Eastern District of North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is hosting a lunch and learn event to ‘Build Strong Support for Older Americans by Learning More about Elder Abuse.’ The event is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Garner Senior Center, and Meals on Wheels. Registration for the event is not required.

WHERE: Garner Senior Center, 205 East Garner Road, Garner, NC 27529

WHEN: Friday, May 19, 2023, from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm (Meals on Wheels will serve lunch beginning at 10:45)

Media: please arrive at the Garner Senior Center by 11:00 for set up.

For logistical information in advance of the media availability, please contact Don Connelly at USANCE.PublicInfoOfficer@usdoj.gov. 

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NEW BERN, N.C. – Kamel Smallwood, 28, of Greenville, was recently sentenced to 12 months in prison for accepting a bribe as a public official and aiding and abetting.  Smallwood was one of four former employees of Rivers Federal Correctional Institution (Rivers CI), in Winton, to be charged in a five-count indictment on March 2, 2022.  She pled guilty to the charge on July 6, 2022. 

“Public corruption undermines the rule of law and, when it arises in our prisons, endangers corrections officers, staff, and the public,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “Smallwood and Sykes put their greed for short term profits ahead of their oath to the public.  We are partnering with the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General to investigate and prosecute corrupt correction officers like these who smuggle contraband into our federal prisons.” 

“Smallwood’s actions undermined the safety and security of the Rivers Federal Correctional Institution.  The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to rooting out these kinds of bribery schemes and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” said Russell W. Cunningham Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Washington Field Office.

According to court records and statements made during hearings, in 2019, a former correctional officer at Rivers CI provided the names of several other Rivers CI employees that she believed were bringing contraband into the prison. 

Based on that information, investigators obtained records from CashApp, a mobile application, for individuals including Smallwood and co-defendant Twonisha Sykes.  These showed that between March 2 and March 12, 2019, Smallwood had four transactions or attempted transactions with user “Rico,” an account later confirmed to belong to Rivers CI inmate Francois Toure.  Law enforcement identified a variety of other transactions in which inmates or friends, or family of inmates transferred money to Smallwood. In total, these transactions accounted for well over $10,000. Records showed that Sykes also received numerous CashApp payments from inmate Toure.  In one instance, 10 minutes after Sykes received a $1,200 payment from Toure, she paid the same amount to Smallwood. 

Sykes admitted during a December 2019 interview that she introduced Smallwood to inmate Toure.  Toure then began paying Smallwood to smuggle cigarettes into the prison.  Sykes estimated that Smallwood brought in cigarettes four times, each time plastic wrapped to her body.  Sykes admitted that inmate Toure gave her the money to pay Smallwood for the contraband because Smallwood at first preferred not to deal directly with Toure. 

In March 2020, agents interviewed Francois Toure.  He confirmed that he gave Sykes money to transfer to Smallwood in payment for Smallwood bringing in cigarettes.  He estimated that Smallwood brought in cigarettes on two occasions, with two or three cartons each time.  He said that they arranged for Smallwood to make drops in bathrooms.  He further stated that Smallwood began dealing with another inmate once Toure was sent to the special housing unit for disciplinary reasons.  CashApp records for Smallwood included a memo that bore the second inmate’s name. 

Co-defendant Sykes was sentenced on March 1, 2023 and received a day of custody and three years of supervised release. 

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-0003-FL-001.

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WILMINGTON, N.C. – Jarrell Raeshon Bordeaux was sentenced to 248 months in prison for 13 drug trafficking and firearm charges. Bordeaux was convicted by a federal jury in January of this year. According to court records and evidence presented in court, Bordeaux sold ounces of fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant 10 times. During the drug deals, he bragged about how successful he was at selling drugs and the steps he took to keep from being caught.

“Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This defendant recklessly stored fentanyl and stolen guns in the same room where his seven-year-old played.  We are proudly partnering with local law enforcement to put narcotics traffickers like Bordeaux behind bars where they belong.”

Following the controlled purchases, officers executed search warrants at two locations used by Bordeaux to distribute drugs.  At his house, officers found his seven-year-old son playing video games in the same room as 200 grams (seven ounces) of fentanyl and heroin and two loaded handguns that were stolen. At another location, officers seized three more handguns along with tools and packaging Bordeaux used to distribute drugs.

At sentencing, the Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II emphasized the danger and harm caused by fentanyl and armed drug trafficking across the United States, and specifically in communities like Fayetteville. Chief Judge Myers also noted that Bordeaux ignored these risks by storing fentanyl and loaded guns in his own child’s room.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Lemons and Nick Hartigan prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-cr-00428-M.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Shakeerah Kaneisha Yvette Vinson, 32, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Act (“PPP”) COVID-19 loan for her real estate broker business.  She faces up to 20 years in prison.

“This defendant, along with her network of co-conspirators, took taxpayer money meant to help struggling small businesses during a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “We are investigating and prosecuting those who steal from public programs intended to keep legitimate businesses afloat.”

According to the charged criminal information, the defendant conspired with Edward Whitaker, Schunda Coleman, and others to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan on behalf of Vinson’s business.  Whitaker and Coleman pled guilty on January 19, 2023 for their role in operating a nation-wide scheme to help people across the country commit millions of dollars of PPP fraud.

According to charging documents and information summarized in court, Whitaker and Coleman created fraudulent supporting documents and applications for the PPP loan which they provided to Vinson in exchange for 25% of the total loan proceeds.  The fraudulent application falsified the number of employees and gross wages being paid prior to the COVID pandemic, in order to help qualify for the PPP loan.  Following the disbursement of the PPP loans, Whitaker instructed Vinson as to how to make it appear that the PPP loans were being paid out to employees, when in reality the money was transferred back to Vinson.  The fraudulent payroll records were then submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain 100% loan forgiveness.

Late last year, Quentin Jackson pled guilty in the same conspiracy which included the recruitment of numerous individuals in the Eastern District of North Carolina to use Whitaker and Coleman to obtain fraudulent PPP funds.

“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge in the Charlotte Field Office. “Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.”

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.  The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the SBA.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted the plea.  Sentencing will occur before United States District Judge James C. Dever III later this year.  Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00027-D.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Alphonso Lewis, 47, of Raleigh, was sentenced to 121 months for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, on April 22, 2022, a Sampson County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop on Lewis’s car for a traffic violation on Interstate 40.  During the traffic stop, the deputy observed the odor of marijuana and a package that had been mailed from McAllen, Texas to Knightdale, North Carolina.  The deputy knew from his training and experience in drug interdiction that McAllen, Texas was a source city for drugs. The deputy also observed the unusual behavior that Lewis continued to grab and eat chicken wings while he was speaking with him.  The deputy had probable cause to open the package and found 901 grams of pure methamphetamine and 350 grams of marijuana.  During the course of the investigation, it was uncovered that Lewis had distributed more than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine to Eastern North Carolina from 2021 until his federal arrest in August 2022.  Law enforcement received information that some of the methamphetamine was being provided by a Blood gang member in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“Our office is proud to support our local law enforcement partners like Sampson County Sheriff’s Office in their battle to eliminate narcotics trafficking in their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to go after people peddling this poison and should serve as a warning to those considering  doing the same.”

“The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office is proud of its partnership with many federal agencies, including the US Attorney Office.  Our agency has been proactive in seeking out and apprehending drug criminals. Many such drug peddlers have been located along Interstate 40 in our county.  These proactive efforts by our officers and the partnerships with federal agencies are proof that teamwork can help further rid our communities of dangerous drugs and criminals,”  said Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and Sampson and Duplin County Sheriffs’ Offices  investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-00051-M-KS-1.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Abdul Sanderlin, 29, of Onslow County, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in multiple states.   

According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office received information that Sanderlin was involved in the distribution of narcotics between New Jersey and Sneads Ferry, North Carolina. 

On August 27, 2020, an undercover DEA task force officer made a controlled purchased of a half an ounce of methamphetamine from Sanderlin. Law enforcement observed Sanderlin leaving his apartment in Sneads Ferry prior to him making the deal.  Later law enforcement served a search warrant on the residence, and recovered 46 grams of methamphetamine, more than 2,000 bags of suspected heroin, paraphernalia associated with drug distribution and more than $17,000.

On January 26, 2023, Sanderlin pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

Sanderlin has previously been convicted in New Jersey state court of manufacturing or distributing a controlled dangerous substance or intent to manufacture (2012), felony unlawful possession of a handgun (2014), manufacturing or distributing a controlled dangerous substance or intent to manufacture (2018). 

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Onslow County Sheriffs’ Offices  investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Gabe Diaz  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-cr-00082-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Leland, North Carolina man, Joseph Alexander Casillas, was sentenced today to six months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  On February 16, 2023, Casillas pleaded guilty to the charge.  As part of the judgment, Casillas was also ordered to pay $92,734 in criminal restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). 

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Casillas fraudulently applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in March and April 2021 in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the government.  The PPP program was created by the CARES Act in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to American small businesses that were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Through the PPP program, businesses could apply for forgivable loans to retain jobs and pay certain qualifying expenses.  In order to obtain a PPP loan, the business was required to make certain disclosures and certifications regarding its operations and acknowledge program rules.  The business was also required to provide documentation to support its alleged payroll expenses.

As part of the scheme, Casillas submitted two false and fraudulent PPP loan applications, each of which requested over $20,000.  In the applications, Casillas falsely stated that he was the sole proprietor of a longstanding trucking business that was incurring nearly $100,000 in annual payroll costs.  Among other things, to substantiate his claims, Casillas provided the lender with a fraudulent 2019 tax record.  In reality the company did not exist.

