartmouth Street in New Bedford to confront and assault rival gang members. For this incident, Santiago was provided with a firearm by another member of the gang. The confrontation began as a fight, but at some point Santiago pulled out the firearm and began to chase the rival gang members. Santiago fired one shot at the fleeing rival gang members, missing and striking a parked vehicle.

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. Santiago is the 13th defendant to be sentenced in the case.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Miciof the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. 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. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

BOSTON – A former member of the Boston-based Morton Street Bricks Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges.

Alexis Velasquez, a/k/a “King Booboo,” 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for May 5, 2021.

Named for the Morton Street housing project in Boston, the Morton Street Bricks or MSB Chapter of the Latin Kings, included approximately half-a-dozen members. The MSB Chapter, in turn, reported to the Massachusetts State Leadership of the Latin Kings, providing information, structure, funds and other resources to further the Latin Kings goals and directives in the state. In addition to conspiring with members of the Latin Kings to further the goals of the enterprise by committing criminal acts, Alexis Velasquez personally participated in an attack against a rival gang member in prison in 2010, and attempted to murder a different rival gang member using poisoned narcotics, also known as a hotshot, in 2019.

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 issued an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Alexis Velasquez is the 29th defendant to plead guilty 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.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. 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. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-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 Braintree man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and carfentanil. 

David Fernandes, 33, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $1,000.

From May 2019 through August 2019, David Fernandes and co-defendants Rickey Depina, Keanu Fernandes and Viviana Fontes conspired to distribute fentanyl and carfentanil in Brockton, Abington, Boston, Braintree, Easton, Fall River, Holbrook, Norton, Quincy, Raynham, South Easton, West Bridgewater and Whitman. During this time, law enforcement made controlled purchases of fentanyl and carfentanil on multiple occasions. On Oct. 1, 2018, law enforcement stopped a car in which David Fernandes, Depina and Fontes were traveling and recovered over 17 grams of fentanyl, approximately $1,750 and four cellular phones. They were arrested on state charges. In search warrants executed later that day, law enforcement recovered another $10,000.

Co-defendants Depina, 32, of Brockton; Keanu Fernandes, 33, of Brockton; and Fontes, 30, of Brockton, previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. On Sept. 20, 2020, Depina was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 12, 2021, Keanue Fernandes was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Fontes has yet to be sentenced.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is an analog of fentanyl and approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl. It is used commercially in tranquilizer darts for large mammals such as elk or elephants and can be lethal in a dose as small as 2 milligrams.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Moran and Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a firearm as a result of a federal investigation into a shooting on April 19, 2020, in New Bedford.

Alexander Pizarro, a/k/a “King Tego,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2020, Pizarro pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On April 19, 2020, police responded to a report of seven shots fired near a residence on Clark Street in New Bedford. During the response, police located a tan and black Taurus 9mm firearm in an alleyway near the residence. Based on information received from a 911 caller, police were directed to an apartment and located Pizarro. After searching his cell phone, investigators located a photograph of Pizarro in the apartment holding what appeared to be the same firearm that was recovered from Clark Street. This photograph was taken approximately two hours before the shots-fired incident. Through ballistics comparison, the seized firearm was matched to the recovered shell casings from the shooting that evening.           

Due to multiple prior convictions, Pizarro is prohibited from possessing firearms. According to court documents, Pizarro was known to investigators to be a member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings, and had recently posted multiple pictures holding firearms to his SnapChat account. At the time of the shooting incident, Pizarro was on probation for a 2017 firearms conviction in Rhode Island.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New England Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Lelling’s 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. Former Attorney General Sessions 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 – VJ Associates, Inc. of Suffolk, based on Hicksville, N.Y., pleaded guilty and was sentenced today on criminal and civil charges relating to a long-running overbilling scheme involving numerous government-funded construction projects in Massachusetts and New York.

VJ Associates, Inc. of Suffolk pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution and a fine of $530,000. Between this sentence and related civil settlements, VJ Associates, Inc. of Suffolk and its affiliated companies (collectively VJ Associates) will pay a total of $3.13 million in criminal and civil fines and restitution and be debarred permanently from participating in contracts funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

VJ Associates provided sub-contracted estimating and scheduling services for construction projects funded with state and federal money. Services included forecasting costs and resources to complete a project, and estimating the time necessary to complete milestones in a project. VJ Associates employees frequently billed government contracts hourly for their time.  The DOT, the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts funded many projects on which VJ Associates worked.

