Eastern District of North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man arrested on charges of naturalization fraud, document fraud, and making false statements in naturalization proceedings had an initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging Abdelfatah Khadir, age 44, a naturalized citizen of the United States, born in Morocco, residing in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with naturalization fraud, document fraud, and making false statements in naturalization proceedings.

According to the indictment, Khadir knowingly failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed the crime of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and negligent child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.  Khadir was thereafter naturalized as a United States citizen on March 25, 2016.

Khadir is charged in a six-count indictment with naturalization fraud, document fraud, and making false statements in naturalization proceedings. If convicted of naturalization and document fraud, he faces up to a maximum imprisonment term of 25 years per count, a $250,000 fine per count, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. A conviction for naturalization fraud also carries an automatic revocation of United States citizenship. If convicted of false statements in naturalization proceedings, he faces up to a maximum imprisonment term of 5 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry states in its public website that Khadir was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a 9 year old victim on March 25, 2019.  Khadir, according to the Registry, committed the offense on April 9, 2017, was sentenced to a suspended term of imprisonment of 19 to 32 months and placed on probation for 60 months.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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, are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative to identify and prosecute egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 

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

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raeford woman self-surrendered on charges of wire and mail fraud.

According to court documents, Tracey Cathey McNeill, Age 50, devised a scheme and artifice to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management by obtaining disability, retirement, and life insurance payments issued by those agencies for the benefit of W.R., an individual in McNeill’s care at the time of the alleged scheme.  The documents allege that between April 2015 and February 2017, McNeill received over $90,000 in benefits from the agencies. 

McNeill is charged with wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341. She faces a maximum penalty of 240 months in prison if convicted.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General and U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General  are investigating the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamika Moses is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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.5:20-cr-474-D.

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

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Henderson man was sentenced today to 189 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Included in this sentence is 24 months in prison for violating the terms of his federal supervised release.

According to court documents, on September 13, 2019, Jasmele Robinson, 37, fled from deputies of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office when they attempted to serve a search warrant at his residence.  Deputies obtained a search warrant after they utilized a confidential informant to purchase heroin from Robinson at his Henderson residence.  When deputies arrived to serve the warrant, Robinson fled the residence in a car.  Deputies attempted to block his car with their patrol vehicles and Robinson rammed their cars and drove away before striking a tree.  Robinson continued to struggle with deputies after he wrecked his vehicle and threw a bag underneath the wrecked car.  When deputies recovered the bag, they found a quantity of heroin.  Upon Robinson’s arrest, he was found with a loaded firearm, which had been stolen from Granville County.  Four deputies’ sustained injuries in the incident, two of them suffering serious injuries, which required hospitalization and surgery.  At the time of the incident, Robinson was on federal supervised release following a prior conviction in federal court for felon in possession of a firearm. 

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Henderson Police Department, and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. 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. 5:19-CR-500-BO.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Yesterday, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Motorola Solutions named Trooper Daniel Harrell from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol as the IACP/Motorola Solutions 2019 Trooper of the Year. He was chosen from among four very worthy finalists serving state and provisional agencies in the United States and Canada. 

In the announcement, the IACP and Motorola described Trooper Harrell’s bravery and dedication to serving the people of North Carolina:

“On Monday January 14, 2019, at approximately 5:21 p.m., Trooper Daniel Harrell, a five-year veteran of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, was patrolling his assigned area of Wilson County. As Trooper Harrell was finishing a traffic stop, he observed a vehicle traveling north bound on US301 improperly towing another vehicle. Trooper Harrell conducted a traffic stop, made contact with the driver and passenger, and informed the driver of the infraction. Both the driver and passenger were unable to produce their licenses or identification and drove off in an attempt to escape Trooper Harrell. A short chase ensued, then the driver pulled over. As Trooper Harrell was preparing to exit his patrol car, the driver leaned out of his vehicle and opened fire. The suspect fired approximately four shots, striking Trooper Harrell twice in the face. Trooper Harrell was able to immediately return fire and continued to stay engaged while providing vital information to the communications center. The suspect then drove away and Trooper Harrell continued to pursue the suspect. After a short chase, the suspect stopped to disconnect the towed vehicle. Trooper Harrell engaged the suspect with gunfire, however the suspect drove off again. The suspect then realized that they could not outrun Trooper Harrell. At this time, the suspect made a U-turn with the vehicle and collided head on with Trooper Harrell’s vehicle. The collision disabled Trooper Harrell’s patrol car. Despite this, Trooper Harrell continued to engage the suspect with gunfire again before the suspect was able to flee on foot. Thanks to the description Trooper Harrell provided, the involved suspects were located and arrested the night of the incident and no further persons were injured.”

United States Attorney Higdon commented: “Trooper Daniel Harrell is truly a hero; a dedicated public servant who laid his life on the line to enforce the Rule of Law and to protect the citizens of North Carolina.  He represents the selfless men and women of the North Carolina Highway Patrol and law enforcement agencies all across North Carolina who give their all to keep our communities safe every day.  The United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office congratulate Trooper Harrell as he receives this great honor and we thank him for his service every day.”

The individual who attempted to kill Trooper Harrell was prosecuted for firearms violations here in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  He received a sentence of ten years.  See here for more details.   Charges related to the attempted murder of Trooper Harrell are pending the North Carolina state court system. 

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:19-cr-00304-D.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – On Oct. 20, 2020, three co-conspirators were arrested on the federal charge of conspiracy to unlawfully manufacture, possess, and distribute various weapons, ammunition, and suppressors.  Liam Montgomery Collins, 21, and Paul James Kryscuk, 35, recently of Boise, Idaho, were charged via an indictment, while Jordan Duncan, 25, currently residing in Boise, was charged via a complaint, both obtained in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Collins and Duncan are former Marines assigned previously to Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

According to court documents, Liam Montgomery Collins, 21, and his co-defendant, Paul James Kryscuk, 35, from Boise, used the conspiracy to enrich themselves and others by manufacturing and selling hard to obtain firearms and firearm parts in a manner that would hide these purchases from the federal government.  From May 2019 to the present, Collins made multiple money transfers through his personal account to Kryscuk to purchase firearms to include a 9mm pistol and suppressor and a short barrel rifle. In turn, Kryscuk purchased items from vendors to manufacture the firearms and suppressors.  In furtherance of the crime, Kryscuk, using an alias, mailed the manufactured weapons from Idaho to Jacksonville, North Carolina.  Kryscuk also shipped the short barrel rifle, not registered as required by the federal government, to Collins.  Duncan was aware of and participated in the conspiracy.

Collins and Kryscuk are charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 371, conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship them interstate, 18 U.S.C. § 922(a) (3) and 2, interstate transportation of firearms without a license, and 26 U.S.C. § 5841, 5861(j), and 5871 and 2, interstate transportation of a firearm not registered as required.  They each face a maximum penalty of a combined 20 years in prison if convicted; Duncan, charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 371, conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship them interstate (18 U.S.C. § 922(a) (3)), faces a maximum of 5 years in prison.

Probable cause and detention hearings for defendant Duncan are scheduled before the United States District Court for the District of Idaho on October 27, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. mountain time; detention hearing for Kryscuk is scheduled to follow at 11:30 a.m.  The Public may listen at 1-669-254-5252, Meeting ID: 160 127 6280 Passcode: 998153. Public Shall MUTE their end during hearing.  Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition under federal law and Local Rule 83.1 against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting of court proceedings.

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

The announcement of the charges was made by Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina following the unsealing of the charges.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Boise Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, are investigating the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case for the government with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Idaho.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

On Oct. 20, 2020, three co-conspirators were arrested on the federal charge of conspiracy to unlawfully manufacture, possess, and distribute various weapons, ammunition, and suppressors.  Liam Montgomery Collins, 21, and Paul James Kryscuk, 35, recently of Boise, Idaho, were charged via an indictment, while Jordan Duncan, 25, currently residing in Boise, was charged via a complaint, both obtained in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Collins and Duncan are former Marines assigned previously to Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

According to court documents, Liam Montgomery Collins, 21, and his co-defendant, Paul James Kryscuk, 35, from Boise, used the conspiracy to enrich themselves and others by manufacturing and selling hard to obtain firearms and firearm parts in a manner that would hide these purchases from the federal government.  From May 2019 to the present, Collins made multiple money transfers through his personal account to Kryscuk to purchase firearms to include a 9mm pistol and suppressor and a short barrel rifle. In turn, Kryscuk purchased items from vendors to manufacture the firearms and suppressors.  In furtherance of the crime, Kryscuk, using an alias, mailed the manufactured weapons from Idaho to Jacksonville, North Carolina.  Kryscuk also shipped the short barrel rifle, not registered as required by the federal government, to Collins.  Duncan was aware of and participated in the conspiracy.