Michael Easley, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The United States Secret Service, based in Wilmington, North Carolina, investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-132-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a high-ranking Bloods gang leader from Wilmington on charges of trafficking heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.

Don Eugene Nixon, Jr., age 48, was convicted on eight counts, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, distribution of heroin and fentanyl, and possession with the intent to distribute heroin. Nixon faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years on each count when sentenced later this year, for a total possible sentence of up to 320 years imprisonment.

“The gangs pushing deadly fentanyl in our community have a role in fueling the deadliest drug epidemic our country has ever seen,” said U.S Attorney Michael Easley.  “Our office is partnering with law enforcement at every level to fight the fentanyl epidemic and put drug traffickers behind bars.” 

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, a months-long investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Wilmington Police Department resulted in six controlled purchases of large quantities of drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, from Nixon. Nixon would deliver the drugs to the informant pressed into a square block shape, tightly wrapped with black electrical tape. In addition, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Nixon’s home and seized 131 grams of heroin and three handguns.

Trial testimony established that Nixon was a large-scale heroin dealer who operated well over a decade in Eastern North Carolina. Additionally, his rank in and reach within the Bloods gang made it difficult to investigate and prosecute his crimes. Witnesses refused to testify due to the threats they faced. Witnesses who did assist in the investigation have had to relocate and are receiving federal protection.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wilmington Police Department are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Knott and Jimmie Bellamy are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:21-CR-00071.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Johnathan Aquavious Heath, a/k/a “Booty,” age 43, of Goldsboro was sentenced to 252 months in prison for his leadership role in a drug trafficking organization bringing significant quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack, heroin, and fentanyl in the Goldsboro area.

“There are serious consequences for those that are trafficking dangerous and deadly narcotics in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This defendant will be spending the next twenty-plus years behind bars for his crimes.”

According to court documents and information presented in court, in 2019, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Wilmington, North Carolina received information that Heath was a leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in Goldsboro and distributing significant quantities of crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, powder cocaine, and cocaine base (crack).  Based on the investigation, law enforcement learned that Heath maintained several “trap houses” or “stash houses” in Goldsboro and employed people to run the stash houses and he also employed runners, often times drug users, to hand deliver drugs. 

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement gathered information regarding this organization from multiple confidential sources and cooperating defendants, conducted surveillance, and also conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from Heath, as well as those working for him.  Over the course of the conspiracy, Heath was responsible for assisting in the distribution of at least 119.54 grams of cocaine, 401.62 grams cocaine base, 373.608 grams of actual methamphetamine, 1,500 grams of heroin, and 1,474.18 grams of fentanyl.   On June 7, 2022, Heath pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, 5 kilograms or More of Cocaine, and 280 grams or More of Cocaine Base and Distribution of Fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine. 

Four additional defendants have previously been charged and convicted in this investigation:

• Aratika Omhaya Anderson, a/k/a “Tika” (5:21-CR-314-M-2): pled guilty on October 19, 2021, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Distribution of 5 grams or More of Methamphetamine, aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 88 months in prison.

• Victoria Christine Taylor (5:21-CR-314-M-3): pled guilty on March 8, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute a quantity of crack cocaine and was sentenced to 80 months in prison.

• Richard Ronald Harris, III (5:21-CR-314-M-5): pled guilty on October 6, 2021, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Distribution of Five Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Aiding and Abetting. Harris was sentenced to 70 months in prison.

• Lelia Inez Harris (5:21-CR-314-M-5): pled guilty on November 16, 2021, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Five (5) Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Distribution of Five Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Aiding and Abetting.  Harris was sentenced to 55 months in prison.

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

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Wilmington, North Carolina and the Goldsboro Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:21-CR-00314-M.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Denise Coit Alston, 69; Monica Faye Barnes, 51; Terron Cortez Parker, 37; and Kami D. Woodard, 37; each pleaded guilty earlier this week to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Act (“PPP”) COVID-19 loans. The defendants requested relief for various companies they owned including companies listed as being engaged in catering, trucking and real estate.   They all face up to 20 years in prison.

“These defendants, along with the broader network of co-conspirators, took taxpayer money meant to help struggling small businesses during a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “We are investigating and prosecuting those who steal from public programs intended to keep legitimate businesses afloat.”

According to the filed charges and information summarized in court, the defendants conspired with Edward Whitaker, Schunda Coleman, and others to obtain fraudulent PPP loans on behalf of their businesses.  Whitaker and Coleman pled guilty on January 19, 2023 for their role in operating a nation-wide scheme to help people across the country commit millions of dollars of PPP fraud from their home in Texas.

Whitaker and Coleman created fraudulent supporting documents and applications for each PPP loan in exchange for 25% of the total loan proceeds.  The fraudulent applications falsified the number of employees and gross wages being paid prior to the COVID-19 pandemic by backdating fraudulent IRS Forms 940 and 941, in order to help qualify for the PPP loans.   Following the disbursement of the PPP loans, Whitaker gave each defendant, via text messages subsequently obtained by law enforcement, detailed instructions as to how to make it appear that the PPP loans were being paid out to employees.  In reality, most or all of the money was transferred back to the defendants.  The fraudulent payroll records were then submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain 100% loan forgiveness.

Late last year, Quentin Jackson pled guilty in the same conspiracy which included the recruitment of numerous individuals within the Eastern District of North Carolina to use Whitaker and Coleman to obtain fraudulent PPP funds.

“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge in the Charlotte Field Office. “Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.”

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.  The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the SBA.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted the pleas.  Sentencings will occur before United States District Judge James C. Dever III later this year.  Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00027-D.

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RALEIGH, N.C. – A Mebane man pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a $20 million dollar leasing fraud scheme. Dan Raymond, an owner and operator of multiple computer equipment and small business financial consulting companies had a role brokering fraudulent lease deals valued at more than $20 million dollars with 25 victim financers. Raymond pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced later this year.

“Federal law enforcement specializes in unraveling complex financial frauds like this one, where a computer equipment supplier bilked financiers for millions in a scheme that lasted years,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.   “The Research Triangle is a hub for tech and innovation.  We are ramping up white collar fraud enforcement to ensure fraudsters who take advantage of our booming tech sector are held accountable.” 

According to court documents and information presented in court, from March 2016 to January 2022, while he was living in Cary, Raymond executed a scheme to defraud financing companies in connection with computer equipment lease deals.  The targets of Raymond’s scheme were financing companies who offered small to medium-sized businesses (“customers”) financing and secured leases for computer servers and other computer equipment.  Under these leasing programs, financers paid for and took title to the equipment and then in turn leased it to the customers for a fixed term.  Financers entered into agreements with brokers who, for a fee, could bring potential equipment leasing opportunities to the financers for evaluation and approval.  As a third-party independent financing source, financers did not manufacture or supply the computer equipment.  Instead, the brokers, like Raymond, arranged for the purchase and delivery of the equipment to the customers, who then leased that equipment from the financers. 

Raymond targeted financially-distressed small business customers throughout the country and offered them leases for computer equipment.  Typically, the customers Raymond targeted were seeking a cash infusion for operating expenses and had no immediate needs for computer equipment.  Nonetheless, Raymond enticed customers by offering lease deals that included large cash rebates and long-term payback options. Raymond falsely assured customers that this was a common and legitimate practice, and that they could always sell the computer equipment if they chose to.  The cash rebates and payback options offered by Raymond were not known to or approved by the financers.

Raymond executed the lease agreements with the customers and then submitted the leases and invoices to a financer.  If approved, the financer paid Raymond a lump sum payment which was intended to represent the cost of the computer equipment to be supplied by Raymond, plus a small fee to be retained by Raymond as profit.  After the leases were signed and approved by the financer, Raymond instructed the customers to falsify documents representing that the computer equipment was delivered, installed and working properly at their business locations when, in fact, no equipment had been delivered or installed.  These false declarations enabled Raymond to be paid by the financer.  After Raymond obtained payment from the financers, he wired the cash rebates to the customers from his business checking account.  Raymond sometimes did ship computer equipment to the customers.  However, whereas the leases called for name brand computer servers and hardware valued between $30,000 - $100,000, Raymond sent generic computer parts valued at $50 - $3,500.

Raymond’s was affiliated with businesses, including Integrity IT Solutions, Inc. (“IITS”), Logos Consulting, LLC (“Logos”), Lendberry Corp. (“Lendberry”), US Server Supply (“USSS”), Online Concepts Inc. (“OC”), Referral Marketing Services (“RMS”), Sandriver Group, Inc. (“Sandriver”), Business Repair Consultants (“BRC”), and Buyback Funders, LLC (“Buyback”). 

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-96-BO.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Yesterday in federal court, Cruz Miguel Aguina, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle to eight months in prison following a guilty plea to immigration fraud. Moreover, Aguina was judicially denaturalized as a U.S. citizen.

According to court records, on July 3, 2019, Aguina fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship by making materially false statements under oath regarding his naturalization application.  In response to the question “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following:…Forcing, or trying to force, someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?” he answered “No.”  Also, in response to the question “Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” he answered “No.”

On June 16, 2022, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Johnston County, Aguina was convicted of statutory rape of a child.  He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 240 and 348 months and ordered to register as a sex offender.  According to the transcript of plea and judgment issued by the court, Aguina confessed to having committed the crime from January 1, 2019, through December 30, 2019. Therefore, the offense was ongoing at the time he made the false statements for his naturalization application.    

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sebastian Kielmanovich prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-253-1BO-RJ. 

RALEIGH, N.C. – Armando Marinero-Garcia, age 49, a permanent resident of the United States, born in Mexico and residing in Johnston County, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle to five months in prison following a guilty plea to attempted naturalization fraud.

