District of New Hampshire

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Johnathon Irish, 28, of Brentwood, New Hampshire, has entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of aiding and abetting the making of a material false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, and one count of lying to a federal law enforcement agent, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            In February 2013, Irish was interviewed by a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, pursuant to an open FBI investigation into Irish’s firearms activities.  During that interview, when asked about the status of his personal firearms, Irish falsely stated that he had sold all of his firearms to a friend, when they had in fact been concealed from authorities.  Several months later, in September of 2013, Irish instructed another individual to purchase a firearm for him in that individual’s name, thereby circumventing the legally required background check.  Irish will be detained pending sentencing, which is presently scheduled for February 23, 2015.

            This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which was assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Brentwood Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, John P. Kacavas, and Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Lawrence Madsen of Lowell, Massachusetts was convicted, after a jury trial in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on six counts of aiding and abetting the illegal purchase of firearms at various southern New Hampshire federally licensed firearms dealers, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
 
            The trial evidence showed that Madsen, who could not legally buy firearms in Massachusetts, asked his New Hampshire friend, Brett Crawford, to purchase the firearms on his behalf in exchange for a payment of $100 for each gun purchased.  In October and November 2013, Crawford purchased eight hand guns on six occasions for Madsen.  On each occasion, Madsen was present and identified the guns which he wanted Crawford to buy.  When Crawford made the purchases using Madsen's money, Crawford lied on a federal form required for the sale of a firearm by stating that he was purchasing the firearms for himself when, in fact, he was buying them for Madsen.   The evidence further established that, following the illegal purchase of these firearms, Madsen sold them on the street in Lowell.

            The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and officers, Dan Futrell, Richard Donahue, Eric Kotchian and Michael Bergeron.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Abramson and Seth Aframe.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Alvaro Rivera-Pedrego of Douglas, Arizona and Agua Pietra, Mexico was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            The United States alleged that Rivera-Pedrego conspired with members of the Sinaloa Cartel, led by Joaquin Guzman-Loera, a/k/a “Chapo”, to establish a cocaine distribution route that would ship cocaine to European ports to be distributed in Europe, the United States, Canada and other countries.  In 2009, the defendant met with a confidential human source in Mexico to discuss the creation of the distribution network.  Over a period of months in 2009 and 2010, the defendant facilitated meetings between his coconspirators and the confidential human source.    Those meetings led to meetings between the defendant’s coconspirators and undercover agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that began in early 2010 and continued through August 2012, including meetings in Miami in August 2010 and November 2010, in Madrid, Spain, in March 2011, in Portsmouth and New Castle, New Hampshire in April 2011, and in Boston in August 2011.  The coconspirators offered to deliver thousands of kilograms of cocaine secreted in cargo containers that would be shipped to various ports on the eastern seaboard of the United States and to ports in Europe.  The conspirators ultimately delivered 346 kilograms of cocaine to the FBI at a port in Algeciras, Spain on July 27, 2012 hidden in a cargo container in boxes that purportedly held glassware.

            The cartel’s leader, by Joaquin Guzman-Loera, a/k/a “Chapo”, was arrested by Mexican authorities in February 2014.  The District of New Hampshire, several other districts and the Department of Justice are working to have him extradited to the United States.

            The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Don Feith.

Election Day Hotline

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United States Attorney John P. Kacavas announces the establishment of an Election Day hotline in coordination with the U.S. Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day program for the general election on November 4, 2014.

            United States Attorney Kacavas said, “The freedom to vote without interference, discrimination, or hindrance is one of the most fundamental civil rights enjoyed by United States citizens. However, the integrity of the election process depends on the vigilance of all who participate.  Information about discrimination or election fraud should be reported immediately to my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division. The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will act promptly and aggressively to ensure that those who seek to undermine the integrity of the election process are brought to justice.”

            United States Attorney Kacavas has appointed Assistant United States Attorney Mark Zuckerman to serve as the District Election Officer for the District of New Hampshire and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. He is also responsible for monitoring the Election Day hotline and the hotline number is (603)230-2503.

            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 on Election Day.

            Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, 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.

            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 abuses on November 4, 2014, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Assistant United States Attorney/DEO Zuckerman will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  He can be reached by the public at the following dedicated Election Day hotline: (603)230-2503.

            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 FBI can be reached by the public at (603) 472-2224.

            Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767.

            A Federal Election Fraud Fact Sheet that explains what triggers federal criminal jurisdiction in connection with elections and voting rights is posted on the United States Attorney’s website: www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh.

Guilty To Fraud, Money Laundering And Tax Evasion

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Frederick V. McMenimen, III, 53, of Bow, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of mail fraud, one count of money laundering and three counts of federal income tax evasion, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            McMenimen admitted that from approximately September 2008, to about October 2011, he fraudulently solicited more than $1 million in purported investments from some of his financial advisory clients.  Each of the clients was an elderly widow whose family had long-standing personal relationships with McMenimen’s family.