From at least January 2007 through August 2018, VJ Associates, Inc. of Suffolk—the largest and original VJ Associates entity—conspired with other VJ Associates entities and employees to pad bogus time charges on government construction contracts funded by the DOT, the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As a result, the VJ Associates entities improperly received nearly $1.3 million in state and federal taxpayer money. The improper billing included, for example, hours employees spent working on unrelated projects, time spent on administrative tasks and time doing no work. Under pressure from management, employees openly discussed improper billing as “juicing” and “tagging” hours in order to “maximize” bills on government projects and not “leave money on the table.” One employee summed up his billing practices to his colleague as a “shell game” and explained that, when management “gave him a bit of trouble” about how he billed his time, he fraudulently maximized his hours billed because “what the hell,” management “pay[s] me every two weeks,” and he was “not the boss.” 

The related civil settlement with the United States arose from a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with settlement with the United States, the whistleblower will receive 22.5% of the recovery.

The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating fraud related to government-funded transportation projects. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Transportation, at 1-800-424-9071.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Douglas Shoemaker, Regional Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General; and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Acting Inspector General Farbiarz made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian M. LaMacchia and Evan Gotlob of Lelling’s Office handled the matter. 

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol.

Kyvon Ross, a/k/a Ky-von Ross, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 23 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2020, Ross pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Ross possessed a Beretta .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition on May 31, 2019, in Boston. Ross was subsequently arrested and has been in custody since. Ross is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Worcester man was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with using stolen identities to fraudulently purchase MBTA passes.    

Kokou Kuakumensah, 31, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to charging documents, between approximately January 2019 and March 2020, Kuakumensah used other individuals’ credit card accounts to fraudulently purchase MBTA commuter rail passes. Kuakumensah then re-sold these passes for less than their face value, including advertising the passes on Craiglist. 

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentenced imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations; and Chief Kenneth Green of the MBTA Transit Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Lelling’s 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 – An Uxbridge doctor was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2020 in connection with her role in a scheme to prescribe Adderall to individuals without a legitimate medical purpose.

Leslie Caraceni M.D., 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. In February 2019, Caraceni pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute Adderall and three counts of distributing and dispensing Adderall in August 2020.

Caraceni was indicted in November 2018 along with Rene Ruliera, 52, of Southborough, who pleaded guilty in August 2019 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 24, 2021. Co-conspirator Meghan Giacomuzzi, 37, of Whitinsville, pleaded guilty in February 2019 and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2021.

Between March 2016 and February 2018, Caraceni, Ruliera and Giacomuzzi conspired to distribute Adderall, an amphetamine, for reasons other than for a legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of medical practice. Caraceni hired both Ruliera and Giacomuzzi to work at her medical practice in Framingham and later in Whitinsville, and enlisted both in a conspiracy to sell and distribute Adderall to individuals who had not been medically examined or given a clinical diagnosis to warrant a prescription. Office visitors met with either Ruliera or Giacomuzzi, discussed their desired prescription, paid for their office visit, and left with a signed prescription for Adderall. Office visits lasted just minutes and each such visit cost approximately $200, payable in cash or through a credit card or debit card. Caraceni collected the cash from the office or received funds through deposits to her bank account.    

Caraceni provided Ruliera and Giacomuzzi with blank prescription pads and explained how to fill out prescriptions for sale. Electronic communications between the defendants documented Caraceni’s knowledge of the prescriptions written by Ruliera and Giacomuzzi, the number of office visitors seen in her absence, and the volume of proceeds realized as result of their sale of prescriptions to those visitors. Between November 2015 and July 2018, records from the Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program show that well over 1,500 prescriptions for Adderall—amounting to over 110,000 pills—were filled in Massachusetts alone based on Caraceni’s prescriptions.   

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Uxbridge Police Chief Marc Montminy; and Southborough Police Chief Kenneth Paulhus made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A North Adams man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield to 60 years in prison today for child exploitation offenses.

Anthony Deordio, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 60 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. In August 2020, Deordio pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of advertising child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of transportation of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

In November 2017, Deordio used a minor victim to produce child pornography. The video file he produced was later recovered in a separate jurisdiction, and further investigation led to the identification of Deordio as the perpetrator. He was also convicted of offering to sell child pornography on the internet, distributing child pornography over the internet and receiving and possessing child pornography.