Collins and Kryscuk are charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 371, conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship them interstate, 18 U.S.C. § 922(a) (3) and 2, interstate transportation of firearms without a license, and 26 U.S.C. § 5841, 5861(j), and 5871 and 2, interstate transportation of a firearm not registered as required.  They each face a maximum penalty of a combined 20 years in prison if convicted; Duncan, charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 371, conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship them interstate (18 U.S.C. § 922(a) (3)), faces a maximum of five years in prison.

Probable cause and detention hearings for defendant Duncan are scheduled before the United States District Court for the District of Idaho on October 27, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. mountain time; detention hearing for Kryscuk is scheduled to follow at 11:30 a.m.  The Public may listen at 1-669-254-5252, Meeting ID: 160 127 6280 Passcode: 998153. Public Shall MUTE their end during hearing.  Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition under federal law and Local Rule 83.1 against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting of court proceedings.

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

The announcement of the charges was made by Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina following the unsealing of the charges.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Boise Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, are investigating the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case for the government with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Idaho.

NEW BERN, N.C. –John Michael Gray, 33, of Onslow County, was sentenced to 168 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of substance containing methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture of substance containing methamphetamine and heroin.

On August 8, 2019, an Onslow County Sheriff’s Detective conducted a traffic stop of Gray in the area of Pony Farm Road in Jacksonville. Law enforcement found a quantity of high purity methamphetamine and a quantity of heroin in the car.

During an on-going investigation, agents uncovered that Gray had been involved in an assault of someone involved with him in the distribution of methamphetamine.  This drug trafficking organization had a reputation for violence.  The assault was mentioned as a warning to other involved not to cross them. Gray was involved in the distribution of more than 700 grams of methamphetamine.

The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Fighting JellyFish. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.  This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization and Gang Activity that has been responsible for the distribution of large quantities extremely pure methamphetamine throughout the United States.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the jury verdict before U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Onslow, Duplin and Craven Sheriff’s Offices and the Beaufort and Kinston Police Department.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo  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. 7:19-cr-00160-FL.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wake County man was arrested on naturalization fraud charges and had an initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge James E. Gates in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging Edgar Daniel Cruz-Magallanes, age 29, a naturalized citizen of the U.S., born in Mexico, residing in Wake County, North Carolina, with naturalization fraud.

According to the indictment, Cruz-Magallanes knowingly failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed the crime of indecent liberties with a child. Cruz-Magallanes was thereafter naturalized as a United States citizen.

Cruz-Magallanes is charged in a 4-count indictment with naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces up to a maximum imprisonment term of 25 years per count, a $250,000 fine per count, a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and the revocation of his citizenship.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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, are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative to identify and prosecute felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.

A copy of this press release is located on our website.  Previous media coverage on this case is located here:  Click here

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

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. today announced $332,876 in Department of Justice funding to hire a Special Assistant United States Attorney to try federal firearms cases originating in Wake County. The award supports violence reduction efforts as part of Operation Legend and other Department-led initiatives in cities across the country.  In the Eastern District of North Carolina, that initiative is called Take Back North Carolina.  

“Keeping its citizens safe is the primary responsibility of government,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Cities plagued by violent crime need the resources to tackle it, and these grant awards will help do that. On the enforcement side, Real Time Crime Centers will make policing more efficient and targeted; and on the prosecution side, Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys will help bring more federal firearms cases to justice.”

Attorney General Barr announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs is making up to $5.3 million available in grants to support Operation Legend sites nationwide. More than $1.3 million will fund special prosecutors who have been cross-designated to try federal firearms cases originating in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and St. Louis, Missouri. In addition, these and other Legend cities will be eligible for grant funding to support Real Time Crime Centers. These centers are a considerable financial investment for any law enforcement agency. The funding being made available to each Legend city can assist police departments in purchasing critical equipment and paying for the overtime to keep these centers staffed around the clock.

“We are pleased to support the outstanding work being undertaken through Operation Legend to reduce violent crime by focusing on cases involving illegal firearms,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to make these resources available to support the brave crime-fighters who work so hard to deter violence and keep our communities safe.”

“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has provided this additional and critically needed funding in support of our efforts in the Eastern District to fight violent crime and return our communities to law-abiding citizens,” said United States Attorney Higdon.  “Adding this prosecutor to our team will have real and immediate positive effect in our community.”

A grant to the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts for the Wake County District Attorney’s Office will support the hiring of a full-time Special Assistant United States Attorney who will be empowered to try firearms cases in federal court. Prosecuting gun crimes is central to the Justice Department’s strategy under Operation Legend and other violence reduction initiatives - like the Take Back North Carolina Initiative - led by the Department. These efforts follow a sustained, systematic and coordinated approach to gun violence in which federal law enforcement agencies work closely with state and local officials to fight violent crime. Funding comes from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

The Department of Justice launched Operation Legend in July, following the murder of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept in his Kansas City home. The initiative was subsequently expanded from Kansas City to Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Memphis, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Indianapolis. Since the summer launch, officials in Operation Legend sites have made more than 5,500 arrests, including approximately 276 for homicide, and seized more than 2,000 firearms. Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses. More than 600 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses.

The Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is an initiative that emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.  For more information about this initiative click here:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc

More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

WASHINGTON – DEA is holding its 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24 at locations across the country. The nationwide event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.

“The initiative – now in its tenth year – addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Together with our partners, we are not only holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but offering other ways to dispose of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications.”

“Even in the midst of the pandemic, DEA’s nineteenth take-back event will allow Americans to safely and properly dispose of their unwanted/unused prescription medications,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement. DEA will work hand-in-hand with a number of law enforcement, Tribal and community partners, all in effort to stem the tide of prescription drug abuse.”

“Many people don’t know how to properly dispose of old medication.  So, it is either disposed of improperly, which can seriously damage the environment, or not discarded, which can cause medications to all too often end up in the wrong hands,” said United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Robert J. Higdon, Jr.  “DEA is providing an important public service.  I encourage everyone to get rid of their old, unused and unneeded prescription medicine in the proper way.  DEA is making it easier for all of us and I thank them again for this twice a year effort.”

North Carolinians participating in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) 18th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Initiative (NTBI) held on Saturday, October 26, turned in 38,541 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at sites set up throughout the state.  This was the highest amount ever collected during the previous 17 Rx drug take back events. Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home.

In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription drugs can be disposed of at any of the 11,000 DEA authorized collectors at any time throughout the year. For more information, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1. 

DEA also encourages the public to reach out to their local law enforcement to find out if they have any permanent drug disposal locations throughout their local community.

DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms. DEA will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the vape pen or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal. Liquids, including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be dropped off. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

For more information on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and to find a collection site near you, visit www.deatakeback.com.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced yesterday to 85 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Nathaniel McFarland, 40, was involved in the importation and distribution of methamphetamine into Wilmington between July and August 2019.  On August 6, 2019, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Detectives received information that McFarland was in the process of obtaining narcotics from a residence on Ovalberry Court in New Hanover County.  Detectives followed the car and performed a traffic stop on an automobile being driven by McFarland in the parking lot of McDonalds on Gordon Road.  McFarland had provided a female passenger 78 grams of pure methamphetamine as the police were approaching and a quantity of cocaine was found in the car.  The investigation uncovered the source of the methamphetamine was from Greensboro. 