            McMenimen advised each client to liquidate existing annuities or other investments, to deposit the proceeds in their checking accounts and to then write checks payable to APSB.@   In most instances, McMenimen caused the clients to write those checks by falsely leading them to believe that PSB was another investment vehicle that was better for them than their existing annuities.  In actuality, PSB was a shorthand reference to a defunct retail sporting goods business, PSB Sports LLC that McMenimen had once owned and operated.  Between approximately September 8, 2008, and October 2011, McMenimen fraudulently induced the clients to write twenty-three checks payable to PSB in the aggregate estimated amount of approximately $1.3 million.

            McMenimen deposited the checks into a bank account he maintained in the name of PSB.  He then used those funds to purchase official bank checks which he directly or indirectly deposited into a checking account maintained in a relative’s name at an FDIC insured financial institution.  The relative in whose name the account was maintained provided McMenimen with several books of pre-signed but otherwise blank checks, thereby affording McMenimen complete access to the fraudulently obtained funds.

            Despite expending all of the proceeds on personal expenses, McMenimen did not record any of the fraudulently obtained funds as income on the tax returns he filed for tax years 2008, 2009 and 2010.  Because McMenimen underreported his income for those tax years, his tax returns reflected a tax due and owing that was substantially less than his true tax liability. McMenimen is scheduled to be sentenced on February 11, 2015.

            This case was investigated by the Bedford (N.H.) field of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Portsmouth (N.H.) field office of the IRS’s Criminal Investigation division and the Department of Education.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Frederick Drane, 48, of Biddeford, Maine, was sentenced on Monday in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on one count of conspiracy to possess in excess of 28 grams of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it, and one count of possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it.  The Court imposed a term of 15 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 8 years of supervised release.

            In October 2012, Drane was pulled over by the New Hampshire state police for a motor vehicle infraction.  During the ensuing stop, authorities located a crack pipe and more than 28 grams of crack cocaine in the vehicle, already packaged for sale.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Aframe and Nick Abramson.

Nottingham Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Possession

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Ryan Rathe, 28, of Nottingham, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            The investigation into Rathe began in 2010, when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received information from the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force that an undercover officer had intercepted images of child pornography being made available by a computer user in Nottingham, New Hampshire.

            Based on information provided by the task force, DHS conducted further investigation and secured a search warrant for Rathe’s residence in Nottingham.  Computer evidence seized from Rathe’s home was examined and found to contain multiple images depicting young children engaged in illicit sexual acts.

            United States Attorney Kacavas said, “Identifying, finding, and prosecuting predators like the defendant has been, and will continue to be, among the highest priorities of my office.”

            Rathe, who is scheduled for sentencing in January 2015, faces a maximum prison term of ten years, followed by no less than five years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

            The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, in conjunction with the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force (NH ICAC) and the Massachusetts State Police and is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.   Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

                This is case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

WASHINGTON – A Hampton, New Hampshire, man pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire to filing a false federal income tax return for tax year 2009, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

            According to court documents, Menashe Cohen, an oriental carpet dealer, and his sister maintained an undeclared bank account at UBS in Switzerland that had a balance of approximately $1.3 million.  Cohen also maintained bank accounts in Israel and in Jersey, a British Crown dependency located in the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy, France.  Although Cohen’s return for tax year 2009 reported that he had a financial interest in a bank account in Jersey, the return failed to report that he had financial interests in the accounts located in Switzerland and Israel.  In addition, Cohen’s return only reported $350 in interest income, when in fact he had received approximately $66,500 in interest income during 2009.

            In total, for tax years 2006 through 2009, Cohen failed to report approximately $170,000 in income earned from offshore bank accounts.  In addition, Cohen filed a false and fraudulent Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) for 2009, wherein Cohen reported he had bank accounts in Israel and Jersey on the FBAR, but failed to report his financial interest in the UBS account in Switzerland.

            According to the law, U.S. citizens and residents who have an interest in, or signature or other authority over, a financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 are required to disclose the existence of such account on Schedule B, Part III, of their individual income tax returns (Forms 1040).  Additionally, U.S. citizens and residents must file a FBAR with the U.S. Treasury disclosing any financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 in which they have a financial interest or signature or other authority.

            Cohen faces a statutory potential maximum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 at his Jan. 26, 2015, sentencing.  In addition, Cohen has agreed to resolve his civil liability for failing to report his financial interest in the UBS account on a FBAR by paying a 50 percent civil penalty to the IRS based on the high balance of his one-half interest in the account.

            This case was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel John E. Sullivan of the department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Kinsella for the District of New Hampshire.

                Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/tax/.

Four Others Plead Guilty

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – CONCORD, N.H. – Rafael Humberto Celaya Valenzuela, 41, formerly of Sonora, Mexico, was convicted following a jury trial of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

Celaya Valenzuela and his co-conspirators were members of the Sinaloa drug cartel, led by represented the Sinaloa Cartel, led by the notorious drug lord Joaquin Guzman-Loera, also known as “Chapo.”  The cartel was seeking new cocaine distribution routes from South America to Europe, Canada and the United States.  Beginning in early 2010 and continuing through August 2012, undercover FBI agents posing as members of a European organized crime syndicate met with the cartel representatives.  Many of the meetings were audio and video recorded and portions of those recordings were played for the jury.  The recordings showed Celaya Valenzuela and several co-conspirators attending meetings in Miami, Boston, Madrid, Spain, and in Portsmouth and New Castle, New Hampshire.