Deordio was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in Massachusetts state court in 2006.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and North Adams Police Chief Jason Wood made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office.

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 Georgia man pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2021 in federal court in Boston to illegal possession of a semi-automatic pistol.

Herbert Palmer, 39, of Decatur, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper, who scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2021.

On Aug. 12, 2020, police were dispatched to an apartment in New Bedford following a report of a disturbance where a man had a gun and was pointing it to a woman’s head. After police arrived, the man, later identified as Palmer, exited the apartment and told police that he had a knife on his person. A search of Palmer revealed he had a folding knife and firearm magazine loaded with four rounds of .380 caliber ammunition, which Palmer claimed to be carrying because it did not fit his BB gun, although he denied having a gun.

A witness informed police that Palmer had pointed a small black gun at individuals while inside the apartment that evening and that when Palmer manipulated the firearm, the magazine dropped out of the handgun and fell to the floor. Palmer picked up the magazine and then proceeded to the second floor to change his clothing. Police searched the apartment and located a Lorcin, Model 380. .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol in a second-floor bedroom. Authorities confirmed the ammunition recovered from Palmer’s person was the same caliber as the firearm.

According to court documents, Palmer was convicted in 2010 of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

The charging statute provides for sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the  Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced today on enticement of a minor and child pornography charges in federal court in Worcester.  

Ryan Decarolis, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 38 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. The government recommend a sentence of 85 years in prison.

In September 2020, Decarolis pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Decarolis has been in custody since his arrest on Aug. 2, 2019.

Decarolis admitted that he used a social media account to communicate with an individual who was subsequently charged with production and distribution of child pornography. With the consent of that individual, an undercover federal agent assumed control of that individual’s account and began communicating in an undercover capacity with Decarolis. In January 2019, Decarolis distributed child pornography to the undercover officer, and in April 2019, Decarolis provided the undercover officer with access to his Dropbox account, which contained hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography. Included in that material was at least one video that depicted Decarolis sexually assaulting a young boy. 

In August 2019, during a search of Decarolis’s Fitchburg residence, agents seized a tablet belonging to Decarolis that contained additional videos depicting child pornography. A second Dropbox account used by Decarolis was also discovered that contained videos depicting the sexual exploitation of several children. Included within that material were numerous images and videos that Decarolis produced himself, some of which depicted Decarolis separately sexually assaulting at least three boys under the age of 12 and a fourth boy who was 12 years old.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s 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 Dominican national was sentenced on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 in federal court in Boston for fentanyl trafficking.

Cristian Lara Diaz, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 63 months in prison and four years of supervised release. In September 2020, Lara Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  

Lara Diaz and his co-defendant, Andres Arias, conspired to distribute fentanyl and engaged in five separate sales of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Boston between April 2017 and January 2018.

Arias is scheduled to plead guilty on Jan. 21, 2021.

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.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Worcester man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of drug and firearm possession.

Rodney Hall, 36, was indicted on possession with intent to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hall was charged by criminal complaint in December 2020.

According to charging documents, on Sept. 30, 2020, Hall was arrested after he sold approximately 14 grams of crack cocaine for $1,500 to an individual in Worcester. At the time of his arrest, Hall had approximately $2,300 in cash, two cell phones and a key to a Mercedes-Benz.

A search of Hall’s residence resulted in the seizure of approximately 650 grams of cocaine, a loaded 9 mm Beretta semi-automatic pistol, a homemade pistol, ammunition, a digital scale, plastic baggies and approximately $7,000 in cash. Hall is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his criminal history, which includes previous convictions for possession of a large capacity weapon and trafficking cocaine

Due to Hall’s prior conviction for drug trafficking, if convicted of the new drug offense, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least 10 years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $15 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 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 Andrew E. Lelling; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.

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 Clinton man and Fitchburg man were arrested yesterday and charged in connection with their involvement in an employment tax and mail fraud scheme.    

Juliano Fernandes, 39, of Clinton, was charged with 11 counts of failure to pay over employment taxes and two counts of mail fraud. Anderson Dos Santos, 36, of Fitchburg, was charged with one count of mail fraud. 