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo  prosecuted the case.  This case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation “White Rabbit” focusing on a drug trafficking organization involved in the importation of heroin and methamphetamine into Eastern North Carolina.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 7:20-cr-00076-M-1

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Lumberton man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and possessing multiple firearms as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Jammie Smith, 37, possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and multiple firearms on February 8, 2018. As part of a drug investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smith’s home and recovered a .38 caliber handgun, 7.62 caliber rifle, a quantity of cocaine, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia.

On September 12, 2019, a concerned citizen informed law enforcement that Smith was in possession of firearms and illegal drugs. Law enforcement observed Smith at the back of his mother’s residence. Behind the residence, near an air conditioning unit, law enforcement recovered a .380 caliber handgun, a stolen 9mm handgun, and a quantity of cocaine. At the time of the offenses, Smith was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.

This case is part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.  For more information about this initiative click here:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 (ATF) and Lumberton Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad E. Rhoades  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. 7:19-CR-166-D.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced yesterday to 85 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Blake Greenfield, 38, was involved in the importation and distribution of Crack Cocaine into Wilmington from July through September 2019.  On September 23, 2019, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with the Wilmington Police Department arranged a controlled delivery of 2 ounces of crack cocaine from Greenfield at a location in Wilmington.  Greenfield fled when law enforcement attempted to arrest him.  Greenfield was found in possession of approximately 2 ounces of crack cocaine and more than $3,000 dollars.  Law Enforcement searched his residence and found additional cocaine and more than $2,500 dollars and information for a storage unit in Louisburg, North Carolina.  Law enforcement searched the unit and found two handguns.  Greenfield had been previously convicted of trafficking in cocaine and was prohibited from possessing a handgun.  The investigation revealed that Greenfield had been involved in the distribution of more than a kilogram of crack cocaine.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The ATF, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.  This case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation “Round Tree Hill” focusing on an armed drug trafficking organization involved in the importation of heroin and crack cocaine into Eastern North Carolina.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 7:20-cr-00071-M-1

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Southport man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for six counts of Distribution of Cocaine Base (Crack), one count of Distribution of Cocaine, and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.

According to court documents, Terrance Leon Washington, 36, pleaded guilty to the charges on August 7, 2018.

In early 2017, investigators with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office received information that Washington was selling controlled substances from Washington’s home in Southport, North Carolina.

On February 2, 2017, investigators conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that was leaving Washington’s home, and cocaine was found in the car.

Agents obtained a search warrant, and at Washington’s residence, agents seized 15.02 grams of cocaine, 3.87 grams of cocaine base (crack), marijuana, plastic bags, digital scales, a 12-gauge shotgun, a 7.62 assault rifle with a 30-round magazine, a .40 caliber handgun, and ammunition of various calibers.

A few months later, agents learned that Washington was continuing to sell controlled substances, and investigators used a confidential informant to purchase cocaine and cocaine base (crack) from Washington on seven dates from June 22, 2017 to December 15, 2017.

On August 26, 2017, investigators conducted a traffic stop of Washington. He was found with a white substance around and inside his mouth, and he admitted he had ingested cocaine base (crack) prior to the traffic stop, a tactic that is often used to prevent investigators from finding the drugs.

On December 15, 2017, investigators obtained a second search warrant for Washington’s residence, and investigators seized 9.4 grams of cocaine base (crack), 3.8 grams of cocaine, marijuana, a marijuana grinder, and digital scales.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon  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. 7:18-CR-0039-D-1.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announces that today, Richard R. Cephas, of Wilmington, Delaware, was sentenced to 18 months consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving for escaping from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in Butner, North Carolina on or about April 1, 2020. 

In June 2017, Cephas was sentenced by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware to a term of 66 months in federal prison – for his violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841 (a)(l) and (b)(l)(A) and 846, Conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine.  The conviction and sentence resulted from a long-term High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) federal wiretap investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Drug Trafficking Task Force in Delaware.  More about that investigation here.

As alleged in the publicly filed affidavit attached to the Criminal Complaint, Cephas had been serving the remainder of his prison sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Butner, NC.  On April 2, 2020, Cephas was placed in an escape status by the BOP following his absence from a bed count conducted by staff at the Butner facility.  At the time of his absence, Cephas was not authorized to be away from the Federal Prison Camp.  On April 20, 2020, Cephas was returned to custody. 

“Several months ago, as the Coronavirus pandemic began, Richard Cephas, a convicted drug trafficker serving a federal prison sentence, tried to take advantage of the situation by using the threat of the pandemic as a way to avoid paying the price of his criminal activity,” said United States Attorney Higdon.  “No one was fooled.  And today the U. S. District Court sent that message loud and clear by adding 18 more months - the maximum allowed under the Federal Sentencing rules - to his drug sentence.  This sends a powerful message to Mr. Cephas and to anyone else who would try to use the virus or any other similar situation as an opportunity to escape justice.”

The United States Marshals Service investigated this case and Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson is 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. 5:20-cr-00209-D-1.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Raleigh man with possession of child pornography.

According to the indictment, William Jeffery, 59, was found on June 16, 2020, to be in possession of digital media containing images involving minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  The indictment further notes that Jeffery has a prior federal conviction for interstate travel for purpose of engaging in a sexual act with a juvenile and a prior North Carolina state conviction for indecent liberties with a child.

If convicted, Jeffery would face a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of up to 20 years per count.  He also would face up to a lifetime of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department are investigating the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh is prosecuting the case.

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

This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.  For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Robin Pendergraft will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election.  AUSA Pendergraft has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of North Carolina and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Higdon said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud.  The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur.  The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.  For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Higdon stated that AUSA/DEO Pendergraft will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 919-856-4530.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 704-672-6100.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

United States Attorney Higdon said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate.  It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount woman pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Adrienne Jeanine Williams, 48, owned and operated Ultimate Tax Service, a return preparation business, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. For tax years 2011 through 2016, six other return preparers worked for Williams.  Clients’ returns included an array of false items to include education credits, itemized deductions, wages, and Schedule C businesses, but the primary false item was making it appear the clients had already paid taxes when they had not.  This created a dollar-for-dollar enlarged refund.  In all, the false returns prepared and filed by Williams and her employees on behalf of clients claimed approximately $4.4 million federal income tax withholdings for which the IRS never received a corresponding Form 1099 corroborating the claimed withholding.  The loss to the United States exceeded $3.5 million.

Williams also filed false returns in her own name for tax years 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2017, similarly claiming she paid additional 1099 withholding when she had not.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the plea.  The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Menzer  and Tax Division Trial Attorney Michael Jones are prosecuting the case.  Chief Judge Boyle will sentence Williams during the January 2021 term of court.

The maximum penalty is five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. 

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. 4:20-cr-00079-BO.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud.

According to court documents and information presented in open court, Jacques Maurico Anderson, 32, conspired with others to defraud financial institutions of approximately $393,875.  Anderson and a close friend purchased synthetic identities from an individual they met on Craig’s List.  Anderson used this nine-digit-number, commonly referred to as a CPN, on credit applications instead of the social security number issued to him by the Social Security Administration because his credit was poor.  Anderson and his friend enhanced the credit worthiness of their new credit profiles by adding the CPN coupled with their names as authorized users to credit cards issued to individuals with high credit scores.  As a result, lenders and credit card issuers were scammed in believing Anderson and his friend had good credit and the ability to pay off indebtedness. 

Between February 17, 2017 and March 8, 2017, Anderson and his friend went on a month long shopping spree with their new synthetic identities.  They also substantially inflated their income and provided false residential addresses.  In total, they purchased or attempted to purchase five automobiles, eight All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), one covered wagon trailer and obtained seven credit cards.  Anderson and his friend attempted to sell some of the ATVs that they fraudulently obtained to others.      

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Numbers accepted the plea.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General  are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Menzer is prosecuting the case.

U.S District Judge James C. Dever, III will sentence Anderson during the January 2021 term of court.  The maximum penalties are thirty years’ imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine.  Restitution is mandatory.

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-00266-D.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

A Rocky Mount, North Carolina, tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2009 and 2017, Adrienne Williams owned and operated Ultimate Tax Service, a return preparation business, which had an office in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Williams trained her employees on various ways to prepare false tax returns, including by claiming false federal income tax withholdings. In all, the false returns prepared and filed by Williams and her employees on behalf of clients sought more than $3.5 million in inflated refunds.