According to court records, on June 1, 2018, Marinero attempted to fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship by making materially false statements under penalty of perjury regarding his naturalization application.  In response to the question “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following:…Forcing, or trying to force, someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?” he answered “No.”  Also, in response to the question “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?” he answered “No.”

On June 14, 2022, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Wake County, Marinero was convicted of four counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of crime against nature.  He was sentenced to a combined term of imprisonment of 100 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. According to the transcript of plea and judgments issued by the court, Marinero committed the crimes on August 1, 2016.  Therefore, the statements he made on his naturalization application were false.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sebastian Kielmanovich prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-252-1BO-RN. 

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Fort Bragg soldier, Noah Edwin Anthony, 23, who had evidence of a preliminary self-titled “operation,” found on his electronic devices, with the goal “to physically remove as many of [black and brown people] from Hoke, Cumberland, Robeson and Scotland Counties by whatever means need be,” pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle. Anthony faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced later this year.

According to court documents and information provided in court, Anthony attempted to enter Fort Bragg on March 3, 2022, as gate officers were conducting random vehicle inspections.  The gate officer asked Anthony to step out of the vehicle and immediately located a loaded handgun in the center console.  This handgun was later identified as a “Glock Like” 9mm privately made handgun, commonly called a Ghost Gun, with no serial number.  Anthony was asked if the handgun was registered, and Anthony answered he didn’t have any paperwork for it.  Military Police arrived and located two extended magazines, ammunition, as well as an American flag with a Swastika, instead of blue field and stars, and other Nazi type patches. 

Further search of Anthony’s room on Fort Bragg resulted in disclosure of a 3D printed, FGC-9 rifle with no serial number, a lower receiver, magazines for various firearms, white supremacist literature, t-shirts and patches, as well as several electronic devices.

The FGC-9 firearm was submitted to the ATF Firearms Laboratory who confirmed that it was a short barrel rifle less than 16 inches in violation of the National Firearms Act (NFA).  Additionally, the FGC-9 lacked manufacturer’s marks of identification or serial number and thus had not been registered as required under the NFA.  Anthony pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Diaz is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-217-M.

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RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Mario Whitted, 28, today on charges arising from his shooting of a Fayetteville pawn shop owner as he closed up for the night on November 30, 2019. The owner, who survived the attack, was struck twice in the leg and returned fire with his own handgun. Whitted fled the scene and flagged down a Good Samaritan who offered to take him to a local Emergency Room. Whitted instead insisted that he be taken home. He was later apprehended in South Carolina after having a bullet extracted from his foot which ballistics examiners matched to the victim’s gun. DNA evidence also linked Whitted to the scene after he bled in the Good Samaritan’s car. Whitted was found guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition, deemed an armed career criminal, and now faces 15 years to life in prison when he is sentenced later this year. Whitted has three prior state convictions for common law robbery.

“Today’s verdict puts a career criminal behind bars and makes the Fayetteville community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Our office will continue to partner with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those driving gun violence around our homes and businesses.”

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Cumberland and Robeson County Sheriffs’ Offices investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Rhoades and Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-CR-353-D.

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RALEIGH, N.C – In commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), the U.S. Attorney’s Offices of the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina along with the Interagency Council of North Carolina (IAC) will be hosting a ceremony to bring the victim assistance community together to raise public awareness about victims’ rights, protections, and services. The public may attend the ceremony virtually on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.

The IAC works to assemble advocates that have the common goal of improving individual and systematic services to all victims of crime and their loved ones. The Council holds regular meetings and co-hosts the annual ceremony during NCVRW. The keynote speaker for the ceremony will be Monica Daye, a survivor whose story inspired the founding of her nonprofit, Stand Up Speak Out North Carolina. Governor Roy Cooper will also be making remarks at the ceremony.

 “Our office coordinated with local victims’ support advocates to provide services to more than 6,100 victims last year,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We work to ensure that victims are supported and that their voices are heard at every step in the process. I encourage all those involved in the criminal justice system to come together, reflect, and learn from the stories of individuals impacted by all types of victimization to make positive change in our communities.”

“Each year, we come together for National Crime Victims’ Week to honor the memories of those who have been lost to violent crimes and to show support for the survivors and surviving family members. It is also an opportunity to show our appreciation to those in law enforcement who pursue justice for the victims,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston. “The work we do for victims is a top priority for our district. During this week, and throughout the year, we will continue to provide the victims and their families with information about the resources available to them through the federal government.”

"During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we recognize victims and survivors, acknowledge their pain and recommit ourselves to fight for them and for justice,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said. "We’re working together to support and improve law enforcement and tackle the roots of violence in our communities through our new Office of Violence Prevention that can help make people safer for generations to come.”

The 2023 theme for NCVRW is Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change., which calls upon communities to magnify the voices of survivors and pledge to create an atmosphere where survivors know they will be heard, believed, and supported. The theme underscores the importance of helping crime survivors find their justice by:

• elevating survivors’ voices,
• engaging with survivors to better inform policy and practice, and
• effecting change for the better.

The partners involved in the planning of the 2023 NCVRW ceremony work collaboratively to ensure that victims of crime rights are enforced, victims have access to services, and to ensure equity for all during each step of the criminal justice response process. 

Anyone interested in attending the ceremony virtually can register at https://usao.webex.com/usao/j.php?MTID=md9b2465452980cb0de7f89c20cd6b689.

For additional information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the United States Attorney’s Office website.  For more ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Two Army Officers, who are also husband and wife, have been convicted in a multi-year activity involving the theft of more than $2 million in government property. Last week, Chief Warrant Officer Three (CW3) Christopher Hammond, 38, pled guilty to theft/possession of government property and money laundering. Yesterday, his wife, Major Heather Hammond, 34, was convicted by a federal jury for spending money laundering proceeds and aiding and abetting.  CW3 Hammond faces up to 30 years in prison, plus fines and restitution, and Major Hammond faces up to ten years in prison plus fines, when they are sentenced later this year.

“We are putting a stop to corruption at Ft. Bragg and those who use their official positions to line their own pockets. Mr. Hammond abused his position with the Army to steal and sell government property. He stole military scopes, weapons parts, tools, welding equipment, night vision goggles and ATVs,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This gear was meant to support our troops in the fight for freedom, but the Hammonds sold it to retire in style.”

"Christopher and Heather Hammond betrayed the public trust by using their positions in the military for their own personal enrichment," stated Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. "DCIS and our investigative partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal government property for personal use or personal gain and compromise the military's integrity."

“This conviction is the latest result of our ongoing efforts to investigate fraud and theft and should serve as a stark reminder that Army CID will vigorously pursue anyone who attempts to enrich themselves at the expense of the U.S. Government,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Larry S. Moreland, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.

"Our service men and women make sacrifices for our country every day and it undermines their commitment when a fellow soldier steals the property they depend on to stay safe. The FBI and our partners will  aggressively investigate these types of crimes to ensure this criminal abuse of power and betrayal does not go unpunished," said Robert M. DeWitt,  Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the FBI.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, CW3 Hammond used his position to requisition government property intended for his unit at Ft. Bragg. The property was never logged into inventory at the base but was instead sold by Hammond to various individuals. In a two-year period, CW3 Hammond received at least $1.8 million in wire transfers related to the sales, which he deposited into bank accounts controlled by him and his wife. The investigation traced about 200 items sold by CW3 Hammond or held in his home as having been issued to Hammond’s military unit. Major Hammond knowingly allowed use of her bank accounts, even suggesting the use of her accounts so the money would not go into Chief Hammond’s bank account.  The fraud was uncovered when a supplier noticed that items procured under a government contract were being sent in for warranty repairs by a private individual.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted CW3 Hammond’s plea and the jury verdict related to Major Hammond. Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS), Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Kocher and Logan Liles are prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00106-BO.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Six federal inmates housed at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina (“FCC Butner”) have been charged with possession of contraband cell phones.

According to the indictment, the inmates, Rakeem Baldwin, Antoine Stanfield, Neshawn Howard, Alan Gutierrez, Shafter Manuel, and Ronito Gomez, were housed at three different institutions within the Butner Complex at the time of the offenses: the Federal Medical Center, the Low Security Institution, and the Federal Prison Camp.  Each has been charged with one count of possessing a cell phone.  Additionally, Antoine Stanfield was charged with a second count of destruction or removal of property to prevent seizure.

If convicted, each inmate faces up to a year of imprisonment for possessing the cell phone, with Stanfield facing an additional statutory maximum of five years for destroying or removing property to prevent its seizure.  Additionally, if convicted, the of the charge of possessing a cell phone would also make each inmate ineligible for credit under the First Step Act, which allows federal inmates to earn up to 365 days off of their sentence for participating in eligible programming while incarcerated. 

“Contraband cellphones in prison threaten the safety and security of the inmates and the institution as a whole,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “By indicting these six inmates at FCC Butner, we hope to send a clear message to the inmate population that the possession of cellphones will never be tolerated at FCC Butner.”

Thomas Scarantino, Complex Warden, at FCC Butner stated, “I would like to thank the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina for their continued support in prosecuting these cases. I would also like to thank the legal team and staff at FCC Butner who have assisted with this case. I have zero tolerance for inmates introducing contraband into FCC Butner that puts the safety and security of staff and inmates at risk.”

Federal Bureau of Prisons investigative staff are investigating the cases, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Brooks Storus and Merrill E. Ward are prosecuting the cases.