According to the charging documents, Fernandes exercised management and control over Force Corporation and AB Construction, both Massachusetts-based construction companies.  Between 2015 and 2017, Fernandes failed to account for and pay over employment taxes for Force Corporation and AB Construction to the IRS. In addition, from approximately April 2013 through January 2017, Fernandes allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud worker’s compensation insurance carriers for Force by misrepresenting the number of employees and amount of wages paid to Force employees. Similarly, from December 2013 to April 2016, Fernandes and Dos Santos engaged in a scheme to defraud worker’s compensation insurance carriers for AB Construction by misrepresenting the number of employees and amount of wages paid to AB Construction employees.

The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of failure to pay over employment taxes 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 Andrew E. Lelling; Joleen Simpson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation; Michael Mikulk, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Cambridge man was sentenced yesterday on firearms trafficking charges.  Defendant illegally sold 12 firearms as well as crack cocaine. 

Ezequiel Netzahualt, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2020, Netzahualt pleaded guilty to dealing firearms without a license and selling cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine.

From September until January of 2021 Netzahualt sold 12 firearms on six separate occasions. Netzahualt also sold crack cocaine on Nov. 20, 2019.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boson Field Office; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard Jr. made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a semi-automatic handgun, ammunition, cocaine and fentanyl.

Nelsy Dasilva, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to nine years in prison and six years of supervised release. In October 2020, Dasilva pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Dasilva has been in custody since his arrest in November 2018. 

On Nov. 14, 2018, following an investigation into drug distribution in and around Brockton, a search was executed at Dasilva’s apartment where approximately 20 grams of cocaine, two grams of fentanyl, a .380 caliber Jimenez Arms Inc., T-380 semi-automatic handgun and six rounds of .380 caliber ammunition were recovered. Dasilva has a prior felony conviction for assault with the intent to murder, as well convictions for possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, criminal possession of a loaded firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon. Due to these prior convictions, Dasilva is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; and Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

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

BOSTON – A professor and researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was charged and arrested today in connection with failing to disclose contracts, appointments and awards from various entities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Gang Chen, 56, was charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, failing to file a foreign bank account report (FBAR) and making a false statement in a tax return. Chen will make an initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell.

According to charging documents, Chen is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in China. He is a professor and researcher at MIT where he serves as Director of the MIT Pappalardo Micro/Nano Engineering Laboratory and Director of the Solid-State Solar Thermal Energy Conversion Center (S3TEC). Since approximately 2013, Chen’s research at MIT has been funded by more than $19 million in grants awarded by various U.S. federal agencies.

Since 2012, Chen has allegedly held various appointments with the PRC designed to promote the PRC’s technological and scientific development by providing advice and expertise – sometimes directly to PRC government officials – and often in exchange for financial compensation. This includes acting as an “overseas expert” for the PRC government at the request of the PRC Consulate Office in New York and serving as a member of at least two PRC Talent Programs. Since 2013, Chen allegedly received approximately $29 million of foreign funding, including $19 million from the PRC’s Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).

It is further alleged that Chen’s efforts to promote the PRC’s scientific and economic development were partially detailed in a February 2016 email that Chen sent himself using his MIT e-mail account.  The email read:

1. promote chinese collaboration

2. China places innovation (scientific) as key and core not fashion [sic], but because

we must do it, from historic trend as well from our stage

3. our economy is no. 2, but from technology (structure of economy) and human

resources, we are far from no. 2

4. we are paying big price in environment, not sustainable, as well as from labor cost

5. environment protection and development in same place, environment even higher, clean energy if higher cost, reduce steel, cement. We must count on technology, cannot grow as past

6. communist 18th convention, scientific innovation placed at core. We realize not just independent innovation; but also internationalize to plan for and facilitate. Closed door innovation does not work; innovation as driving force

From at least 2017 to 2019 when Chen was serving in several advisory roles for the PRC and PRC entities, Chen applied for and obtained a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant in order to fund a portion of his research at MIT.  In doing so, it is alleged that Chen failed to disclose information about his ongoing affiliations with the PRC as required by DOE.

Chen also allegedly failed to disclose to the IRS in his 2018 tax return that he maintained a bank account in the PRC with more than $10,000 in 2018.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of failing to file an FBAR 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 Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigation, Boston; Joleen Simpson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Jim Breckenridge, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Stephanie Siegmann, Chief of Lelling’s National Security Unit, and Jason Casey and Timothy Kistner also of Lelling’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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.

UPDATE: Criminal charges against the defendant in this case were dismissed in January 2022. 

BOSTON – A Hyde Park man was indicted today by a grand jury in Boston in connection with robbing a Citizen’s Bank in Concord. 