Sentencing is scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Terrence W. Boyle. At sentencing, Williams faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Higdon, Jr. commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan B. Menzer, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

RALEIGH –  Today U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced $4,039,479 in Department of Justice grants to the Eastern District of North Carolina to fund crime laboratories, decrease DNA backlogs, support basic and applied forensic research, and help law enforcement identify missing persons. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of $192 million in funding to advance forensic science nationwide.

“Developments in forensic science have given investigators an extraordinary array of tools that can be enlisted to solve crimes and bring answers to victims and survivors, often after many years and even decades,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These investments in crime-fighting technology, from DNA analysis to drug toxicology to forensic anthropology, will help identify and convict perpetrators, ensure justice for innocent victims and keep communities safe by deterring future criminal activity.”

“These critical funds will help law enforcement all across the Eastern District of North Carolina as they work to solve crimes, bring offenders to justice and provide answers for victims of crime,” said Higdon.  “And these funds will improve and enhance the work of law enforcement for years to come by strengthening our foundation in these areas.”

Since 2004, the Office of Justice Programs has received an annual appropriation for DNA and other forensic science activities. The funding, administered through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice, supports DNA analysis, laboratory capacity enhancement and forensic science research that provides knowledge and tools to improve the quality and practice of forensic science.

The following organizations received funding:

• North Carolina Department of Justice, $1,696,313
• North Carolina Department of Public Safety, $565,683
• Raleigh-Wake City/County Bureau of Investigation, $237,279
• North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, $390,504
• City of Fayetteville, $1,000,000
• North Carolina State University, $150,000
   

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here.   More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

RALEIGH – Today U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced a $1,000,000  Department of Justice grant to the City of Fayetteville to help its law enforcement agencies and crime labs process sexual assault evidence and increase the number of sexual assault kits submitted to crime labs in order to solve more crimes, including cold cases, in the Eastern District of North Carolina.  The grant, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, is part of more than $45 million in funding to support the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).

OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 36 grants to strengthen jurisdictions’ capacity to act on evidence resulting from rape kits, and three grants to the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence ‒ Inventory, Tracking and Reporting (SAFE-ITR) program.

“Far too many people endure the physical and emotional trauma of a sexual assault only to have evidence of the crime remain unanalyzed,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. “These grants will help investigators get these kits to labs, where they can be tested, used to solve crimes and ultimately bring justice to victims.”

This award to the City of Fayetteville made to organization will support law enforcement and prosecutorial activities related to the testing and use of evidence obtained in a sexual assault investigation.

“One cannot imagine a more important goal than bringing justice to victims of sexual assault,” said Higdon.  “These funds will help to ensure that we achieve that goal much more affectively.”

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here.   More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

RALEIGH– U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. today announced $749,724 in a Department of Justice grant to address violence occurring at our nation’s schools.  The grant, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs to the North Carolina Youth Violence Prevention Center, is part of more than $87 million to bolster school security, support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident, and conduct research on school safety.

STOP School Violence, a program of OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, improves school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to and help prevent acts of violence. In addition to STOP School Violence Act funding, OJP’s National Institute of Justice is investing in research on school violence.  

“Only by removing the threat of violence from our schools can we expect our kids to reap the full benefits of their education, and only after making our places of learning safe can we ask our teachers to instruct and inspire as they are trained to do,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Department of Justice is committed to securing our schools from danger and giving our kids the support they need to learn, grow and thrive.”

“School safety – that is the protection of our precious children and young people – is among our most important responsibilities”, said Mr. Higdon.  “I am very pleased to see these essential funds provided here in the Eastern District to support this critical need.”

The North Carolina Youth Violence Prevention Center in Lumberton, NC received the grant. More information about this organization can be found at https://preventyouthviolencenc.org/

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced today to 92 months in prison for a 2018 bank robbery.

According to court documents, David Marsahll Viverette, 29, was charged with one count of bank robbery.  Viverette pled guilty on November 8, 2019.

On November 9, 2018, officers with the Rocky Mount Police Department responded to a robbery alarm at First Carolina Bank in Rocky Mount, NC, after Viverette had entered the bank, presented a demand note, and threatened to kill the teller if she pressed the alarm.  Viverette fled with a small amount of cash, but was quickly identified from surveillance photos by officers familiar with him from prior encounters.  Viverette has a lengthy criminal record with 19 prior convictions, including 7 prior felonies.  The sentence, Viverette’s first federal conviction, included an enhancement for a brief escape from custody before he was indicted federally.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rocky Mount Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

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. 5:19-CR-340-FL.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Havelock man pleaded guilty today to Theft of Mail by a Postal Employee.

According to the United States, William E. Lundy, Sr., 41, worked as a time clerk in the Trenton Post Office.  From June 2019 through January 2020, Lundy rifled through the outgoing and incoming mail and stole mail that contained cash, personal checks and gift cards.  Based upon customer complaints, the Postal Service conducted an investigation and found 36 first class envelopes in Lundy’s car.  32 victims were identified, resulting in a loss of $1,265.   Lundy voluntarily resigned.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Jones accepted the plea. The United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Menzer  is prosecuting the case.

U.S District Judge Louise W. Flanagan will sentence Lundy during the February 2021 term of court.  The maximum penalties are five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000.  Restitution is mandatory.

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-00050-FL.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH– Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.

“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences.  The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”

“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo.  “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions.  ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”

“Over the last three years, prosecutions here in the Eastern District of North Carolina, through our ‘Take Back North Carolina’ initiative have been partnering with our elected District Attorneys and with federal, state and local law enforcement to remove violent offenders and those illegally possessing and using firearms in order to make our communities safer.”, noted Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United Sates Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  “And they are safer because of this coordinated and sustained effort.”

Of the more than 14,200 cases charged, 421 cases have been brought by the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced U.S. Attorney Higdon.

Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime.  It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense.  The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law abiding people of this country safe from gun crime. 

For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.          

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Greensboro woman was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Sally Newland, 43, was involved in the importation and distribution of Methamphetamine into Wilmington during August 2019.  On August 6, 2019, New Hanover County Narcotics Detectives arranged a controlled delivery of 12 ounces of methamphetamine from a source in Greensboro to the area of Ovalberry Court in New Hanover County.  Detectives performed a traffic stop on an automobile being driven by Newland. Newland was in possession of more than 300 grams of methamphetamine.  During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Newland had made two prior deliveries of methamphetamine to New Hanover County during August of 2019.  Newland had delivered at least a kilogram of methamphetamine.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo  prosecuted the case.  This case was part of the OCDETF investigation “White Rabbit” focusing on a drug trafficking organization involved in the importation of Heroin and Methamphetamine into Eastern North Carolina.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 7:20-cr-00039-M.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging Furman Alexander Ford, 51, of Raleigh with conspiring to defraud the Medicare Program by submitting false claims for services that were never provided in order to obtain money what was not owed.  On August 26, 2020, Jimmy Guess, 62, of Greensboro pled guilty to the conspiracy to defraud Medicare.

According to the indictment, Furman Ford hired Jimmy Guess to be a consultant for his company, Integrated Alliance for Managed Healthcare, PLLC (“IAM Healthcare”) and to provide mental health services to the company’s patients primarily through a telehealth model.  Guess was a licensed clinical social worker who provided mental health services. 

According to the indictment, beginning around December 2018, and continuing until around February 2020, in the Eastern District of North Carolina and elsewhere Ford and Guess conspired with others in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting false claims to Medicare for mental health services that were never provided to Medicare beneficiaries.  Specifically, Ford, Guess and others conspired to submit claims to Medicare, totaling approximately $242,964.15, for mental health services allegedly provided to approximately 73 beneficiaries between in or around October 2018 and in or around February 2020, when the conspirators well knew and believed the beneficiaries never received the billed services.