An indictment is merely an accusation.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

NEW BERN, N.C. – Three women from South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina were sentenced today to combined 72 months in prison for their management and involvement in an illicit massage parlor operation between August 2020 and June 2021. The leader of the organization, Ok Hwa Lee, 55, was sentenced to 34 months in prison. Shanyu Song, 50, and Xuejin Bai, 51, were sentenced to 26 and 12 months and 1 day, respectively. Additionally, Lee was ordered to forfeit $151,000; Song $146,000; and Bai $55,000.  On November 10, 2022, Lee pled guilty to three counts, including one count of conspiracy and two counts of bribing a public official and Song pled guilty to conspiracy. On December 12, 2022, Bai pled guilty to one count of conspiracy.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Lee, Song, and Bai were arrested as part of a broad undercover operation for attempting to bribe law enforcement officers to provide protection for their illicit massage parlors where sexual services were being offered in Cary, Durham, and Wilmington, North Carolina. During the investigation, an undercover HSI agent met with Lee, Song, Bai, and other individuals who provided more than $18,000 in bribes to the agent, believing that the bribes would provide protection from unwanted law enforcement inquiries at the various massage parlors. Song was Lee’s main accomplice within the organization and Bai was a part owner of two illicit massage parlors in Wilmington.

On June 16, 2021, HSI, with the assistance of numerous law enforcement agencies, led a coordinated takedown across four different federal districts that included the execution of search warrants at eight different massage parlors, multiple residences, and the arrest of six individuals, including Lee, Song, and Bai. Two other co-defendants, Ming Ji Cao and Ogbun Park, were previously sentenced, and the corresponding press release can be found here.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and other state and local investigators investigated the case and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan M. Stephany  prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-cr-00079-FL.

NEW BERN, N.C. – Cameron Hansen, 39, of Holly Ridge, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for trafficking drugs with a sawed-off shot gun. On January 11, 2023, Hansen pled guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, on February 14, 2021, Hansen was stopped by deputies from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic violation while travelling South on Highway 17 in Jacksonville.  Hansen stopped his truck in the parking lot of a local business. An Onslow County Sheriff’s K-9 detected the odor of narcotics coming from the truck. Law enforcement searched the truck and recovered a sawed-off shotgun and approximately one ounce of 95 percent pure methamphetamine. The investigation uncovered that Hansen distributed methamphetamine in the Holly Ridge area. Hansen has a prior federal conviction for possession of a stolen firearm.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Onslow County Sheriffs’ Offices  investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-00081-FL.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh member of the Eight Trey Gangster Crips (ETGC) was sentenced yesterday to 132 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine and his role in a murder conspiracy to kill a rival gang member that was aborted by law enforcement. Clinton Basco pled guilty to the charges on June 23, 2021.

“This case is part of an operation that led to over twenty indictments, taking down dangerous gang leaders and those who, like Basco, peddled dangerous drugs and conspired to kill rivals,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “We’ve forged a close partnership with Raleigh Police and the ATF to tackle violent crime, allowing for swift action by police to prevent yet another senseless murder.” 

According to court documents and other information presented in court, an investigation identified a large drug-trafficking organization (DTO) which was distributing significant amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, phencyclidine (PCP), 3,4-Methlyenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and marijuana in the Raleigh area. The conduct of the DTO was perpetrated by leaders, members, and associates of the ETGC. Basco was responsible for conspiring to distribute more than 1,124.54 kilograms of converted drug weight in the Raleigh area. 

Basco was in a leadership role within the ETGC and was known as an enforcer who committed acts of violence of behalf of the EGTC in Raleigh.  Wiretap surveillance intercepted a conversation among members of the ETGC to kill a member of a rival gang that had tased high-level ETGC member Deandre Earp. At the direction of ETGC leader Dexter Maxwell, another gang member, Rayquan Wiggins, provided information on when the target of the murder plot would be in a certain area in Raleigh so that other ETGC’s, Basco and Earp, could commit the murder. Agents took enforcement action to prevent the murder from occurring by having Basco and Earp stopped as they were traveling by car to go murder the rival gang member.  They were arrested before the murder could be committed. Maxwell and Earp previously pled guilty to charges related to the planned murder, as well as drug trafficking charges.  Earp was sentenced to 40 years. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/raleigh-eight-trey-crip-gangster-sentenced-40-years-prison-vicar-and-methamphetamine Maxwell’s sentencing is pending.

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Raleigh Police Department led the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification and United States Marshals Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly L. Sandling prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.  5:19-cr-00395-D-5.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Kinston man was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for carjacking a FedEx truck, crashing it into a vehicle and a business, and trying to kidnap a child from the car he hit.  On November 1, 2022, Dequan Martail Boone, also known as “Day Day,” pled guilty to one count of interfering with interstate commerce by robbery.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Boone, 33, stole a FedEx truck by force from a driver delivering packages around 10:30 a.m. in Greenville.  Boone sped away from the scene, crashing head-on into another vehicle and then into a commercial building.  Upon exiting the FedEx truck, Boone ran to the vehicle he hit and tried to take a young child from inside.  The child’s mother, who was driving the car, had to fight Boone off to make him release her child.  Boone was subdued by bystanders and held until law enforcement arrived on scene.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Greenville Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori B. Warlick and Aakash Singh prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-44-M.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Wilson-based United Blood Nation gang member on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

“Vick recklessly led police on a high-speed chase on a busy interstate across multiple counties in Eastern North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “He endangered the lives of law enforcement and other drivers in his efforts to elude capture and continue his criminal activity. Now, he is facing time in a federal prison.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Nazeer Vick, 32, was found in possession of a firearm and marijuana during a traffic stop in Wilson after a K9 unit detected the odor of marijuana.  Vick was arrested but quickly bonded out of custody.  Nearly six months later, on October 7, 2020, Nash County deputies encountered  a car being driven by Vick that was driving erratically on Interstate 95, weaving in and out of traffic and reaching speeds in excess of 130 miles per hour.  Vick fled from Nash County, into Wilson County and then into Johnston County where he crashed on I-95 after colliding with a transfer truck.  Vick then crawled out of a window of the mangled car with a black bookbag and fled on foot to a nearby motel. Vick was captured by hotel security cameras running around the hotel attempting to open hotel room doors.  He threw the bookbag into a trashcan and then hid in an electrical closet where he was later found by law enforcement.  Officers recovered the discarded bookbag which contained cocaine, cocaine base, marijuana, various pills, a digital scale, a loaded firearm, and documents associated with Vick.  Vick is a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang and has a lengthy criminal history including voluntary manslaughter, selling heroin, possession with intent to sell or deliver heroin, and possession of a firearm by a felon. 

He will face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life imprisonment when sentenced during the July 24, 2023, term of court.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Wilson Police Department, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mount Police Department, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Foxx and Robert Dodson prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00485-D.

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NEW BERN, N.C. – Devonte Lewis, of Navassa, was sentenced to 130 months in prison for armed drug trafficking uncovered through an undercover operation focused on curbing gang violence in the Wilmington and Brunswick County Areas. Lewis pled guilty on December 8, 2022 to possession of a firearm not registered with the National Firearms Registry, possession of a firearm by a felon, distribution of a quantity of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

“Those selling illegal machine guns and carrying firearms in furtherance of their drug dealing endanger our communities and will face significant consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “The public needs to know that we will not allow criminals to use and deal in machine guns and ‘switches’ that convert Glocks into fully-automatic machine guns.”

According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, between November 16, 2021, and December 10, 2021, Lewis sold a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) undercover agent the following:  a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine ad a 50-round drum, two rifles, one that was stolen, a Glock 45 caliber handgun, a “switch” that converted a Glock 9mm handgun from a semiautomatic into a fully functioning machine gun, a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine, and a .38 caliber handgun.  Additionally, Lewis sold the undercover agent a quantity of cocaine on at least two occasions.  On one of those occasions Lewis was armed with a handgun.   

On March 2, 2022, ATF contacted Ernest Robinson, a co-conspirator, about purchasing a firearm.  Robison and Lewis arrived together to meet the undercover agent, and Lewis brought in an AR-10 rifle with a large capacity magazine and a revolver.  The agent paid Robinson for the guns after he said they belonged to him.  Robinson is a validated Blood gang member and, like Lewis, a convicted felon. 

This is part of “Operation Golfer,” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Wilmington Police Department, and the Duplin, New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriffs’ Offices  investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Gabe Diaz  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-00038-FL.

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NEW BERN, N.C. – Kevin Harold Rudolph, 28, of Raleigh, was sentenced yesterday to 180 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor.  Rudolph and co-defendant Marcus Gambrell were charged in a four-count superseding indictment on April 7, 2020.  The indictment charged both men with sex trafficking of a minor and using the internet to promote prostitution, Gambrell with manufacturing child pornography, and Rudolph with possession of a firearm by a felon.  Rudolph pled guilty to the sex trafficking charge on March 7, 2022. 

According to court records and statements made during hearings, in December 2018, a Raleigh Police Department detective was conducting an online investigation when he came across an advertisement offering a minor for prostitution.  Law enforcement identified the minor as a 14-year-old girl who left a temporary home six days earlier.  The detective texted the phone number listed on the advertisement to set up prostitution sting date.  He was directed to a room at a Motel 6 in Raleigh, where he located and rescued the victim.  In the room, officers found condoms, an iPad, and a bookbag.  The bookbag contained a firearm and paperwork in Rudolph’s name.  On the iPad, officers found photos of the victim that had been used in the prostitution advertisements, as well as additional photos that showed the minor victim’s genitals.  The hotel was registered to Marcus Gambrell. 