Angel Robles, 36, was indicted on one count of armed bank robbery. Robles was charged by criminal complaint in November 2020.

According to the indictment, on Nov. 9, 2020, Robles entered the Citizen’s Bank in Concord, gave the teller a note that read “ROBBERY, ONLY READY TO DIE ON A DEATH WISH,” stole approximately $358 and left the Bank.  

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

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Concord Police Chief Joseph F. O'Connor; and Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A former member of the Boston-based Morton Street Bricks Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced today for racketeering charges.

Oscar Pena, a/k/a “King DO-Block,” 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 32 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2020, Pena pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.

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

Named for the Morton Street housing project in Boston, the MSB Chapter of the Latin Kings included approximately half-a-dozen members. The MSB Chapter, in turn, reported to the Massachusetts State Leadership of the Latin Kings, providing information, structure, funds and other resources to further the Latin Kings goals and directives in the state. In addition to conspiring with members of the Latin Kings to further the goals of the enterprise through the commission of criminal acts, Oscar Pena personally sold a cooperating witness approximately 38 grams of fentanyl.

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. Oscar Pena is the 12th defendant to be sentenced in the case.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross 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. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for heroin trafficking.

Angel Martinez-Peguero, 30, who previously resided in Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 10 years in prison and four years of supervised release.

In November 2020, Martinez-Peguero pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In January 2019, Angel was charged along with his brother, Alexander Martinez-Peguero, 38, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison in December 2020.

On Dec. 20, 2018, investigators seized nearly one kilogram of heroin from the Martinez-Peguero brothers during a law enforcement operation in Lawrence. Investigators also seized a loaded semi-automatic pistol from Angel Martinez-Peguero’s waistband upon his arrest. During a search of the Martinez-Peguero brother’s residence agents seized over $15,000 cash and $17,000 worth of jewelry.

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Methuen man was indicted on Monday, Jan. 11 by a federal grand jury on charges of armed bank robbery.

Caio Costa, 25, was indicted on one count of armed bank robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

According to charging documents, on Sept. 25, 2020, Costa, armed with a loaded revolver and donning a black motorcycle helmet, entered a branch of the Salem Five Bank in Tewksbury. Inside the bank, Costa brandished a black revolver and stole over $7,000. Following the robbery, Costa allegedly escaped on a black motorcycle. Law enforcement pursued Costa in a high-speed chase, reaching speeds up to 100 m.p.h. Costa eventually crashed the motorcycle in Lawrence and escaped on foot. Law enforcement later located the black motorcycle helmet and clothing consistent with that worn by Costa during the robbery. The next day, Costa was arrested at a Salem, N.H. motel. At the time of his arrest, Costa was in possession of a large sum of cash.

During an interview with law enforcement on Sept. 28, 2020, it is alleged that Costa admitted to robbing the Salem Five Bank three days earlier and committing four other armed bank robberies between Aug. 28 and Sept. 25, 2020. Costa directed law enforcement to a dumpster where a loaded black revolver, black gloves, a black backpack and other items of clothing used during the robbery were recovered. 

The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence provides for a mandatory sentence of seven years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence on the armed robbery charges. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan; Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan M. Columbus; Lowell Police Chief Christopher Hurst; Wilmington Police Chief Joseph Desmond; and Chelmsford Police Chief James M. Spinney made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – An Illinois man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in connection with producing child pornography.

Domenique Dequon Hines, 23, of Crystal Lake, Ill., was indicted on one count of production of child pornography. Hines was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in Illinois on Dec. 3, 2020.

According to the charging documents, Hines and a 14-year-old Massachusetts victim initially met on Instagram and exchanged phone numbers and began communicating via iMessage. A review of the iMessages revealed that Hines informed the victim that he is 23 years old and the victim confirmed her age. It is alleged that thereafter, at Hines request, the victim took sexually explicit photos of herself and sent them to Hines.

According to the criminal complaint, Hines was previously convicted of a child pornography offense in Illinois.

Due to Hines’s prior conviction, the charging statute provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and up to 50 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s 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/.

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

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

Marilyn Golisano, 68, was indicted on one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds, six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. She will appear in federal court in Boston later today.