The indictment further alleges that in another part of the conspiracy that Ford and others, gathered the Medicare information of unsuspecting beneficiaries by marketing telehealth services and electronic records services to various entities, which often resulted in the exchange of Medicare beneficiary information.  Moreover, Ford, through the IAM Healthcare Foundation, offered food in exchange for Medicare beneficiary information.     Medicare paid IAM Healthcare approximately $163,271.74 because of the conspirators’ fraudulent claim submissions.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, are investigating the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Tamika G. Moses are prosecuting these cases. 

Should you feel that you or a family member are a victim of this case, please contact the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General at (305) 968-6960.

A copy of this press release is located on our website.  This case is part of the largest health care fraud and opioid enforcement action in Department of Justice history.  See here

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

RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned indictments today charging Samuel Quirino-Carchure, age 42, of Mexico, Homero Garcia-Reynoso, age 31, of Mexico, and Jose Luis Lopez-Valdez, age 27, of Mexico, with illegal reentry charges.

Additionally, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Estuardo Ariel Tajiboy-Velasquez, age 30, of Guatemala, with illegal reentry of an alien subsequent to a felony conviction, false representation of a social security number, use of an identification document not lawfully issued, false claim to U.S. citizenship, and aggravated identity theft.

The grand jury also returned a superseding indictment charging Arturo Villareal-Mendoza, age 39, of Mexico, with illegal reentry, false representation of a social security number, use of an identification document not lawfully issued, aggravated identity theft, and assault on a federal officer.

If convicted, Quirino-Carchure, previously deported twice and found in Brunswick County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of not more than two years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Garcia-Reynoso, previously deported and found in Wake County, is alleged to have been previously removed subsequent to a felony conviction (attempted trafficking in cocaine).  Therefore, if convicted, he would face a maximum imprisonment term of not more than 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Lopez-Valdez, previously deported and found in Wake County, is alleged to have been previously removed subsequent to a felony conviction (1st degree burglary).  Therefore, if convicted, he would face a maximum imprisonment term of not more than 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of illegal reentry of an alien subsequent to a felony conviction, false representation of a social security number, use of an identification document not lawfully issued, false claim to U.S. citizenship, and aggravated identity theft, Tajiboy-Velasquez, previously deported 4 times and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of 25 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine per count, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Villareal-Mendoza, previously deported and found in Wake County, were charged with illegal reentry, false representation of a social security number, use of an identification document not lawfully issued, aggravated identity theft, and assault on a federal officer, would face maximum penalties of 22 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine per count, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 

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

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Cary man was arrested on the federal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Late yesterday, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina filed the charge by federal Criminal Complaint. 

According to court documents, Willie Lee Hayes, Jr., 49, was arrested on October 6, 2020 on state criminal charges.  As alleged in the publicly filed affidavit attached to the Criminal Complaint – on that day, officers with the Raleigh Police Department were dispatched to the John H. Baker Public Safety Center in downtown Raleigh to investigate reports of a man who fired several rounds into the front door and windows of the building.  According to Wake County Sheriff’s Deputies at the scene, a vehicle stopped in front of the Safety Center and a man in the passenger seat started firing with a handgun.  Officers were able to track the vehicle and Wake County Sheriff Deputies, Wake County ABC Police, and Cary Police responded to an address in Cary where the suspect was located and taken into custody.

Hayes is charged with violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g) (1) and 924, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  He faces a maximum penalty of 120 months in prison if convicted.   His initial appearance in federal court is scheduled for October 9, 2020 before United States Magistrate Court Judge James E. Gates. 

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. said the following, “We are grateful for the swift action taken by our dedicated law enforcement officers and the Wake County District Attorney’s Office, who responded immediately to identify and arrest Mr. Hayes – the individual alleged to have fired multiple 9mm rounds into the Public Safety Center on Monday afternoon.  This is an example of the critical role that law enforcement plays in protecting us every day.  This crime took place in downtown Raleigh in the middle of the afternoon when the building was occupied by law enforcement, state employees, and members of the public.  Miraculously, no one was hit by the discharged rounds.  We look forward to presenting our case before the Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, and will continue to closely coordinate with District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.”

“Our law enforcement officers acted swiftly and with great bravery to minimize the risk to our community in the face this threat,” stated District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.  “We are grateful to our federal partners for their commitment to ensuring that we stand firmly in seeking justice.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Raleigh Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Wake County ABC Police and Cary Police Departments are investigating the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Smith is prosecuting the case for the government.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Plainfield, New Jersey man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute 4-Fluroisobutyryl Fentanyl.

According to court documents, Darrell Lee Watson, 39, pled guilty to the charge on May 21, 2020.

The investigation was initiated on October 11, 2017, when agents observed co-conspirator Thornton Lewis Watson IV conducting what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug transactions in Raleigh. Agents found Thornton Watson in possession of $3,485, a 9mm handgun and 70 pills that appeared to be Oxycodone.

When tested, the pills were determined to contain 4-Fluroisobutyryl Fentanyl, an analogue of Fentanyl.

On December 14, 2017, agents seized marijuana, $7,869, a firearm, and a cell phone from Thornton Watson. The cell phone was later searched pursuant to a search warrant, and agents found text messages in which Thornton Watson provided Darrell Watson with the Durham address of a woman named Shantevia Evans.  Darrell Watson responded by providing a tracking number for a package.

Agents then determined that between October and December 2017, seven packages had been sent to Evans, and one was still in transit.

On December 15, 2017, agents seized the package that was still in transit, and it was found to contain 414 pills that were marked as if they were Oxycodone. In fact, they were found to contain 47.83 grams of 4-Fluroisobutyryl Fentanyl.

Further analysis of Thornton Watson’s cell phone showed that Darrell Watson had sent a total of 13 tracking numbers to Thornton Watson. Based on the investigation, Darrell Watson is accountable for approximately 5,382 pills containing 621.79 grams of 4-Fluroisobutyryl Fentanyl.

Thornton Watson and Shantevia Evans pleaded guilty and were sentenced in connection with this investigation. Thornton Watson was sentenced to 114 months custody (Case No. 5:18-cr-315-D-1), and Shantevia Evans was sentenced to 24 months custody (Case No. 5:18-cr-315-D-2).

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.

Mr. Higdon commented:  “This case is a perfect example of the dangers in buying and using prescription drugs you get on the street or in some way illegally.   You have no guarantee that you are getting what you are paying for.  These pills appeared to be oxycodone – a dangerous enough drug when abused – but, in reality they were actually fentanyl analogues which could cause an unbreakable addiction and perhaps death.  Stay away from any drug not prescribed to you by a reputable and responsible doctor.”

Wake County Board of Alcoholic Control (ABC) Law Enforcement Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon 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. 5:19-cr-00292-D-1.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. today announced $3,471,000 in Department of Justice grants to assist victims in North Carolina. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of almost 1.8 billion distributed to state victim assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and to provide millions in compensation to victims of crime.

The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, flagship formula grant program is supported by the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which was established under The Victims of Crime Act. The Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. In FY 2019 alone, VOCA grants served over seven million victims and paid more than $399 million in compensation claims.

“Advocates, service providers, and law enforcement agencies from around the country stand ready to help crime victims exercise their legal rights and reclaim their lives,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “These new funding resources continue this administration’s unprecedented commitment to providing the support necessary for victims of crimes to be able to heal and recover.”

The awards made to organizations in the North Carolina will support local direct victim service programs, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, civil legal services, crime victims’ rights enforcement, as well as victim assistance positions in prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement departments.

“Supporting and helping the victims of crime in North Carolina is our moral and legal obligation,” commented U.S. Attorney Higdon.  “The Department of Justice is committed to assisting these who have been victimized among us.  The grants will bring much needed resources to assist in this important mission as we work to help the victims of crime rebuild their lives and move beyond the effects of those crimes.”

State victim compensation programs will receive over $133 million to supplement the state funds that offset victims’ financial burdens resulting from crime. This compensation is often extremely vital to victims who face enormous financial setbacks from medical fees, lost income, dependent care, funeral expenses and other costs.

“The services made available by this funding represent a lifeline for tens of thousands of survivors each month, many of whom otherwise would have no place to turn in a moment of profound crisis,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs. “These awards will help service providers, as well as law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices respond to the many emotional and material challenges that crime victims in our country face every day.”

The Fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders and does not include tax dollars. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Duplin County man was arrested on naturalization fraud charges and had an initial appearance yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging Fidel Santibanez-Jaimes, age 54, a naturalized citizen of the U.S., born in Mexico, residing in Duplin County, with naturalization fraud.

According to the indictment, Santibanez-Jaimes knowingly failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed the crime of felony possession of marijuana and failure to appear in court. Santibanez-Jaimes was thereafter naturalized as a United States citizen.

Santibanez-Jaimes is charged in an 8-count indictment with naturalization fraud.  If convicted, he faces up to a maximum imprisonment term of 25 years per count, a $250,000 fine per count, a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and the revocation of his citizenship.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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, are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative to identify and prosecute felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.

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

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

GREENVILLE, N.C. – A Shallotte man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for dealing crack and using firearms to facilitate his drug dealing.

According to court documents, Antwan Damitri King, 41, was charged with six counts including conspiracy to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base (crack), three counts of distribution of cocaine base (crack), one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  King pled guilty to the conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute, and firearms count on March 16, 2020.

On November 16, 2018, following several prior controlled purchases from King, the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant for King’s residence and recovered crack, marijuana, digital scales, ammunition, and 17 firearms, including an AR-style handgun and rifle, both loaded with high-capacity magazines.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Malcolm J. Howard. The North Carolina 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

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. 7:19-CR-109-H.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced the unsealing of a Second Superseding Indictment charging the following: Ebenezer Yeboah Asane (“Asane”) 37, of Fayetteville, North Carolina; James Earnest Ekow Arthur, 32, of El Paso, Texas; Ernest Atta Gyasi, 43, of Bronx, New York; Samuel Manu Agyapong (“Agyapong”), 33, of Fayetteville, North Carolina; Barbara Oppong, 41, of Bronx, New York; William Steven Ballard, 23, of Fayetteville, North Carolina; Solace Kwakye, 30, of Bronx, New York; Yemisi Mary Opaso, 27, of Hanover, Maryland; Christopher Matthew Urquia, 23, of Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Kevyn Jakob Ward, 22, of Fayetteville, North Carolina; and Effua Agyare-Darko, 43, of Ardsley, New York.  The charge includes 29 counts, consisting of Marriage Fraud, Transporting and Harboring Aliens, Visa Fraud, Obstruction, Unlawful Disposition of U.S. Property, False Statements in Immigration matters, and Conspiracy to Marriage Fraud. 

The indictment charges that Asane, a former soldier, operating from Fort Bragg and his home in Fayetteville, planned and organized the sham marriages of foreign nationals to U.S. Army soldiers based at Fort Bragg.  The purpose of the conspiracy was for the foreign-born nationals to evade U.S. immigration laws and obtain lawful permanent residence status and for the soldiers to receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to live off post, as opposed to the barracks. 

The indictment further charges that various defendants conspired with Asane to recruit other soldiers into the fraudulent scheme, to orchestrate photographs to give the appearance the marriages were legitimate, and to submit false statements to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in support of the sham marriages.

The indictment further charges Agyapong, a Sergeant at Fort Bragg, with obstructing an official proceeding by attempting to destroy evidence and influencing the testimony of a witness.

If convicted, the maximum punishment for committing Marriage Fraud, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1325(c), Conspiracy to Commit Marriage Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and False Statements, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1015(a) is not more than 5 years in prison.  The maximum punishment for Harboring Aliens, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a) and Unlawful Disposition of U.S. Property, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641 is 10 years in prison.  The maximum punishment for Obstructing an Official Proceeding, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512, is not more than 20 years imprisonment. The maximum punishment for Visa Fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a), is not more than 25 years imprisonment. 

The investigation of this case continues, and is being conducted by the Department of Homeland Security – Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Diaz represents the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 

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

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina today announced that the First Fruit Ministries received a $500,000 grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, through its component, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).  In addition, the Research Triangle Institute received a grant of $583,465 from the component, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), to fund efforts that combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the United States.

“The scourge of human trafficking is the modern-day equivalent of slavery, brutally depriving victims of basic human rights and essential physical needs as it erodes their sense of dignity and self-worth,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “The Department of Justice is relentless in its fight against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.  Working with state and local law enforcement and community victim service providers, we will continue to bring these criminals to justice and deliver critical aid to survivors.”

“Human trafficking -a form of modern day slavery- debases and demeans some of our most vulnerable citizens,” remarked U.S. Attorney Higdon.  “And fighting this horrible practice, in whatever form, goes to the heart of why law enforcement exists and why we daily work to improve the quality of life for all the people of the Eastern District.”

Nationally, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded over $97.4 million to state, local and tribal jurisdictions, service providers and task forces all over the country, while OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded the remaining $3.5 million to support research and evaluation on human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is a massive global enterprise with roots in cities and communities here in America and across the world,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is using all the resources at its disposal to help our state, local and tribal partners uncover and eradicate trafficking operations and help victims open the door to a new life.”

Grants awarded under fiscal year (FY) 2020 OVC programs aim to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to survivors of human trafficking. Specific programs:

• The Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking program awards over $22.7 million total.  OVC awards over $17.7 million to 27 programs to support the effectiveness of collaborative and multidisciplinary task forces to combat human trafficking.  The purpose of this program is to develop and strengthen programs for victims of human trafficking, including enhancing the capacity of law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify victims and provide justice for those victims through the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers.  OVC also awards nearly $5 million in grants to three organizations for training and technical assistance for the task forces. 
   
• The Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards over $35.1 million total to 73 organizations to provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs.  The grants will also provide funding to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment and receive occupational training and counseling.
   
• The Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking program awards over $4.2 million total to four recipients to integrate human trafficking policy and programming at the state or tribal level.  This program will enhance coordinated, multidisciplinary and statewide approaches to at-risk populations to improve outcomes for children and youth who are victims of human trafficking.
   
• The Preventing Trafficking of Girls program awards $1.8 million total to four organizations, including a training and technical assistance provider, to support prevention and early intervention services, including mentoring and other direct support services for girls who are at risk of or are victims of sex trafficking.
   
• The Services for Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking program gives over $6.8 million to four recipients to develop, expand and strengthen assistance programs for minor victims of sex trafficking.  Under this program, the funded states, tribes, and units of local government will provide (directly and through partnerships) an array of services that minor victims of human trafficking often require to address their need for safety, security, and healing.
   
• The Services for Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking program awards nearly $2 million total to three organizations to develop, expand, or strengthen victim service programs for minor victims of labor trafficking whose victimization occurred when they were under the age of 18.
•  
• The Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards more than $23.6 million to 43 organizations to support services specific to victims of human trafficking.
   
• The Specialized Training and Technical Assistance on Housing for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards $643,163 total to deliver specialized training and technical assistance to victim service organizations to enhance their ability to provide appropriate housing for victims of human trafficking.
   
• OVC awards the Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Project continuation funding in the amount of $300,000 to increase access to quality educational and employment opportunities for survivors of human trafficking.
   
  Grants awarded under FY 2020 NIJ programs aim to understand law enforcement practices with regard to preventing and responding to victims of trafficking. Specific programs:
   
• The Research and Evaluation of Trafficking in Persons program awards over $2.5 million total to four organizations to build upon research and evaluation efforts to better understand, prevent and respond to trafficking in persons in the United States.
   
• The Research on Law Enforcement Responses to Sex Trafficking of Minors program awards nearly $1 million to understand how law enforcement practices with regard to preventing and responding to the sex trafficking of minors have evolved since passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.  NIJ was specifically interested in understanding how widely law enforcement agencies have adopted practices based on the perspective that the minor is a victim rather than a delinquent and the challenges that agencies have faced in adopting such practices.
   
  For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/ovchumantraffickingfactsheet.pdf. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

A copy of this press release is located on our website.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
 

A North Carolina man was charged with fraudulently seeking over $6 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. of the Eastern District of North Carolina.  

Tristan Bishop Pan, 38, of Garner, is charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. 