Celaya Valenzuela held himself out as an attorney and financial planner working on behalf of Chapo and the cartel.  Manuel Gutierrez Guzman, a co-conspirator and first cousin of Chapo, held himself out as his cousin’s representative in the negotiations.  The cartel representatives offered to deliver thousands of kilograms of cocaine by containerized cargo vessels to various ports on the northeastern seaboard of the United States and in Europe.  They further represented that the cocaine would come from any number of source countries, including Bolivia, Panama, Belize and Colómbia.  The deal was consummated by a face-to-face meeting with Chapo and several telephone calls in which he himself discussed details of the intended shipments.

  On July 27, 2012, the conspirators delivered 346 kilograms of cocaine, more than 750 pounds worth millions of dollars, to a port in Algeciras, Spain.  The cocaine was shipped via cargo container in boxes that purportedly held glassware.  The FBI seized the cocaine, and Celaya Valenzuela, Gutierrez Guzman, Samuel Zazueta Valenzuela and Jesus Palazuelos Soto were arrested by Spanish law enforcement in Madrid on Aug. 7, 2012.  The defendants were then extradited to New Hampshire.

Manuel Gutierrez Guzman, Samuel Zazueta Valenzuela and Jesus Palazuelos Soto pleaded guilty before trial.  A sentencing hearing for Soto is scheduled for Dec. 22, 2014.  Sentencing hearings for Manuel Gutierrez Guzman and Samuel Zazueta Valenzuela are scheduled for Jan. 15, 2015.  Celaya Valenzuela’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22, 2015.  All the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The cartel’s leader, Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman-Loera, was arrested by Mexican authorities in February 2014.  He is under indictment in multiple jurisdictions in the United States, including the District of New Hampshire.

“Today’s guilty verdict, together with the guilty pleas of the defendant’s co-conspirators, demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling international drug trafficking organizations wherever they seek to peddle their poison,” said U.S. Attorney Kacavas.  “Whether along our southwest border, in major American cities, or in bucolic New Hampshire, we will use every law enforcement and prosecutorial tool at our disposal to bring international drug traffickers to justice.  I want to thank our federal law enforcement partners, especially the FBI agents who went undercover at significant risk to their personal safety, and the Spanish National Police for their assistance in foiling this far-reaching scheme.”

            The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance with the extradition.  The case was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Don Feith.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Joshua Fields, 32, of Nottingham, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Fields pleaded guilty to the charge on July 3, 2014.  Fields admitted that on November 19, 2013, he and others participated in a burglary in Candia, New Hampshire.  Among the items stolen during the burglary were six firearms.  A few days later, Fields and two accomplices entered the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine, where they attempted to pawn one of the stolen firearms.  As a convicted felon, it was unlawful for Fields to possess a firearm.

            United States Attorney John P. Kacavas praised the efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement in this case and said “ensuring that persons who violate the prohibition against possessing firearms are brought to justice is a central mission of my office.  We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to enforce federal gun laws.” 

This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Candia Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Kittery Police Department, the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office in York County, Maine.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.

Federal Weapon Possession Charge

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – CONCORD, N.H. – Myron Armstrong, 38, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, has entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of possessing a weapon in a federal correctional facility, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            In January 2014, Armstrong fashioned a makeshift weapon out of a combination lock and a sock, which he subsequently used to assault another inmate.  Armstrong – who faces a maximum sentence of five additional years in prison and criminal fines of up to $250,000 – will be sentenced in January of 2015.

This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in collaboration with the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

IN NASHUA-BASED NATIONWIDE TAX RETURN SCAM

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Ann Marie Howard Aguiar, 47, of Jacksonville, Florida, has pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a nationwide tax refund scheme, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

Aguiar admitted that she participated in a scheme, organized by former Nashua resident Craig S. Cudhea, to file a large number of false tax returns claiming refunds to which the persons in whose names the returns were filed were not entitled.  The scheme, based in Nashua, resulted in the filing of thousands of false claims for tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service.

Cudhea recruited a nationwide network of pastors to solicit members of their congregations to provide their names and social security numbers on the false pretense that the information would be used to secure stimulus funds that they claimed the government was giving to the poor, disabled and unemployed.  The pastors led churches in Virginia, Georgia, New York, Texas, South Carolina, Arkansas, Ohio and Nevada.  Many congregants at these churches, consisting mostly of low income individuals with limited experience with the IRS, provided their personal identifying information and the pastors forwarded that information to Cudhea.