The victim explained to officers that after running away—in slippers and with no coat, despite it being late December—she had ended up at the Raleigh Inn in Raleigh.  There, on Christmas Day, she had met and socialized with Gambrell and Rudolph.  The two men invited her to relocate with them to a nearby Motel 6 the next day.  Once at the Motel 6, Gambrell took photos of the victim with the iPad.  The two men used those photos to post and maintain prostitution advertisements for the victim on the internet.  Over the next two days, they took turns supervising the prostitution and updated each other over Facebook Messenger.   The victim estimated that Rudolph and Gambrell arranged around 10 to 15 “dates” per day, and they kept all the money.  She stated that on one occasion Gambrell had vaginal sex with her, as Rudolph recoded a video with his cell phone.  Law enforcement, however, did not recover the video.  After his arrest, Rudolph provided law enforcement with the same number that has been listed in the prostitution advertisements. 

Co-defendant Marcus Gambrell pled guilty on January 19, 2021, to manufacturing child pornography.  On December 21, 2021, he was sentenced to a 210-month term of imprisonment.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-0336-FL.

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RALEIGH, N.C. –David Earl Page, 54, of Maxton, North Carolina was sentenced yesterday to 293 months in prison for carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury after forcing a woman into a car at knifepoint and driving her to a remote location where he sexually assaulted her and then stabbed her when she attempted to escape. Page pled guilty on January 3, 2023.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on March 11, 2021, a Robeson County Sheriff’s Deputy was approached by a female who was suffering from multiple stab wounds. The victim advised that while she was working at the South of the Border shopping center in Dillon, South Carolina, she was approached on a smoke break by a black male, later identified as Page, who put a knife to her throat—forcing her into her own vehicle. Page then drove the vehicle into Rowland, North Carolina, where he tied her hands and feet with a sheet. They traveled down a series of roads before stopping in a rural area where the victim was forced out of her vehicle and sexually assaulted. When she attempted to escape, Page grabbed her by her hair, beat her, and stabbed her with a knife. He then forced her back into the vehicle and drove around to different convenience stores to purchase different items, which was captured on video surveillance.

Page has a history of committing armed robberies and is a career offender.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, and Dillon County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-CR-87-BO.

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RALEIGH, N.C. – Ira Burnett, 34, of Raleigh, North Carolina was sentenced today to 228 months in prison for charges related to four armed robberies in Raleigh, North Carolina.

According to court records and evidence presented in court, Ira Burnett committed four-armed robberies in Raleigh between June 27, 2021 and July 5, 2021.  He displayed a weapon to rob a Family Dollar, two Walgreens, and Sky Blue Tobacco all located in Raleigh.

A “Be on the Look Out” or B.O.L.O. announcement was made public by the Raleigh Police Department on June 29, 2021, which included two photos of Burnett taken from video surveillance footage from Family Dollar.  Burnett displayed or brandished a weapon to the clerks in each location.  He attempted to disguise his identity by wearing a sweatshirt, a mask, and the same Fox Racing hat during each robbery. He was also observed driving the same grey in color vehicle in each location. Less than 20 minutes after his last robbery, a manager at a gas station on Wake Crossroads called police as she recognized Burnett from the B.O.L.O announcement and believed he had just left the gas station. The manager was able to provide the police with video footage and photo evidence of the vehicle Burnett was driving, a grey Nissan, which enabled police to track down the owner of the vehicle.

On July 6, 2021, the Raleigh Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence of the owner of the grey Nissan. Recovered as a result of the search was a loaded .357 caliber revolver, two sweatshirts that resembled what Burnett wore during the robberies, and a Fox Racing hat. Burnett was indicted for the robberies on September 7, 2022 and pleaded guilty to all four robberies on January 4, 2023.

Michael F. Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00208-BO.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 105 months imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release.  Kevin Anthony Harmer, 32, of Fayetteville, North Carolina pled guilty on December 22, 2022, to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. 

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on May 5, 2021, officers with the Fayetteville Police Department responded to a domestic violence call.  Harmer was found near the residence with a loaded 9mm firearm in his waistband.  While out on bond for that offense, Harmer was engaged in a verbal altercation with another man at a tobacco store in Fayetteville.  During the altercation, Harmer shot the other man in the foot.  That firearm was reported stolen by Harmer’s fiancé’s father.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded.  U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III presided over the sentencing.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions along with the Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00085-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount leader of the G-Shine Bloods gang, a subset of the United Blood Nation gang, was sentenced today in connection with his leadership role in a violent drug trafficking organization. Tyrone Foreman, also known as “Ty Nitty,” was sentenced to 360 months in prison after having pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Additionally, he was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $220,211.27 to the Federal Government.

The case was part of Operation Caught Cold, which led to the conviction of 17 defendants, including Foreman, the seizure of 6,601 dosage units of a mixture containing fentanyl 4,389 dosage units of heroin, and over 20 guns. In total, Foreman was personally responsible for trafficking more than 14,000 doses of a fentanyl mixture, and more than 60,940 doses of heroin.

“Tyrone Foreman used threats and intimidation to run his criminal drug trafficking enterprise while his organization raked in over a quarter million dollars in COVID-19 unemployment fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Through this operation we seized at least 20 firearms, some in the hands of felons and purchased through straw buyers.  Let this 30-year sentence be a warning.  Armed drug traffickers pushing fentanyl in North Carolina will pay a heavy price.  Operation Caught Cold is yet another example of what can be accomplished when local law enforcement agencies partner to deliver justice.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Foreman, 35, was identified as a high-ranking member of the G-Shine Bloods gang in the Rocky Mount area. The investigation revealed that Foreman obtained thousands of dosage units of mixtures containing heroin and fentanyl from various suppliers spanning from Wake Forest to New York.  The heroin/fentanyl mixtures would then be distributed throughout Nash and Edgecombe Counties by lower ranking gang members and other drug dealers working at Foreman’s direction.

“ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to apply every resource available to combat the violent gun crime associated with gangs and drug trafficking networks,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Bringing the leaders of these violent groups to justice is a critical move towards disbanding these criminal networks and taking illegal firearms off our streets.”

“I would like to thank the men and woman in local and state agencies involved. I appreciate the long hours away from their families and the necessary paperwork needed to build strong cases,” said Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson.  “I especially want to thank our federal partners for their continued hard work to help us keep our citizens safe. And lastly, I want to thank all of our concerned citizens for notifying law enforcement of gang activity & drug dealing and wanting a safer community.”

“This conviction is further evidence that those who decide to lead and or participate in illegal organizations will become prime targets of federal investigations,” stated Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell. “Organizations like the one that Tyrone Foreman was leading led to multiple crimes being committed in and around our community. Today is a day that the communities that he once disrupted with his criminal activity will now be a little safer with his conviction and sentencing. We value our law enforcement partners and will take cases federally whenever possible to ensure these offenders are taken off our streets.”    

On October 9, 2019, investigators with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office conducted a surveillance operation on Foreman as he travelled from Nash County to Wake Forest to meet with a drug supplier.  Investigators conducted a traffic stop of Foreman as he returned to Nash County and recovered approximately 2,000 dosage units of heroin/fentanyl mixture from his vehicle. 

The investigation continued throughout the fall of 2019 and into 2020, as members of local law enforcement agencies collaborated to conduct over twenty controlled purchases of heroin or heroin/fentanyl mixture from members of Foreman’s drug trafficking organization.  Through controlled purchases, surveillance, search warrants, traffic stops, and interviews of witnesses, investigators learned that members of the Foreman Drug Trafficking Organization routinely carried firearms while they sold heroin/fentanyl and utilized threats of violence to ensure that the organization’s drug sales continued.  During the course of the investigation, over twenty firearms were seized from Foreman, members of his gang, members of his drug trafficking organization, and females that were straw purchasing firearms on their behalf.  One of Foreman’s co-conspirators, Vernisha Suggs, made numerous straw purchases on behalf of Bloods gang members from federally licensed firearm dealers in Rocky Mount. Suggs pled guilty and was sentenced to 71 months in prison.

In October 2020, the investigative team identified a New York based heroin/fentanyl supplier who was travelling to Rocky Mount to provide Foreman with thousands of dosage units at a time.  Through surveillance and hotel records, investigators confirmed four meetings between Foreman and the supplier during October and November 2020 alone. 

The drug investigation culminated in a December 2020 traffic stop of Foreman and another member of his gang on I-95 in Maryland as they returned from meeting with the New York based supplier.  Over 3,500 dosage units of heroin/fentanyl mixture were seized during that stop. 

After Foreman’s Maryland arrest, law enforcement continued to learn that he was involved in other criminal activity.  Foreman placed various recorded jail calls from Maryland to women in North Carolina where it was apparent that he was directing them to handle money for him.  Investigators learned that Foreman and these women were committing a wire fraud conspiracy in which they were collecting thousands of dollars’ worth of COVID-19 related unemployment benefits based on claims they fraudulently filed using personal information of other individuals, some of whom were in prison and ineligible to receive benefits. They filed at least 26 false claims, and the conspiracy netted over $250,000 in cash that was distributed to Foreman’s associates. 

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This investigation spanned three years.  In total, 17 defendants have been convicted, and eight have been sentenced.

The agencies involved in the investigation include Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mount Police Department, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, Nashville Police Department, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the North Carolina Department of Commerce - Division of Employment Security, and the Office of the 8th Prosecutorial District of North Carolina.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Webb and Charity Wilson, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney J.D. Koesters prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-289-D-1.

RALEIGH, N.C. – William Robert Jeffery of Wake County was sentenced today to 192 months in prison for accessing the internet with intent to view child pornography.  A federal jury found Jeffery, 61, guilty of the charge on December 22, 2022, following a two-day trial. 