The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that Pan perpetrated a scheme to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications to federally insured banks.  The Small Business Administration (SBA) guarantees PPP loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  According to the allegations, Pan submitted numerous fraudulent PPP loan applications, including on behalf of entities named Pan Insurance Agency, White Walker, Khaleesi, and The Night’s Watch.  The indictment alleges that, in support of the fraudulent PPP loan applications, Pan made false statements about the companies’ employees and payroll expenses.  The PPP loan applications were supported by fake documents, including falsified tax filings, according to the indictment.  Pan allegedly submitted fourteen PPP loan applications seeking over $6.1 million and received more than $1.7 million in benefits following approval of the Pan Insurance Agency and White Walker PPP loan applications.  The government was able to seize some of the allegedly fraudulent loan benefits.

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

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

A criminal indictment is merely an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and the FBI, with the assistance of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.  Trial Attorney Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan A. Ontjes and John Harris are prosecuting the case.

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

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Garner man was charged with fraudulently seeking over $6 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. of the Eastern District of North Carolina.  

Tristan Bishop Pan, 38, of Garner, is charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. 

The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that Pan perpetrated a scheme to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications to federally insured banks.  The Small Business Administration (SBA) guarantees PPP loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  According to the allegations, Pan submitted numerous fraudulent PPP loan applications, including on behalf of entities named Pan Insurance Agency, White Walker, Khaleesi, and The Night’s Watch.  The indictment alleges that, in support of the fraudulent PPP loan applications, Pan made false statements about the companies’ employees and payroll expenses.  The PPP loan applications were supported by fake documents, including falsified tax filings, according to the indictment.  Pan allegedly submitted fourteen PPP loan applications seeking over $6.1 million and received more than $1.7 million in benefits following approval of the Pan Insurance Agency and White Walker PPP loan applications.  The government was able to seize some of the allegedly fraudulent loan benefits.

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

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

A criminal indictment is merely an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and the FBI, with the assistance of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan A. Ontjes and John Harris and Trial Attorney Justin M. Woodard of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

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

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington, NC man was sentenced today to 132 months in prison for the distribution of a quantity of cocaine base (crack) and possession with the intent to distribute more than twenty-eight (28) grams of cocaine base (crack).

According to court documents, Peter R. Galloway, 34, sold a quantity of cocaine base (crack) to a confidential informant on July 9, 2019.  The next day, law enforcement in Wilmington executed a search warrant on Galloway’s residence and found more than twenty-eight (28) grams of cocaine base (crack), drug paraphernalia, a digital scale and manufacturing materials that contained cocaine residue.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Wilmington Police Department and Drug Enforcement Adminstration investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Murphy Averitt  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. 7:19-cr-00164-BO.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Jacksonville man pleaded guilty today to Willfully Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation of False Tax Returns.

According to court documents, Gene Hersholt Williamson, II, 54, operated a tax return preparation business out of Greenville and Jacksonville between 2012 and 2018.  Williamson fraudulently inflated his clients’ claimed refunds by reporting fictitious Schedule C businesses on his clients’ returns.  If clients had minimal income, Williamson created a fraudulent Schedule C business for them, reporting additional income in order to maximize the claimed earned income tax credit. If, however, clients had substantial wage income, Williamson created fraudulent businesses with significant expenses to reduce their income, qualifying them to receive earned income tax credit. Williamson received 10% of the refunds for his services.  To conceal his involvement in the scheme, Williamson did not list himself as the paid return preparer on any returns he prepared.

According to the Government’s proffer, Williamson filed false returns in his own name for the calendar years 2012 through 2017.  On his personal returns, Williamson claimed credit for withheld taxes from wages paid by his solar business that were never paid to the IRS, claimed education credits he was not entitled to, reported fictitious business losses, and failed to report the income he earned from preparing tax returns.  

The total tax loss to the IRS was more than $600,000.  Williamson agreed to make full restitution as part of the plea agreement.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the plea. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Menzer and Tax Division Trial Attorney William Guappone are prosecuting the case.

Judge Dever scheduled sentencing for the December 14, 2020 term of court.

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. 7:20-cr-00133-D.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Jarvisburg man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

According to court documents, Antonio Rishawn Taylor, 31, an eight-time previously convicted felon, illegally possessed ammunition in October 2017. A law enforcement search of Taylor’s residence revealed the ammunition, a quantity of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Taylor was under state probation supervision at the time.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, and Currituck County Probation Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Brown  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. 2:18-CR-25-D.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Yorkville, IL man was arrested on charges of conspiracy, theft of government property, and interstate transportation of stolen goods.

According to court documents, Rafael Montalvo, 31, is a former Individual Material Readiness List (IMRL) Manager aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC, and a current Illinois State Trooper and member of the Illinois National Guard.  He conspired with others in and outside the State of North Carolina to steal government-owned avionics and electronic testing equipment from multiple Marine Aviation Squadrons, and ship the stolen goods interstate to buyers located in other states.  The conspiracy, alleged to have occurred between March 2018 and the present, is described as having used IMRL managers with access to the avionics equipment to steal from the military installations, and then either ship directly to Montalvo or to persons whom Montalvo directed.  Montalvo received payment from the buyer, and paid those who reportedly stole the equipment for him.

Montalvo is charged with violations of 18 U.S.C. § 641, theft of government property, 18 U.S.C. § 2314, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and 18 U.S.C. § 371, conspiracy to undertake those crimes.  He faces a maximum penalty of 300 months in prison if convicted.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, is investigating the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

A New Bern man was convicted after a three (3) day federal trial.  A jury returned guilty verdicts against Carlos Green, 33, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine and 500  grams or more of cocaine, distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a felon.   Green had a prior federal conviction and was prohibited from possessing this firearm.

On July 17, 2019, Craven County Sheriff’s Office and Kinston Police Detectives conducted a controlled purchase of a quantity of methamphetamine from Green at a sweepstakes business on Old Highway 70 in Cove City, North Carolina.

On July 24, 2019, ATF Agents, Craven County Sheriff Deputies and Kinston Police Detectives conducted a controlled purchase of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from Green from the same sweepstakes business on Old Highway 70 in Cove City North Carolina.  The methamphetamine was more than 97% purity.

On August 21, 2019, ATF Agents, Craven County and Beaufort Sheriff’s Detectives conducted a search of Green’s Residence on Mill Road in Chocowinity North Carolina (Beaufort County).  Law enforcement found more than 100 grams of cocaine, a quantity of crack cocaine, pyric dishes with crack residue, a money counter and a load PLR-22 caliber handgun with a high capacity magazine.  

On December 10, 2019, ATF Agents and Craven County Detectives arrested Green at a residence on Durham Street in New Bern.  Law enforcement found on the stove a backpack that contained approximately three (3) ounce of cocaine.

During the investigation, Agents uncovered that Green was part of a drug trafficking organization that was importing pounds of methamphetamine through the mail for distribution into New Bern and Kinston, North Carolina.  In addition, Green was receiving nine (9) ounces of cocaine at a time from another source.  Green would cook four (4) ounces into crack cocaine.  Then all of this would be distributed into Eastern North Carolina. 

The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Fighting JellyFish. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.  This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization that has been involved in the distribution of large quantity of methamphetamine throughout the United States.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the jury verdict before U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Craven, Beaufort, and Onslow County Sheriff’s Offices and the Kinston Police Department.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo  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. 4:20-cr-00005-FL.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

NEW BERN, N.C. – A Moyock man was sentenced today to 77 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon. 

According to court documents, Zakem Rahmere Clinton, age 27, was found in possession of a loaded firearm upon the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Moyock.  The Currituck County Sheriff’s Office received information from Virginia Beach, VA, authorities that Clinton was among the individuals present at the scene of a homicide.   When deputies executed the warrant, they found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun in Clinton’s bedroom.  He subsequently admitted to possessing the gun on the night the homicide occurred.    

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., 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 and the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. 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. 2:19-CR-00007-FL.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Fayetteville couple pled guilty for their role in a conspiracy which embezzled money belonging to the United States.