Cudhea then transmitted the personal identifying information to approximately eight women around the country who he had recruited via the internet to enter the information on electronic tax returns.  Cudhea dubbed this group of women his “Angels,” and Aguiar was one of Cudhea’s Angels.  Cudhea instructed Aguiar and the other Angels to report certain information on the falsified tax returns, including specific income amounts, withholding, and expenses such as education and child care that would generate credits and refunds.  The information reported was always very similar and often identical.

Although Aguiar was aware that the financial information she reported was false, she prepared and electronically filed the tax returns with the IRS.  Cudhea and his Angels filed more than 5000 false tax returns seeking refunds of approximately $9.4 million.  Cudhea paid Aguiar a flat fee for each false return that she prepared that was accepted for processing by the IRS.  Cudhea directed the IRS to pay portions of each refund to himself, the pastor who provided the personal identifying information, and sometimes the person in whose name the return was filed.  The scheme induced the IRS to pay more than $4 million in false refund claims before it became aware of the fraudulent nature of the claims.

United States Attorney John P. Kacavas said, “Prosecuting cases of financial fraud, particularly cases in which the American taxpayer is the victim, is an essential mission of my office.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute fraudsters and restore stolen monies to the public fisc.”

Aguiar faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and maximum fine of $250,000. She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 16, 2015.

Cudhea, who was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and other crimes in connection with the scheme, committed suicide after learning that he was being prosecuted.  The charges against him have been dismissed.

This case was investigated by the Manchester field office of the IRS’s Criminal Investigation division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Jesus Gonzalo Palazuelos Soto, 51, of Mexico pleaded guilty today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to conspiracy to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Soto was arrested in Spain on August 7, 2012 after he and others arrived there to monitor the delivery of 346 kilograms of cocaine to Algeciras, Spain.  The cocaine was hidden in a shipping container that was purported to contain glassware.  The delivery resulted from negotiations between members of the Sinaloa Cartel, led by Joaquin Guzman-Loera, a/k/a “Chapo”, and undercover agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation posing as members of an organized crime syndicate.  Negotiations for the shipment began in 2009 and culminated in the delivery of the cocaine in 2012.  Soto was responsible for supervising the loading of the cocaine in Brazil and monitoring its arrival in Algeciras.

            A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for December 22, 2014.   Soto is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Donald Feith.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – CONCORD, N.H. – Robert Pineault, 39, of Manchester, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 60 months in prison in connection with offenses involving methamphetamine manufacture, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

Pineault was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in October 2013 and plead guilty on June 2, 2014, to manufacturing methamphetamine, conspiring with others to do so, and possessing materials used in connection with manufacturing the drug.  The indictment charged that these activities occurred between November 2012 and March 2013 in Manchester.  Pineault was arrested on March 5, 2013 during the execution of a search warrant at 16 Walnut Street in Manchester.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Veiga.

TO FACILIATE DRUG TRAFFICKING AND MONEY LAUNDERING

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Michael Collins, 38, of Bellflower, California, Keith Cotlage, 45, of Pasadena, California were sentenced in United states District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 18 months and 60 months respectively for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to use the U.S. Mails to facilitate drug trafficking offenses, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

As part of their plea agreements, the defendants admitted that beginning in 2007, Cotlage shipped quantities of methamphetamine secured inside of U.S. Postal “Express Mail” packages from California to Collins, who at the time resided in New Hampshire. Upon receiving the packages, Collins distributed a portion of the methamphetamine to others and kept a portion for his own personal use. Upon generating proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine, Collins’ sent additional funds to Cotlage via Green Dot prepaid debit cards. Cotlage then used a Green Dot card linked to Collins’ Green Dot account to withdraw the funds in California after which he purchased additional quantities of methamphetamine which he again shipped to Collins. Collins also transferred money to Cotlage via Western Union.

In March of 2008, law enforcement intercepted an “Express Mail” package sent from Cotlage to Collins which was found to contain approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine. During an undercover operation, the package was subsequently delivered to Collins while he was at work at a construction site in Bethlehem. Immediately upon observing Collins take possession of the package, law enforcement attempted to arrest Collins; however he fled and was arrested after a brief foot pursuit.

Law enforcement subsequently determined through U.S. Postal “Express Mail” shipping labels and Green Dot records that from July, 2007 to March, 2008, Collins and Cotlage conspired to ship approximately ten additional packages containing methamphetamine.

Collins was also sentenced to three years of supervised release while Cotlage was sentenced to a four years of supervised release which they will begin after they are released from prison. During the period of supervised release, the defendants’ behaviors will be monitored by the United States Probation Office.  If the defendants violate the terms and conditions of their release, they could be sent back to prison.

The pleas were the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Resident Offices in New Hampshire, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Bethlehem and Lancaster Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Peter McGlynn, 46, of Raymond, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 42 months of probation for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            McGlynn pleaded guilty to the charge on May 22, 2014.  At the plea hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, McGlynn admitted that on or about January 16, 2013, while working as an Emergency Medical Technician at Exeter Hospital, McGlynn volunteered to administer fentanyl (a powerful opiate) to a patient who was being treated at the Emergency Department of the hospital.  Although he obtained 100 micrograms of fentanyl and claimed to administer the drug to a patient, the patient did not obtain any pain relief.  A nurse suspected that the drug had not been provided to the patient.  A drug test was performed on McGlynn.  The test detected the presence of fentanyl in his system.