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in spring of 2020, the Raleigh Police Department received reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding illegal internet activity at Jeffery’s Raleigh home.  NCMEC reported that on five occasions from October 2019, to January 2020, a user at that address had submitted images of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM, often referred to as child pornography) into the Microsoft Bing reverse image search, seeking similar images. 

On March 17, 2020, FBI and the Raleigh Police Department executed a search warrant at Jeffery’s home.  He admitted to using a pornographic chat website and viewing clothed images of children, but he denied possessing CSAM material.  A forensic examination of his laptop showed extensive activity on the chat website and multiple CSAM images that had been deleted from the internet history.  The forensic analyst also recovered deleted images of CSAM material on an older computer that Jeffery had used in 2006-2009, along with earlier activity on the same chat website. 

Jeffery has a prior conviction in federal court for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in a sex act with a minor in 2020, and in 2021, he was convicted in Dare County Superior Court of two counts of indecent liberties with a minor.  

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Raleigh Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.2:20-CR-0464-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Troy Lynn Misiak, age 47, of Spring Lake pleaded guilty to felony theft of government property and unlawful possession of an unregistered weapon. According to the Government’s statement during the plea hearing, Misiak used his former position as a United States Air Force Master Sergeant (MSgt)  to obtain, among other things, firearm suppressors supposedly for use by his military unit, but which he stole for himself.  These items required proper registration under the National Firearms Act, which designated them as property of the United States Air Force.  The Government further explained that after Misiak left the Air Force and became a civil service employee of the United States Army, he continued to try to obtain weaponry, sometimes successfully, from firearms dealers and manufacturers that were again purportedly intended for the military’s use, but which Misiak took for his personal collection. 

Items seized from Misiak’s home included two Surefire brand firearm suppressors, a Daniel Defense internally suppressed rifle barrel, eight Geissele Automatics brand rifle upper assemblies, two suppressor alignment rods, two suspected rocket launcher tubes, and approximately 6,000 rounds of sealed ammunition.  Investigators also seized a 31-page classified document from the US Army Special Operations Command that Misiak was not authorized to possess.

“Our American military is the best-equipped fighting force the world has ever seen, and our military leaders should be good stewards of that equipment, not abuse their positions for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “We won’t allow dangerous weaponry that is provided for military use to be stolen without consequences.  Today’s guilty plea is just one example of our partnership with the Air Force and ATF to ensure those consequences are meted out.” 

“This defendant took advantage of his position, creating a potential threat to public safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims.  “There’s a proper procedure for acquiring firearms and related devices.  Ignoring that process could lead to firearms ending up in the hands of prohibited and dangerous individuals.”

Each charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.  The theft charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, while the weapon charge also carries a maximum fine of $10,000.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted the plea. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori B. Warlick is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-48-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Nekita Donyae Hooks, 44, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Act (“PPP”) COVID-19 loan.  He faces up to 20 years in prison.

“This defendant, along with his network of co-conspirators, took taxpayer money meant to help struggling small businesses during a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We are investigating and prosecuting those who steal from public programs intended to keep legitimate businesses afloat.”

According to the charged criminal information, the defendant conspired with Edward Whitaker, Schunda Coleman, and others to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan on behalf of Hooks’ business.  Whitaker and Coleman pled guilty on January 19, 2023 for their role in operating a nation-wide scheme to help people across the country commit millions of dollars of PPP fraud.

According to charging documents and information summarized in court, Whitaker and Coleman created fraudulent supporting documents and applications for the PPP loan which they provided to Hooks in exchange for 25% of the total loan proceeds.  The fraudulent application falsified the number of employees and gross wages being paid prior to the COVID pandemic, in order to help qualify for the PPP loan.  Following the disbursement of the PPP loans, Whitaker instructed Hooks as to how to make it appear that the PPP loans were being paid out to employees, when in reality the money was transferred back to Hooks.  The fraudulent payroll records were then submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain 100% loan forgiveness.

Late last year, Quentin Jackson pled guilty in the same conspiracy which included the recruitment of numerous individuals in the Eastern District of North Carolina to use Whitaker and Coleman to obtain fraudulent PPP funds.

“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge in the Charlotte Field Office. “Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.”

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.  The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the SBA.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted the plea.  Sentencing will occur before United States District Judge James C. Dever III later this year.  Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the cases.

A copy of this press release is located on our website.  Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00025-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 204 months in prison for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, ten counts of wire fraud and ten counts of aggravated identity theft.  On October 19, 2022, Furman Alexander Ford, 53, was convicted by jury trial of all of the charges.

“We live in a generous nation, but some choose to feed their greed at the expense of those in need.  This defendant stole the identities of Medicare beneficiaries to defraud a taxpayer-funded program intended to help elderly, poor and disabled citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “This 17-year sentence is fitting for a defendant who stole from the most vulnerable in our society.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Furman Alexander Ford, was the owner and operator of IAM Healthcare based in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The investigation and trial evidence showed that Ford oversaw a scheme to trick group homes located in Wake, Durham and Johnston Counties into providing client Medicare information.  Ford also targeted small community churches in Bladen County by offering food in exchange for Medicare information.  Ford then used the information from these schemes to submit Medicare claims on behalf of these elderly and disabled beneficiaries who did not receive any services from IAM Healthcare.   Specifically, Ford submitted fraudulent claims from December, 2018 to February, 2020, to Medicare for reimbursement.  In total, Ford caused more than $500,000 to be billed to Medicare through IAM Healthcare.  At least 74 beneficiaries whose information had been stolen had claims submitted to Medicare for services not rendered.  Those claims alone totaled at least $251,508, of which $166,928 was paid to Ford.

In reflecting upon the need to deter Medicare providers from abusing the trust placed in them by taxpayers, the Court stated, “if they are caught, the consequences will be time in a penitentiary, and that’s fair and that’s just, and that what is going to happen today.”

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Department of Health cand Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan A. Ontjes and William Gilmore prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00351-FL-1.

RALEIGH, N.C. – United States Attorney Michael Easley, along with representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Rocky Mount Police Department, and the Nash and Edgecombe Sheriffs’ Offices will hold a press conference TOMORROW, Friday, March 31 at 2:00 p.m. to announce the sentence of Tyrone Foreman, a Rocky Mount leader of the G-Shine Blood gang, who was convicted of drug trafficking fentanyl and COVID-19 pandemic relief fraud. Officials will also provide an update on the violent crime initiative launched last year in the Rocky Mount area.

WHERE: Terry Sanford Federal Building, Room 158, 310 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27601

WHEN: Friday, March 31 at 2:00 p.m.

Media:  Please arrive at the courthouse by 1:30 for set up.

Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information, please e-mail Don Connelly at usance.PublicInfoOfficer@usdoj.gov. 

Please RSVP your intentions to attend the event.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Eric Best, also known as “Slime,” 24, of New Bern was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl.  The investigation revealed that from March 2019, until December 2022, Best was involved in the distribution of more than two kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 500 grams of fentanyl.  Best pled guilty to the charges on October 4, 2022.

According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other evidence, on April 26, 2019, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a car in Craven County.  Law enforcement found four guns including an assault rifle and $8,000. Best was one of three people in the car.  It was later determined that they were going to New Jersey to sell the guns.

On December 22, 2020, the New Bern Police conducted a traffic stop on a car being driven by Best.  An officer noticed the odor of marijuana.  During a search, officers located 74 grams of fentanyl and 27 grams of methamphetamine inside of the car and on a passenger.  The investigation uncovered that Best had instructed the passenger to hide the drugs. According to law enforcement, Best is a validated gang member and held a position of leadership in the Pretty Tony Blood gang.

This is part of operation “Jersey South” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Craven and Granville County Sheriffs’ Offices, and the New Bern Police Department investigated the case. Additionally, the Craven County District Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney Scott Thomas assisted with the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-CR-0053-D-4.

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WILMINGTON, N.C. – Aratika Omhaya Anderson, 43, of Goldsboro was sentenced to 88 months in prison for his leadership role in a drug trafficking organization that was trafficking significant quantities of methamphetamine in the Goldsboro area.

According to court documents and information presented in court, in 2019, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Wilmington, North Carolina received information that Anderson was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in Goldsboro and distributing significant quantities of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine base (crack).  The organization also maintained several “trap houses” or “stash houses” in Goldsboro and employed runners, often times drug users, to hand deliver drugs. Based upon the investigation, law enforcement learned that Anderson worked with the leader of the organization and personally managed a number of individuals distributing methamphetamine and crack cocaine from one of the organization’s stash houses. 

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement gathered historical information regarding this organization from multiple confidential sources, conducted surveillance, and also conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from Anderson, as well as those working for him.  Over the course of the conspiracy, Anderson was responsible for assisting in the distribution of at least 283.5 grams of crack cocaine, 198.45 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 572.48 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a/k/a “Ice.” On October 19, 2021, Anderson pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and Distribution of Five (5) grams or more of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting. 

Five total defendants have been charged and convicted in this investigation:

• Johnathan Aquavius Heath, a/k/a “Booty” (5:21-CR-314-M-1): pled guilty on June 7, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Five (5) Kilograms or More of Cocaine, and Two Hundred Eighty (280) Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack) and Distribution of Fifty Grams or more of Methamphetamine. Heath’s sentencing is currently pending.
• Victoria Christine Taylor (5:21-CR-314-M-3): pled guilty on March 8, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute a quantity of crack cocaine and was later sentenced to 80 months in prison.
• Richard Ronald Harris, III (5:21-CR-314-M-5): pled guilty on October 6, 2021, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Distribution of Five Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Aiding and Abetting. Harris was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment.
• Lelia Inez Harris (5:21-CR-314-M-5): pled guilty on November 16, 2021, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute Five (5) Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Distribution of Five Grams or more of Methamphetamine, Aiding and Abetting.  Harris was sentenced to 55 months imprisonment.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Wilmington and the Goldsboro Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.