According to the indictment, the investigation revealed that Golisano, who handled the overtime paperwork for her unit, submitted dozens of false and fraudulent overtime slips on which she had forged the signatures of at least three different BPD supervisors. During the period of the alleged fraud, Golisano’s overtime compensation from the BPD more than doubled, increasing from just over $15,000 in 2016 to $26,000 in 2017 and to over $33,000 in 2018. This increase occurred despite the fact that Golisano’s duties did not change, her rate of pay did not significantly increase and no significant new overtime hours were approved by her supervisor.  It is alleged that during several overtime shifts that Golisano claimed to be working in downtown Boston, she was actually miles away from Boston according to her cellphone’s geolocation records. 

Golisano is alleged to have stolen $11,094 from BPD in 2017 and $18,090 in 2018.

“Rather than working in service of her community, Ms. Golisano did a disservice to taxpayers and to the reputation of her colleagues in law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “The vast majority of law enforcement officers serve their communities honorably and with selflessness but, in those instances where public servants cross the line, we will not hesitate to get involved. I applaud the Boston Police Department for their commitment to rooting out corruption, and for their dedication to protecting the City day in and day out.” 

“The public needs to know that they can trust law enforcement officials to be honest and trustworthy. Golisano’s alleged fraud and forgery undermines the public’s trust. The DOJ OIG will continue to hold those accountable who try to steal and cheat,” said Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Washington Field Office.

“For years, Marilyn Golisano allegedly forged her supervisor’s signature and submitted scores of fraudulent overtime slips for work she did not do, cheating taxpayers out of at least $29,000. Her self-serving actions have not only eroded the morale of her hard-working co-workers at the Boston Police Department, but have the potential to undermine the public’s trust in civil servants,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We would like to thank the Boston Police Department for bringing this matter to our attention, and for their shared commitment in rooting out public corruption.”

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

The charge of theft of government 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. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charging statute for aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to 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.

U.S. Attorney Lelling, DOJ-OIG SAC Cunningham and FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Lelling’s Public Corruption 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 Dominican national who previously resided in Lawrence was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for aggravated identity theft and fraudulent use of a Social Security number.

Robely Eladio De Jesus Guerrero, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years and one day in prison. In May 2020, De Jesus Guerrero pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.

On Jan. 4, 2016, De Jesus Guerrero used the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to submit a renewal application for a Massachusetts driver’s license under the victim’s name.

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

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, District of Massachusetts; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Office; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Boston Field Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Boston; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Massachusetts Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing three stolen firearms, including a rifle and two revolvers.  

Luis Velez, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of stolen firearms. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for April 2, 2021. Velez was arrested and charged by indictment in January 2020.

On July 5, 2019, Velez was in possession of three stolen firearms: a Savage Arms, Model 25 Walking Varminter, .22 caliber rifle, a Hermann Weihrauch, Model ARM 44, .44 caliber revolver and a Smith & Wesson, Model 625, .45 caliber revolver, knowing or having cause to believe these firearms were stolen.  

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

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine G. Curley and Neil L. Desroches of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case. 

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

BOSTON – A Salem man was arrested today and charged in connection with a fraudulent tax return scheme.

Roosevelt Fernandez, 41, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Fernandez is scheduled to make an initial appearance today at 1:00 p.m. before Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy.

According to the charging documents, Fernandez used the identities of various individuals to submit fraudulent state and federal tax returns. A number of these returns included fraudulent W-2 Forms purportedly issued by employers for whom the named taxpayer did not work. Various fraudulent refunds were deposited into an account in the name of Soluciones Multi Service, an entity controlled by Fernandez. It is further alleged that a May 2020 fraudulent Economic Income Payment – stimulus authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) – was deposited into this same account.

Fernandez was allegedly depicted on ATM surveillance footage depositing another fraudulent tax refund check into this account. The investigation uncovered approximately 40 fraudulent tax returns totaling requested refunds that exceed $600,000.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, up to 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 Andrew E. Lelling and Joleen Simpson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

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

BOSTON – A former attorney pleaded guilty yesterday to wire fraud and filing false tax returns in connection with a long-running scheme to embezzle funds from trusts for which he served as trustee.

Kevin M. Brill, 61, of Newton, pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns. U.S. Senior District Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for April 5, 2021.  

From 2012 to July 2017, Brill served as a trustee for three family trusts with funds held at Morgan Stanley Bank. As trustee, Brill had fiduciary responsibilities to protect and preserve the funds of the trusts and make expenditures for the benefit of each beneficiary. As part of his embezzlement scheme, Brill created new accounts at Santander Bank through which he funneled funds he withdrew from the trust accounts. Over the course of the six-year scheme, Brill embezzled and misappropriated more than $600,000 from the various trusts and used the proceeds on personal expenses such as a personal vehicle, a vacation home in Vermont and to pay for his personal credit card expenses.