            McGlynn’s crime took place just six months after another Exeter Hospital employee, David Kwiatkowski, was arrested for diverting fentanyl and tampering with consumer products.  Kwiatkowski’s criminal activities resulted in the infection of dozens of people with Hepatitis C.  On December 2, 2013, Kwiatkowski was sentenced to 39 years in prison for his conduct.  The investigation of McGlynn did not reveal any evidence indicating that he had infected patients or exposed patients to any disease.

            United States Attorney John P. Kacavas said, “My office remains committed to stopping drug diversion by health care workers.  The Kwiatkowski case demonstrated that health care workers who divert or tamper with drugs can jeopardize the health and safety of their patients.  Not only do drug diversion and tampering create the potential for patients to become infected with diseases, but it also can cause patients to experience unnecessary pain.  Health care workers who divert drugs and ingest them on the job can also put patients at risk because their judgment can be clouded by the drugs they have taken.  This can lead to errors that can have life-threatening consequences.  I encourage all health care facilities to be alert to potential drug diversion incidents and to report them promptly to law enforcement officers.  That is what Exeter Hospital did in this case.”

            This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Exeter Police Department, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Keith Burns, 41, of Merrimack, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of attempted receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
  
The investigation began in March of 2013 when investigators in Jackson County, Oregon, received information from the parents of a 13-year-old girl that a man was communicating with her online and pressuring her to take pornographic images of herself.  The local authorities then contacted the FBI.  A subsequent investigation led to the identification and arrest of Keith Burns of Merrimack.  Burns was previously convicted of sexually assaulting a minor and is required by New Hampshire law to register with the state’s sex offender registry list.

United States Attorney Kacavas said, “Identifying, finding, and prosecuting predators like the defendant has been, and will continue to be, among the highest priorities of my office.” 

This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.   Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

            The charge was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Merrimack Police Department and the Jackson County, Oregon, Sherriff’s Department and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.   This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.

Pleads Guilty To Federal Offense

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Joseph Cespedes, 37, formerly a police officer in Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to misprision of a felony, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Under federal law, it is unlawful for anyone who has knowledge of the commission of a federal felony to conceal the crime and withhold information about it from federal authorities.

            This investigation began in 2011, when the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) learned that Cespedes – a Manchester police officer at the time – was associating with an individual in Lawrence, Massachusetts, who was the target of a separate drug-related investigation.  Federal agents also discovered that the targeted drug dealer enlisted Cespedes to run criminal records checks on certain stolen identities to determine whether they were clear of outstanding arrest warrants.  Cespedes ran the criminal records checks through unwitting Manchester Police Department dispatchers.   When those criminal records checks came back negative, Cespedes sold that information to the drug dealer for $350.00 and a small quantity of cocaine.  Rather than report the drug dealer’s activities to the proper authorities, Cespedes affirmatively concealed that felonious conduct.

            HSI shared the results of its investigation with the FBI, who, in turn, shared it with the Manchester Police Department.  Within days, Cespedes preemptively resigned from the Manchester Police Department, ostensibly for reasons unrelated to this investigation.  Despite his resignation, the investigation into his activities continued.  During a subsequent interview conducted by federal agents and Manchester police, Cespedes admitted his association with the drug dealer and his illegal conduct on the drug dealer’s behalf.  

United States Attorney John P. Kacavas said, “I want to commend HSI, the FBI and the Manchester Police Department for their joint efforts in bringing this rogue former police officer to justice.  His illegal conduct is a betrayal not only to the community he was sworn to serve but also to the officers of the Manchester Police Department with whom he served.  His guilty plea today is a testament to the determination of law enforcement and this office to find, deter, and punish criminals regardless of their status or occupation.”

            “I would like to congratulate my special agents for following the evidence wherever it lead, but I would equally like to commend the Manchester Police Department for their swift and decisive action,” said special agent in charge of HSI Boston, Bruce Foucart. "It's always difficult when the actions of a single officer stains the badge, honor and integrity of all the other brave men and women who choose to put their lives on the line in order to uphold the law. “

            Cespedes faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible fine of $250,000.00.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2014.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Manchester Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella.

Man Sentenced On Charges Of Conspiracy To Distribute More Than 5 Kilograms Of Cocaine And 1000 Kilograms Of Marijuana And Money Laundering Charges

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Jon Hagstrom, 34, of North Hollywood, California, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire 126  months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 1000 kilograms of marijuana, conspiracy to commit money laundering and aiding and abetting the possession of more than 5 kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

             Between the summer of 2007 and August of 2009, members of the conspiracy, who had ties to a Canadian criminal organization, imported more than 1000 kilograms of exotic/high grade marijuana into the United States for distribution in the New England area, including New Hampshire, and New York.  The organization used the proceeds received from the distribution of the marijuana to purchase more than 150 kilograms of cocaine from California which was then exported to Canada.  Hagstrom was the source of the cocaine.