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

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:21-CR-00314-M.

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WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 390 months in prison for charges associated with kidnapping and possession of illegal substances and firearms between 2018 and 2019. On May 3, 2022, Yomere Juan Busbee, 38, also known as “Ram,” pled guilty to the charge of possession with the intent to distribute several drugs and was later found guilty on September 2, 2022, following a three-day jury trial, of multiple charges involving kidnapping, a drug conspiracy, and firearms.

“The defendant drove violence and exploitation in the Fayetteville community,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Busbee led a prostitution and drug ring using physical violence, threats, or drugs to cause women to engage in commercial sex and keep all their profits. He will now spend the next 32 years in prison.”

"It is heartbreaking to know the violence the victims suffered at the hands of Yomere Juan Busbee. We hope this federal prison sentence provides some sense of comfort. The FBI is committed to holding offenders accountable for the violent crimes they commit," said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt.   

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Busbee and two co-defendants, James Calvin McEachern, Jr. and Merianda Gray held three adult victims, along with a two-year-old child, against their will in a motel room in December of 2018 after Busbee accused the victims of stealing several hundred dollars from him. At the time, Busbee was a convicted felon engaged in dealing drugs and prostituting women, assisted by McEachern. The victims were physically and/or sexually assaulted throughout the several-hour incident during which they also witnessed Busbee brandish a firearm and McEachern brandish a taser to coerce the cooperation of the victims. One of the victims was eventually able to get a message to a family member who called 911. Upon learning that Fayetteville Police Officers were responding to the incident, Busbee and McEachern fled the motel.

Weeks later, in January of 2019, Fayetteville Police Department detectives investigating the kidnapping apprehended Busbee at another Fayetteville motel. A search of the motel room and Busbee’s vehicle revealed two handguns (one of which was stolen) and large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and crack. Gray previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and was sentenced to 90 months custody, five years of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution. McEachern also pled guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and was sentenced today to 108 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for his role in the kidnapping.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan M. Stephany prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00393-M.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Manuel Alejandro Vitela-Romero, age 36, a citizen of Mexico residing in Johnston County, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II to time served plus one year of supervised release following a guilty plea to immigration fraud. Moreover, Vitela was judicially ordered removed from the United States.

According to court records, on March 23, 2019, Vitela knowingly made a materially false statement on an application for an immigration benefit.  In response to the question “Have you ever…engaged in [a]ny kind of sexual contact or relations with any person who was being forced or threatened?” he answered “No.”

Contrary to Vitela’s statement, he had taken indecent liberties with a minor, a 13-year-old girl, on August 8, 2018, and he was convicted on November 8, 2022, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Johnston County. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 16 and 29 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. 

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sebastian Kielmanovich prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-008-1M-BM. 

RALEIGH, N.C. – Lakia Lateefah Washington, 39, who fraudulently claimed to provide counseling services to fake patients, including an unborn child, pled guilty to defrauding North Carolina Medicaid. Washington faces up to 10 years in prison and a potential fine.

“This defendant stole money from a taxpayer-funded program intended to help individuals and families cover essential healthcare,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “My office will continue to investigate and prosecute these cases of fraud.”

According to the information and evidence summarized in court, Washington was a licensed mental health counselor registered with North Carolina Medicaid (“Medicaid”) since 2015.  Through her business, L.W. Therapeutics & Consulting, LLC, Washington began fraudulently billing Medicaid as early as January 2018. Washington received names, dates of birth and/or Medicaid beneficiary numbers of Medicaid beneficiaries for which she paid a small finder’s fee.  Washington would then use that beneficiary data to fraudulently submit claims to Medicaid for services never rendered.  In egregious examples, Washington fraudulently billed Medicaid for over 24 one-hour mental health appointments in a single day; and billed Medicaid for in-person services rendered in disparate locations in Eastern North Carolina within close temporal proximity.  In another instance, Washington submitted claims for services rendered to an unborn beneficiary still in utero at the time of the purported service being rendered.  In total, Washington’s actions led to the disbursement of over $800,000 by Medicaid from 2018 to 2020.

“This person defrauded Medicaid of money that should have gone to people’s health care,” said North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. “My office will continue to hold people responsible when they cheat taxpayers.”

“Those who fraudulently bill Medicaid for services never actually provided threaten the integrity of this important safety net program, which is designed to provide medically necessary services to some of the most vulnerable individuals in our country,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, our agency continues to thoroughly investigate such fraud schemes and hold scammers accountable for their actions.”

The Center for Medicaid Services, within the federal Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for overseeing the Medicaid program in North Carolina, which has been administered by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services since 1978.  Medicaid providers are assigned a National Provider Identifier, which they use to submit claims for reimbursement for services rendered to Medicaid beneficiaries. 

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the plea.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, is leading the investigation with the assistance North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:23-cr-00065-BO.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced yesterday to 264 months in prison for possession of marijuana and cocaine and for possession of multiple firearms in furtherance of a drug distribution offense.  On October 20, 2022, Charven Keivon Gorham pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Rocky Mount Police Department officers received information that Gorham, a validated Blood gang member, was selling drugs out of his residence in Rocky Mount.  Officers executed a search warrant at Gorham’s residence on May 27, 2020 after having conducted several controlled purchases of drugs from that location.  During the search, officers seized marijuana, cocaine, over $13,000 in U.S. Currency, and two handguns.  On October 18, 2021, a second search warrant at Gorham’s residence led to the seizure of another handgun and additional marijuana and cocaine.  At the time of these search warrants, Gorham had multiple prior convictions for drug and weapons offenses in Nash County.

“This is a welcomed conviction and should serve as a reminder to those who would involve themselves in gun crimes and or attempt to sell drugs in Rocky Mount, that this criminal activity will not be tolerated,” said Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell.  “We value our partnerships with our law enforcement partners and will take cases federally whenever possible to ensure these offenders are taken off our streets.   We will continue to focus on drug, guns, and gangs within the city and make our city one of the safest places to live.”

This conviction comes as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Rocky Mount Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-161-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Mocksville, North Carolina man was sentenced to 216 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Kelvin Vincente Noyola, a/k/a “Tripp,” 30, was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that operated in Winston-Salem, and it distributed significant quantities of crystal methamphetamine to the Goldsboro area.

Based upon the investigation, law enforcement learned that Noyola, was responsible for the distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine, a/k/a “Ice,” while assisted by co-defendant, Israel Ponce, and others.  Specifically, over the course of the conspiracy, Noyola was responsible for assisting in the distribution of at least 16.825 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.  On July 25, 2022, Noyola entered a plea of guilty to the charges.

Co-defendant, Israel Ponce, was also charged and convicted in this investigation in Case No. 5:22CR00010D-002.  Over the course of the conspiracy, Ponce was responsible for assisting in the distribution of at least 933.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine.  Ponce pled guilty on May 18, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, aiding and abetting.  On October 13, 2022, Ponce was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Wilmington, North Carolina the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and the Winston-Salem Police Department in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:22CR00010-D-001.

NEW BERN, N.C. – Shamar Keaton, also known as “Sleeze” and “Sleeze Ru Gambino,” 32, of Wilmington, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for drug trafficking. According to law enforcement, Keaton was a member of the United Blood Nation in Wilmington.

According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, on December 15, 2021, an individual working at the direction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) purchased more than 20 grams of methamphetamine from Keaton.  Keaton was wearing an ankle monitor that he had been ordered to wear by the North Carolina State Court system.  Keaton had a prior state conviction for possession of a stolen firearm.

On March 5, 2022, the same individual made another controlled purchase, this time for approximately two ounces of pure methamphetamine.  During the deal, Keaton said that he had a 9mm “ghost gun” (a term for a privately manufactured firearm without serial numbers or other identifying marks that cannot be traced by law enforcement).  Keaton said that he had a source for ghost guns.  Keaton explained that it would cost $600 to get all the parts and then his source charges $200 to assemble the gun.  Keaton was arrested by ATF on March 16, 2022.

This is part of “Operation Golfer,” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Wilmington Police Department, and the Duplin, New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriffs’ Offices  investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Gabe Diaz  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-cr-00049-FL-001.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Cameron Evans, 27, of Kittrell was sentenced today to 185 months in prison for charges related to two bank robberies in Raleigh and Greenville.

According to court records and other information presented in court, On December 6, 2019, the SunTrust bank located at 7320 Creedmoor Road in Raleigh, was robbed at gunpoint by four men. The men left the bank with approximately $11,578.00 and witnesses saw them fleeing the scene in a white Hyundai Elantra. On December 30, 2019, around 4:30 p.m., the Branch Bank & Trust (BB&T) located 2475 Stantonsburg Road in Greenville was robbed at gunpoint by three men. They left the bank with $72,853 and witnesses saw them flee the scene in a white Hyundai Elantra. Law enforcement was able to obtain the registration number from the vehicle which enabled them to find Evans and his codefendants. In an interview with law enforcement, Evans would admit to committing the SunTrust and BB&T bank robberies. The codefendants in this case were Clifton Harris, Stanley Kearney Jr. and Joshua Bailey. All three have pled guilty. Harris was sentenced to 81 months and Kearney was sentenced to 190 months.  Bailey is awaiting sentencing.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Raleigh, Greenville and Mebane Police Departments, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-CR-00071-M

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NEW BERN, N.C. – Raleigh business owner Alton Perkins, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for failing to account for approximately $3 million diverted from his companies for his own personal use between 2015 and 2018.  Perkins was also ordered to make restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $520,344 for taxes owed from 2015-2018.     