In addition, Brill failed to report his illegal income to the IRS, thereby avoiding payment of more than $169,000 that he owed in federal income taxes.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $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 Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Joleen Simpson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Lelling’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday in connection with fentanyl and cocaine possession. 

Dedrick Lindsey, 37, was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Lindsey was previously indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Lindsey was arrested on state charges on July 19, 2018, after law enforcement found a .25 caliber pistol, 18 grams of fentanyl and 10.5 grams of cocaine in his possession. Lindsey is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous drug convictions, which are all punishable by more than a year in prison.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a minimum of one year and up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. As an armed career criminal, Lindsey is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, 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; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of Lelling’s Office is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.

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 Canton woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a business email compromise (BEC) scheme.

Bintu Toure, 26, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for April 16, 2021. Toure was charged in September 2019 for her role in the scheme. 

Toure is the second individual to be convicted in connection with this scheme, following the guilty plea of Yannick Minang a/k/a “Africa” last year.

Toure conspired with others to open numerous bank accounts in Massachusetts in the name of sham companies, as part of a BEC scheme. A BEC scheme is a sophisticated scam often targeting businesses involved in wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising and/or “spoofing” legitimate business email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques, to cause employees of the victim company (or other individuals involved in legitimate business transactions) to transfer funds to accounts controlled by the scammers.

Through the use of fraudulent invoices and spoofed email accounts, Toure conspired to trick the victims of the scheme into wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to bank accounts under her control. Toure and her co-conspirators then transferred funds from the accounts on to others located overseas.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Brady, of Lelling’s Criminal Division and Jordi de Llano, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Securities & Financial Fraud Unit, are prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Brazilian national, who previously resided in Malden, was sentenced yesterday for immigration and firearms crimes.

Vanderlei Rodrigues DeAraujo, a/k/a Neneco, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Upon completion of his sentence, DeAraujo will be placed into removal proceedings and deported to Brazil.

On Sept. 30, 2020, DeAraujo pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license, two counts of being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of illegal reentry of a previously deported alien. DeAraujo was arrested on May 29, 2019 and has been in federal custody since. 

On Aug.11, 2011, DeAraujo, who was determined to be illegally present in the United States, was deported to Brazil. Sometime after his removal, DeAraujo illegally reentered the United States and between Sept. 6, 2018 and Jan. 28, 2019, DeAraujo illegally sold two semi-automatic firearms and ammunition. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and the Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth G. Shine and Lindsey Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with surreptitiously filming boys in the restrooms at Boston Latin School (BLS).

Eric Tran Thai, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. Thai was arrested on March 11, 2019 by criminal complaint and indicted later that month. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2021.

According to the charging documents, on Feb. 6 and Feb. 27, 2018, two separate Boston College students reported to the police that they had been videotaped without their knowledge or consent while they were using the men’s restrooms on the Boston College campus. Following the Feb. 27, 2018, report, police located and spoke with Thai on campus. Thai was placed under arrest on state charges and his bag was subsequently searched; in it, police found several covert camera devices, including faux smoke detectors, a water bottle containing a small cube recording device, and a pair of sunglasses outfitted with a built-in camera. Those charges are currently pending in Middlesex County Superior Court.

Following Thai’s arrest, a search of his home was executed where dozens of devices including computer hard drives, thumb drives, covert and regular cameras, computers, iPads, cell phones and multiple SD and Sim cards were recovered. Investigators found several electronic folders labeled BU, MIT, Harvard, Northeastern, Bunker Hill, Boston Latin High School, and several different malls, airports and foreign country locations. Thai was charged federally for the child pornography located in the Boston Latin folders, which contained approximately 45 surreptitiously-recorded videos of male students in various states of dress using the urinals and stalls in the boys’ bathroom. The videos appear to have been created on approximately 10 separate dates between February and December 2017, all after school hours. 

In general, the videos show Thai sitting in a bathroom stall at Boston Latin High School recording individuals in adjacent stalls or at the urinals through various secret recording methods. In some videos, Thai appears to hold a camera over the top of the partition between the bathroom stalls and videotaping from overhead. In other instances, he appears to hide a small camera inside of his backpack, place the backpack on the bathroom floor and videotape individuals in the adjacent bathroom stall from under the stall’s partition. While recording, it appears that Thai would simultaneously view what the camera was recording on a cellphone or a tablet device in his possession.