            The defendant worked with other co-conspirators to coordinate the transport of the cocaine from California to New Hampshire and elsewhere in New England.  On each occasion, the defendant directed couriers to transport approximately 25 to 50 kilograms of cocaine from California to New Hampshire and elsewhere in New England.  The defendant also directed the couriers to pick up millions of dollars in marijuana drug proceeds and transport those drug proceeds back to him in California.  The defendant also used private jets to travel from California to the Boston, Massachusetts area to pick up illegal marijuana drug proceeds.

During its investigation and prosecution of the 23 individuals involved in the drug conspiracy, the United States seized over three million dollars, over 1000 kilograms of marijuana and over 50 kilograms of cocaine. Hagstrom forfeited $90,000.00 in property to the United States and was the last defendant sentenced in the investigation.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and Massachusetts State Police.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra M. Walsh, Robert Kinsella and Robert Rabuck.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Ten individuals were arrested by federal, state and local authorities, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.  

            The arrests are the result of a year-long investigation conducted by state and federal authorities into allegations of marijuana, cocaine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) distribution in New Hampshire.

            Based on intelligence gathered by law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hampshire State Police conducted surveillance, undercover purchases of drugs, consensual monitoring of controlled purchases, and judicially approved wiretaps to identify and arrest the following individuals in connection with the distribution network.

(1)        Alkis Nakos, age 35, of 366 Arah Street, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);

(2)        Kosmas Koustas, age 35, of 1465 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);

(3)        Charles Fowle, age 35, of 267 Waverly Street, Hooksett, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);

(4)        Frank Fowle, age 36, of 330 Milford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);

(5)        Christopher Ranfos, age 36, of 241 Boutwell Road, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);

(6)        Kristopher Venturini, age 35, of 374 Thornton Street, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);

(7)        Marc Guillemette, age 37, of 255 Waverly Street, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b);

(8)        John Horne, Jr., age 32, of 301 Prescott Road, Epping, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b); and

(9)        Jonathan Venturini, age 32, of 516 Notre Dame Avenue, Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and aiding and abetting the distribution of marijuana, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.

(10)  Jonathan Handschumaker, was arrested and for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, distribution of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and aiding and abetting the distribution of marijuana, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.

            Search warrants and seizures were executed in connection with the investigation that resulted in the seizure of approximately 30 pounds of marijuana, $85,000 in United States currency, paraphernalia associated with drug distribution such as digital scales and money counting machines, and firearms including a machine gun with a silencer, numerous handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department.  The arrests consisted of a joint federal, state and local effort.  Members of the arrest teams included the: (1) Drug Enforcement Administration; (2) Federal Bureau of Investigation; (3) Immigration and Customs Enforcement; (4) United States Marshals Service; (5) New Hampshire State Police; (6) the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department; and (7) New Hampshire Liquor Enforcement.

For Child Exploitation Offense

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Benjamin Maes, 32, of Hinsdale, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

The investigation began in November, 2012, when an FBI/Metropolitan D.C. Police Department task force received images of child pornography from an individual from Hinsdale, New Hampshire.  Benjamin Maes had been communicating with an undercover agent on-line and had sent the agent sexually explicit images of children.  He was arrested in December of 2012, pursuant to a federal arrest warrant issued in the District of Columbia.

Various electronic items belonging to Maes were seized pursuant to a search warrant and forensic examination of his cellular phones revealed numerous images of child pornography, including images of Maes engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor. 

The charge was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Washington D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, the Hinsdale Police Department and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.   Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.

In Connection With The Purchase Of Firearms

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – David Reiter, 57, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty to one count of making false material statements in connection with the purchase of eight firearms, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            On June 1, 2006, Reiter purchased eight firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer located in New Hampshire.  At the time of the purchase, Reiter completed a Form 4473 with respect to the firearms on which he claimed to be a New Hampshire resident and also claimed that he was the actual buyer of the firearms.  On the date of the purchase, Reiter was not a New Hampshire resident and he was not the actual buyer of the firearms.  Reiter purchased the firearms and delivered them to a third party.

            United States Attorney John P. Kacavas praised the efforts of federal law enforcement in this case and said, “ensuring that persons who violate the prohibition against possessing firearms are brought to justice is a central mission of my office.  We will continue to work closely with our state and federal partners to enforce federal gun laws.”

            Reiter faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Don Feith.

And Distribution Of Methamphetamine In New Hampshire

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Daniel Preston, 36, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 60 months in prison for engaging in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

In January 2012, members of the New Hampshire State Police and United States Postal Inspection Service seized a package containing approximately one ounce of methamphetamine, a schedule II controlled substance, which was destined for a resident of Milton, New Hampshire. The package was shipped by Daniel Preston, a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado.   During an ensuing investigation, law enforcement determined that from January 2011 through January 2012, Preston engaged in the weekly shipment of ounce quantities of methamphetamine from Colorado to New Hampshire.  Once the methamphetamine arrived in New Hampshire, it would be repackaged and distributed.   