“We are holding accountable tax cheats who avoid paying their fair share,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This CEO diverted company money to fund vacations, expensive jewelry and private school tuition. His attempts to defraud the government have led to time in federal prison.” 

According to evidence summarized in court, Perkins moved large amounts of money from his business accounts into his personal bank accounts.  These funds were then used for personal expenditures, including the purchase of a Wake Forest home, Rolex watches, vacations, and private school tuition.  None of the approximately three million dollars spent by Perkins on these personal items was accounted for in his taxes filed with the Internal Revenue Service.  

Perkins is the chairman and CEO of AmericaTowne, a company, according to its website, focused on increasing exports of American products to China.  AmericaTowne, which was funded by investor dollars, included a plan to build an American-style community in China that would include hotels, small businesses, and a theme park.  Perkins is currently involved in a civil lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Case No. 5:19-CV-00243-FL) over the unregistered private placement offerings and the sale of securities for AmericaTowne and other business entities controlled by Perkins.   

Perkins pled guilty  on December 12, 2022 to a felony charge of Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return Under Penalty of Perjury, for his failure to account for his personal expenditures on his 2016 personal income tax return.  According to evidence presented in court, for tax year 2016, Perkins stated that his total income was $21,933. However, banking records show that Perkins spent $1,208,394 that year on personal items including, a golf cart, a family trip to Hawaii, private high school tuition, and a Rolex – all with funds taken from his corporate bank accounts.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan pronounced the sentence.  The Internal Revenue Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William M. Gilmore and Karen Haughton prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No 5:22-CR-00265-FL.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A High Point man was sentenced yesterday to 13 months in prison and 3 years’ supervised release for two counts of computer fraud and abuse and one count of wire fraud.  On October 6, 2022, Patrick Marquez Black pled guilty to the charges.

“We are targeting hackers and cybercriminals who invade privacy for cash,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This defendant hacked the Snapchat of an active-duty soldier, used her account to steal from her friends, sold her photos for cash and violated her privacy. Our cyber-prosecutors are partnering with law enforcement to ensure that the world wide web does not become the wild, wild west.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Black, 30, hacked into the Snapchat account of a female soldier stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC, and changed the password to lock the victim out of her account.  Once he gained access, Black used the account in three ways.  First, he pretended to be the victim and requested her Snapchat friends send money to CashApp and other online money accounts to cover the costs of a fake emergency.  Second, he shared and sold nude images and videos of the victim that he was able to access from the Snapchat account.  Third, he used her account to obtain the username and password of other Snapchat accounts as well as nude images and videos of other victims.  This activity occurred for at least three years.  

Due to the actions of this defendant, nude images and videos of the victim were seen by co-workers, friends, and family members.  She was threatened by people who believed that they had loaned her money, and she had not paid them back.  She paid over $300 to her friends as “re-payment” for the money the defendant stole.  While serving in the U.S. Army, the defendant caused this victim mental and emotional damage.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. US Army CID investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-141.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Keven Rodriguez, a former Raleigh Police Department officer, pled guilty today to three drug trafficking and firearms charges for distributing cocaine while working on duty in his position as a Field Operations Division Officer. He also pled guilty to possession of contraband while in prison after a search of his jail cell found smoking paraphernalia. As a condition of his plea, Rodriguez has agreed to permanently surrender his law enforcement certification and will be permanently barred from any law enforcement certification in the State of North Carolina from either the Criminal Justice Commission or the Sheriffs’ Commission. Rodriguez faces at least ten years in prison when sentenced later this year.

“Keven Rodriguez violated his sworn oath to protect and serve,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “He will never again wear the badge and never again tarnish the honorable profession of policing to which countless brave men and women have committed their lives. I commend the Raleigh Police Department for taking quick action when they first learned of the allegations against this rogue officer. That enabled us to move quickly to get a criminal off the streets and behind bars where he belongs.”

“Mr. Rodriguez’s actions betrayed public trust, dishonored the oath he swore to uphold, and discredited his character,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella D. Patterson. “I am pleased to see that justice was served and appropriately administered in this case.  I am extremely grateful for the strong relationships with our local, state, and federal partners.  Together, we will continue to remove individuals, such as Mr. Rodriquez, from our community and the law enforcement profession.”      

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division commented, “This officer violated his oath to protect and serve. His actions do not reflect the honest and hardworking men and women of law enforcement.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Rodriguez was on duty and employed as a patrol officer with the Raleigh Police Department when he sold cocaine to a confidential informant on January 24, 2022. Rodriguez sold 56 grams of cocaine while in uniform with his duty issued firearm. Rodriguez then sold cocaine to the confidential informant on two other occasions, February 2, 2022 and February 8, 2022 while still employed with the Raleigh Police Department. Rodriguez was arrested on February 23, 2022.

While awaiting trial on the drug and gun charge, Rodriguez was being held at the Sampson County Jail when his jail cell was searched and corrections officers located smoking paraphernalia in his jail cell.

Today, Rodriguez pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of cocaine, distribution of a quantity of cocaine, use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession of contraband while in prison.

The prosecution of Rodriguez was a part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after arraignment today by Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II.  The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Raleigh Police Department led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly L. Sandling prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00049-M

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Nash County man was sentenced yesterday to 180 months in prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy with direct ties to Mexico.  On December 7, 2022, Sean Jermaine Mills pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm to further his drug trafficking activity.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Mills, 41, sold methamphetamine in May of 2022 to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent who had ordered the substance directly from a supplier in Mexico.  On May 17, 2022, investigators with DEA and the Nash County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants at Mills’ residences in Nashville and Castalia where they seized approximately 2.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 4.4 kilograms of cocaine, 82 grams of crack cocaine, five firearms, and $54,520 in U.S. currency. 

“I commend the hard work from the Nash County Sheriff's Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “We strive to build strong partnerships with our federal and local agencies to prevent criminals like this from destroying our communities.”

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-183-BO.

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NEW BERN, N.C. – A Snow Hill man was sentenced today to 31 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution for laundering fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) benefits.  On November 8, 2022, Dexter Duncan pled guilty.

“This defendant used stolen identities to create fictitious businesses so he could divert taxpayer money intended to support small businesses challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic to himself,” said U.S. Attorney Easley. “My office will continue to make the investigation and prosecution of COVID-19 fraud a top priority.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Duncan, 24, conspired with others to apply for EIDL funds on behalf of fictitious companies and using stolen identities. Several of the EIDL applications were approved, and $180,988 in loan proceeds was disbursed to bank accounts owned and/or controlled by Duncan, who was not employed at the time but was known live a lavish lifestyle.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00196-FL.

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RALEIGH, N.C. – A Hampstead woman was sentenced today to 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for fraudulent disaster assistance claims following Hurricane Florence.  On November 17, 2022, Dishawn Batts pled guilty.  As part of the judgment, Batts was also ordered to pay $24,835.50 in criminal restitution to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"This defendant schemed to steal from a taxpayer-funded program that was intended to help displaced families recover from a natural disaster by providing necessary housing and utility assistance,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Now, she will be housed in a federal prison and required to repay every penny she stole."

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General, Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, said, “I appreciate the continued partnership between DHS OIG and the Justice Department.  Defrauding the U.S. government is unconscionable.  This guilty plea should serve as a deterrent to individuals intent on fleecing our federal system.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, in an application for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance, Batts falsely claimed she had been displaced by Hurricane Florence and was living in a temporary rental residence.  Her initial application was approved, and Batts was awarded funds for personal property damage and two months of rental assistance.  From September 15, 2018 to November 27, 2019, Batts submitted a series of claims for continued rental assistance wherein Batts falsely represented that she remained displaced and unable to return to her primary residence.  In support of these claims, Batts submitted fraudulent documentation including phony lease agreements, rental receipts, utilities records, and Social Security Administration records.  As a result, Batts received $24,835.50 in assistance for which she did not qualify.

The FEMA is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. FEMA administers disaster assistance to individuals in areas declared by the President as an emergency or major disaster. FEMA offers different types of assistance to people in disaster areas, including through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP), which provides for financial assistance and other services to eligible individuals for losses caused by a disaster that were not covered by insurance or other assistance programs. One component of IHP, Financial Housing Assistance, provided funds to 

eligible applicants who lack the means to meet serious needs, including housing-related expenses such as home repair and replacement costs, and rental assistance for temporary housing accommodations while an applicant was displaced from their primary residence. Individuals awarded rental assistance through IHP can reapply for continued temporary rental assistance.

Between September 12, 2018 and September 15, 2018, Hurricane Florence impacted the coast North Carolina, resulting in Major Disaster Declaration [DR-4393] for Eastern North Carolina counties. As a result of the declaration, individuals in areas affected by Hurricane Florence were eligible to apply for disaster assistance from FEMA.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-00068-D.

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WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On February 7, 2022, Terry Earl Hooper, Jr., age 35, pled guilty to the charge.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on October 4, 2021, officers with the Wilmington Police Department stopped a vehicle driven by Terry Earl Hooper for a window tint violation. In a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located five oxycodone hydrochloride pills, ten alprazolam pills, and a semi-automatic firearm with a laser attachment.

Mr. Hooper has multiple prior felony convictions, including possession of a gun on educational property, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, selling or delivering a schedule I controlled substance, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wilmington Police Department’s Gun Crime Task Force, and the Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff Office Mobile Field Force Unit investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted the case. Van Trigt is a prosecutor with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters.  This has been made possible by a grant funded by New Hanover County.

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

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-cr-00142-FL.

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