According to court documents, Morris Cooper [63] was a purchasing agent assigned to the Operations and Maintenance Division, Directorate of Public Works (DPW), at Fort Bragg, NC and entrusted to purchase HVAC parts for DPW’s HVAC maintenance section.  From 2011 into 2019, Cooper used his position as a purchasing agent at DPW, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, to conspire with vendors to unlawfully enrich the participants of the conspiracy by steering contracts for supplies to specific vendors in return for cash payments and gifts, and by inflating prices on supplies, increasing both the profits to the vendor and the cash payment made to Cooper and/or his wife, Beverley Cooper [53].

Morris and Beverley Cooper pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle government funds and to receive bribes, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and Morris Cooper additionally pleaded guilty to embezzlement of government funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641.  Tentatively set for sentencing in January 2021, Morris Cooper faces a maximum penalty of 180 months in prison; Beverley Cooper faces a maximum penalty of 60 months in prison.  Both agreed to pay $6,300,000 joint and severally in restitution.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr., accepted the plea. Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating 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. 5:19-CR-328-FL.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced on September 9, 2020, to 165 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and a quantity of crack cocaine and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Christopher Minto, 37, was involved in the importation and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin into Wilmington between July and August 2019.  On August 5, 2019, New Hanover County Narcotics Detectives observed a car in which Minto was a passenger leave Minto’s residence and drive to the McDonald’s parking lot on Gordon Road.  Following a traffic stop, detectives searched the car and found quantities of crack and cocaine in the car and another passenger had 86 grams of pure crystal methamphetamine on his person.   The source of all these drugs was Minto. Detectives then conducted a search of Minto’s residence on Ovalberry Court in New Hanover County.  Law enforcement found another 114 grams of methamphetamine, 10 ounces of cocaine and a loaded .25 caliber handgun.  The investigation revealed that Minto was responsible for distributing more than a ¼-kilogram of methamphetamine, almost ½ a kilogram of cocaine and ½ an ounce of heroin from July until his arrest on August 5, 2019.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hanover County Sherriff Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo  prosecuted the case.  This case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation “White Rabbit” focusing on a drug trafficking organization involved in the importation of heroin and methamphetamine into Eastern North Carolina.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 7:20-cr-00059-M.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Florida man was arrested earlier this month in Wisconsin on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, in September 2019, Kamori Dontae Keys, age 26, and his co-conspirators engaged in a bank fraud scheme that targeted bank customers who reside in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Florence, South Carolina.  During the scheme, Keys and his co-conspirators unlawfully obtained the customers’ bank account information and then withdrew their funds in the Eastern District of North Carolina via cash withdrawals and point of sale transactions, thereby causing an approximate loss of over $45,000 to the victim bank.   

Keys is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; Bank Fraud/Aiding and Abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344(1), 1344(2) and 2; and Aggravated Identity Theft/Aiding and Abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028A(a)(1) and 2. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 24 months in prison on the aggravated identity theft count, and a maximum penalty of 360 months in prison if convicted on the bank fraud counts.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Winterville Police Department and several other local law enforcement agencies  are investigating the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamika Moses is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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.4:20-CR-77-M.

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

Raleigh, N.C. – Manuel Rodriguez-Mendoza, 41, of Mexico, illegally present in the United States and residing in Wake County, North Carolina, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and an additional 18 months in federal prison for violating his supervised release.

On May 20, 2020, Rodriguez-Mendoza pled guilty to one count of illegal reentry of an aggravated felon.  Rodriguez-Mendoza, was deported from the United States on April 28, 2006, at Brownsville, Texas, after having been convicted of illegal alien in possession of a firearm, an aggravated felony, on March 3, 2006, in the Middle District of North Carolina. 

While on federal supervised release, on February 15, 2009, Rodriguez-Mendoza was arrested by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and charged with carrying a concealed weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.  Rodriguez-Mendoza posted a $3,000 bond, was released and failed to appear in state court.  Rodriguez-Mendoza remained a fugitive until he was arrested on July 1, 2016, by the Wake County Sheriff’s Office and charged with trafficking in cocaine, maintaining a dwelling to sell controlled substances and possession of a stolen firearm.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz  prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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. 5:19-cr-00198-FL.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced the unsealing of a Second Superseding Indictment charging the following: Michael Anthony Griffin, Sr. (“MGriffin”) 52, of Knightdale, North Carolina; Regina Griffin (MGriffin’s sister), 48, of Raleigh, North Carolina; Angela Griffin (MGriffin’s wife), 52, of Knightdale, North Carolina; Creshun Alexandria Griffin (MGriffin’s daughter), 26, of Knightdale, North Carolina; Sharon Annita Edmond (MGriffin’s sister), 51, of Raleigh, North Carolina; Katina Griffin Perry (MGriffin’s sister), 47, of Raleigh, North Carolina; Harvey Griffin (MGriffin’s brother) 46, of Raleigh, North Carolina; Melvin Griffin (MGriffin’s brother), 44, of Knightdale, North Carolina; Shawn Allen Farmer, 51, of Cary, North Carolina; Jasmine Mariah Davis, 28, of Lakeland, Florida; Tyrone Edmonds, 46, of Weldon, North Carolina; Conscina Marie Brooks, 27, of Knightdale, North Carolina; and Jasper Deonta Goodman, 46, of Raleigh, North Carolina.  The charge includes 50 counts, consisting of Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Making False Statements to a Bank on Loan, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Perjury.

The United States Attorney stated, “After months of continuing investigation we are finally bringing to justice many of those who participated in this expansive fraud upon banks, merchants, and the credit market as a whole.  The ongoing pandemic has not slowed our efforts to hold accountable all of those who would engage in the frauds charged in this case.”

The indictment charges that MGriffin, operating from his business location in Raleigh and home in Knightdale, accepted fees from clients for alleged credit repair services.  The indictment alleges that, in reality, Griffin was creating fictitious credit profiles and fraudulently altering client credit data through the use of fictitious police reports.

The indictment further charges that various defendants conspired with MGriffin to defraud Synchrony Bank, a Lowe’s credit card provider, by opening credit accounts in the name of fraudulent identities, cashing out the accounts through prepaid card purchases, and then defaulting on the credit accounts.  The indictment also charges various defendants with similar frauds against other banks, including Capital One and Discover.

The indictment further charges various defendants with using fraudulent identities, bank statements, pay stubs, and other documents, for use in defrauding banks, lenders, merchants, and landlords.  In one such charge, MGriffin is charged with presenting a fraudulent social security card and number to Johnson Automotive to purchase a Hyundai Genesis, a vehicle with a purchase price of more than $72,000. 

The indictment further charges the defendants with aggravated identity theft, in that many of the fraudulent identities utilized in the scheme involved the use of a stolen social security number.

Lastly, certain defendants are further charged with committing perjury for lying to a federal grand jury.

The charges were unsealed today following the arrest of several of the defendants.   

If convicted, the maximum punishment for committing Bank Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 1349, is not more than 30 years in prison.  The maximum punishment for Wire Fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, is not more than 20 years imprisonment.  The maximum punishment for Making a False Statement to a Bank on a Loan is not more than 30 years in prison.  The maximum penalty for committing Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1), is not less than two years imprisonment, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. 

The investigation of this case continues, and is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represents the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 

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

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for his role in the receipt, possession, and distribution of child pornography.  The man was also sentenced to a five year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, William Gene Kaleb Koch, 45, used an online conferencing and screen sharing application (“Application A”) to receive and share child pornography with other users in a virtual “room.”  An undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) was able to gain access to the room and observed the user “NC Pig,” who was later identified as Koch, sharing child pornography and sexual exploitation material and engaging in chats with other users about the sexual exploitation of minors on at least 12 separate occasions.

Investigators tracked the NC Pig user to Koch’s residence in Wilmington, and obtained a federal search warrant that was executed by HSI agents and the Wilmington Police Department on August 9, 2018.  Koch was present and agreed to a non-custodial interview in which he admitted to using Application A, as well as receiving and possessing child pornography.  Later forensic review of Koch’s electronic devices revealed hundreds of videos and still images of child pornography (total image equivalent exceeding 14,000 images), the majority of which depicted children under 12 years of age, and some of which depicted infants and portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle.  Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with the assistance of the Wilmington Police Department and the United States Secret Service, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany  prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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. 7:19-CR-00143-BO.