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry L. Ollila.  

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Richard Ouellette, 28, of Milford, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 33 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

Ouellette was previously convicted of accomplice to armed robbery as a result of his participation in a 2004 armed robbery at Hans Market in Manchester, New Hampshire. As a result of that state felony conviction, Ouellette was sentenced to three years imprisonment at the New Hampshire State Prison.  Federal law prohibits persons convicted of felony crimes from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.

            During an undercover operation in January, 2011, Ouellette sold a German, Model Makarov, 9mm pistol and ammunition to agents of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives subsequently determined that the firearm had been reported stolen from a residence during a home burglary in Deering, New Hampshire.

            United States Attorney John P. Kacavas praised the efforts of federal law enforcement in this case and said, “ensuring that persons who violate the prohibition against possessing firearms are brought to justice is a central mission of my office.  We will continue to work closely with our state and federal partners to enforce federal gun laws.”

            The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.  

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Peter McGlynn, 45, of Raymond, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            McGlynn admitted that on or about January 16, 2013, while working as an Emergency Medical Technician at Exeter Hospital, McGlynn volunteered to administer fentanyl (a powerful opiate) to a patient who was being treated at the Emergency Department of the hospital.  Although he obtained 100 micrograms of fentanyl and claimed to administer the drug to a patient, the patient did not obtain any pain relief.  A nurse suspected that the drug had not been provided to the patient.  A drug test was performed on McGlynn.  The test detected the presence of fentanyl in his system.

            McGlynn is facing of up to 4 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 2014. 

            This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Exeter Police Department, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Danielle Reader, 31, of Hampton, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 46 months in prison for two counts of aiding and abetting bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            On April 3, and April 20, 2013, an individual walked into the victim banks in Hampton, New Hampshire, where he presented a handwritten note demanding money.  After departing with the stolen funds, the individual escaped the scene in a getaway vehicle driven by Reader.  In total, Reader and her accomplice stole more than $9,000.  The Court also imposed three years of supervised release and full restitution to the victims.

            Special Agents Laura Hanlon and John Ennis led the investigation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in collaboration with the Police Departments of Hampton and Seabrook, New Hampshire.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

Stealing Veteran’s Benefits

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Amy Greeley, 43, of Newfields, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 12 months and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of misappropriating a veteran’s benefits and using them for her personal benefit, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Greeley served as the fiduciary for benefits paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of her father during the period from September 2002 through June 2011.  As her father’s fiduciary, Greeley was obligated to use the funds solely for her father’s benefit.  Beginning in May 2005 through June 2011, Greeley transferred the funds from the fiduciary account to accounts she controlled and spent the funds for her personal benefit.  Greeley filed false annual reports with the VA indicating that the funds were in the fiduciary account.  Those reports included the forged signatures of bank officials purportedly certifying the accuracy of the reports.  Greeley was removed as the fiduciary in June 2011, after having stolen approximately $251,534 in benefits.   The VA was reimbursed in its entirety before Greeley was sentenced.

            The government requested a sentence of 24 months based on the advisory federal sentencing guideline.  The court imposed the 12 months and a day sentence to be followed by a two year period of supervised release after she completes her prison sentence.  During the term of supervised release Greeley’s behavior will be monitored by the United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office.

The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division and prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Donald Feith.

In Connection With Fraudulent Investment Operation

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Aaron E. Olson, 39, of Rindge, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to four counts of tax evasion, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

Beginning in 2007 through 2010, Olson was the sole proprietor of an investment business that did business as AEO Associates (AEO).  In December of 2010, he formed KMO Associates LLC (KMO), an investment business that was registered in Massachusetts.  Olson ran both operations from an office in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.  Olson used AEO and later KMO to obtain approximately $27.8 million from individuals and organizations ostensibly to invest on their behalf.  Olson was not licensed as an investment broker in New Hampshire or in any other jurisdiction and he did not register AEO and KMO with the State of New Hampshire as  investment businesses.

            Olson used approximately $2.6 million of the investors’ money for his personal benefit and used some of the investors’ money to make fraudulent “earnings” payments to other investors.  To conceal this conduct, Olson sent investors fictitious earnings statements that falsely showed significant earnings in their accounts.

            Olson also filed false and fraudulent joint individual tax returns with the IRS in which he attempted to evade or defeat taxes he owed based on his income from the fraudulent investment operation.  Among other things, Olson failed to report the gross receipts and expenses associated with the operation of AEO and KMO and he failed to issue Forms 1099 with the Internal Revenue Service summarizing investors’ annual gains and losses.  In total, Olson fraudulently understated the income taxes he owed for the four years by more than $664,000.

Olson is facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on each charge.  Additionally, Olson may be ordered to pay restitution to the defrauded investors in lieu of paying the taxes he owes to the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September 2014.

            This case is being investigated by the office of Criminal Investigations for the Internal Revenue Service in conjunction with the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.