The charges of possession of child pornography provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of between 108 and 180 months in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross; and Boston College Police Chief William B. Evans made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Deputy Chief of the 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 Chicopee man was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 on child pornography offenses.

Michael Geoffroy, 35, was indicted on three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count possession of child pornography. 

The indictment alleges that in December 2020, Geoffroy distributed and possessed child pornography, and that he used a child to create child pornography.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; and Chicopee Police Chief William R. Jebb made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

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 Sutton man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in connection with possession of child pornography.

Oliver Smith, 45, a citizen of Sweden and the United States, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography. Smith was previously arrested on Nov. 24, 2020 and charged by criminal complaint.

According to the charging documents, on Nov. 15, 2020, after receiving investigative information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Swedish law enforcement authorities, agents executed a search warrant at Smith’s Sutton residence and seized several devices. A preliminary forensic review of devices seized revealed images and videos of child pornography. During an interview with federal agents, Smith admitted that he had downloaded child pornography upon his return to the U.S. from Sweden.

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

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 life 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 Andrew E. Lelling; Acting Assistant Attorney General David P. Burns of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Sutton Police Chief Dennis J. Towle made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office and Jessica Urban of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are 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 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/.

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 former Enforcer of the Boston-based Devon Street Kings Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced yesterday on racketeering charges.

Matthew Palacios, a/k/a “King Nene,” 26, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2020, Palacios pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.

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

Named for its origin on Devon Street in Boston, the Devon Street Kings or D5K Chapter of the Latin Kings, included approximately a dozen members. As Enforcer, Palacios was responsible for ensuring discipline, meting out punishment to members for violating the rules of the gang and organizing violence against rival gang members and those believed to be cooperating with law enforcement. The Devon Street Kings, in turn, reported to the Massachusetts State Leadership of the Latin Kings, providing information, structure, funds and other resources to further the Latin Kings goals and directives in the state. During the investigation, various meetings were covertly recorded in which Palacios and members of the Devon Street Kings discussed the business of the racketeering enterprise. Palacios was present during meetings where members were beaten and violence against rival gangs was discussed and decided upon.

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. Palacios is the 11th defendant to be sentenced in the case.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross 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. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

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

BOSTON – A Virginia man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for making a false statement on a loan application and aggravated identity theft. At the time of the offense, he was on supervised release for a previous conviction.

Rashad Al-Terek Walker, 39, of Hampton, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 32 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In September 2020, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement on a loan application and one count of aggravated identity theft.

In November 2019, Walker attempted to obtain a loan using a stolen identity from a Worcester-area credit union. Walker provided employees of the credit union several fraudulent records, including a counterfeit license, employer pay record and utility bill. Employees of the credit union immediately reported the matter to law enforcement authorities, who responded to the credit union and arrested Walker.

Walker was previously convicted of bank fraud in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia and was on supervised release for that offense when he committed the crimes in Worcester. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

            “Yesterday’s events in Washington were shocking and, once peaceful demonstrations turned violent, they became criminal. The Constitution protects the right to freedom of speech and assembly. What is does not protect is a violent assault on government institutions. Americans on the right and left must re-learn the difference. Anyone who traveled from Massachusetts with the intent to commit such crimes will be prosecuted in the District of Massachusetts.”

BOSTON – A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in connection with engaging in a complex scheme to conduct fraudulent financial transactions using stolen account information and other personally identifiable information (PII) of victims in Massachusetts and elsewhere throughout the United States.

Jonathan Nguyen, 23, of Windham, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to a year and a day in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $250,000 in forfeiture. In June 2020, Nguyen pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud, access-device fraud and identity theft.

Nguyen and others involved in the scheme used Bitcoin to purchase names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, email addresses and passwords as well as credit card account numbers, expiration dates, card verification values and other forms of PII. Nguyen and others then used this information to purchase tickets to sporting events and gift cards that Nguyen sold for profit. Nguyen also created e-commerce websites for sham companies and obtained payment-card processing capabilities for these sham companies in order to cash out the stolen credit cards. He used various technological means to thwart the fraud-detection mechanisms deployed by the internet merchants where he made purchases with the stolen PII.  

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Queenin of Lelling’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.