On Child Exploitation Charge

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Erin Upham, 21, of Manchester, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

The investigation began in 2013 when the Manchester Police received information from the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations that the defendant, a resident of Manchester, was communicating with a member of the armed services who was currently stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.  Specifically, the Air Force Special Agents informed the Manchester Police that they had information that the defendant’s communication was of a sexual nature and involved a minor child.

Federal search warrants were obtained for various electronic items belonging to Morrison and Upham. A forensic examination revealed digital images of a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The charge was the result of an investigation by the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manchester and Derry Police Departments and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.   Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

             This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Juan Parrilla, 39, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 42 months in prison, for engaging in the distribution of cocaine and possessing crack cocaine with the intention of distributing it, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            An undercover law enforcement officer of the Manchester Police Department engaged in numerous hand-to-hand purchases of cocaine from Parrilla beginning in October 2011.  A search warrant was executed at Parilla’s residence in Manchester and law enforcement seized 117 grams of crack cocaine.            

The investigation of Parrilla was conducted by members of the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department Special Investigations Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry Ollila.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Jonathan Talbot, 27, of Bedford, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire 41 months in prison, for engaging in a bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

On May 30, 2013, the Manchester Police Department responded to Citizens Bank at 2035 Brown Avenue for a report of a robbery.  Upon arrival, a bank teller indicated that she was working at her station when a caucasian male, who appeared to be in his mid-30s and approximately 5’5”, 140 pounds, wearing a short-sleeved white button-down shirt, gray beret and eyeglasses, entered the bank and walked over to a table, which contained blank deposit slips while speaking on a cellular telephone.  He wrote on a slip, walked to her station and handed her a deposit slip which stated, “All unmarked bills. I have a gun give back note! Be calm!”  The teller gave Talbot all of the currency from her register. 

Talbot left the bank in a grey Audi.  Following the robbery, law enforcement determined that the 2003 silver Audi A4, was registered to Jonathan Talbot of Bedford, New Hampshire.   At 3:50 p.m. on May 30, 2013, approximately one hour after the robbery, law enforcement traveled to Talbot’s residence

A search warrant was obtained for the 2003 Gray Audi A4, and law enforcement recovered a black plastic framed pair of eyeglasses.  A search warrant was also obtained for the residence and seized from Jonathan Talbot’s bedroom closet was a backpack which was found to contain the white shirt, hat, shorts and shoes worn during the robbery.  Also recovered from within the backpack was $4,268.00 in $50.00, $20.00, $10.00, $5.00 and $1.00 denominations.

 The case was investigated by the Manchester, New Hampshire, Police Department, the Bedford, New Hampshire, Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry L. Ollila.

CONCORD, N.H. –Daniel Hufstetler, 34, formerly of 36 High Street in Berlin, New Hampshire was sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbing the Guardian Angel Credit Union, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Hufstetler was convicted of robbing the Credit Union following a three-day trial in December of 2013. Evidence presented at trial showed that on November 14, 2011, Hufstetler robbed the Guardian Angel Credit Union, which is located at 200 Coos Street in Berlin, New Hampshire.

            Upon his release from custody, Hufstetler will be on supervised release for three years.  He was also ordered to pay restitution.

            This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Berlin Police Department, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Hampshire Drug Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.

CONCORD, N.H. – Bradford Mullane, 32, of Nashua, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 30 months in prison for unarmed bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Mullane walked into a TD Bank in Nashua, New Hampshire, on July 15, 2013, where he presented a handwritten note demanding money, and made off with more than $1,200 in stolen funds.

            This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

CONCORD, N.H. – James Murphy, 30, of Massachusetts, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 5years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute in excess of 28 grams of crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            On February 3, 2013, Murphy was pulled over on Interstate 95 near Spaulding, New Hampshire, for driving erratically and disobeying a police officer.  A subsequent search of Murphy’s person resulted in the discovery of a substantial amount of crack cocaine, bagged for distribution.

            This prosecution arose from an investigation by the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

  CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Wayne Willey, 54, of Milton, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 20 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas. 

Members of the New Hampshire State Police and United States Postal Inspection Service seized a package containing approximately one ounce of methamphetamine which was destined for Willey.   The package was shipped to Willey from Daniel Preston, a resident of Monument, Colorado.   During an ensuing investigation, law enforcement agents determined that from January 2011 through January 2012, Preston shipped quantities of methamphetamine from Colorado to Willey in New Hampshire.  Once the methamphetamine arrived in New Hampshire, Willey would repackage it in gram quantities and distribute it.   

 Preston pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2014.

            The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry L. Ollila.  

WASHINGTON – John Bryan Villegas, 23, of Kittery, Maine, was sentenced today in federal court in New Hampshire to serve 33 months in prison for engaging in a type of cyber stalking known as “sextortion,” announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas of the District of New Hampshire.

On Sep. 18, 2013, Villegas pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of engaging in cyber stalking.  The information charges that Villegas attempted to extort a New Hampshire female into providing him with sexually explicit photographs and videos of her.  He sent her e-mail messages in which he threatened to publish on the internet – and distribute to the victim’s neighbors and work and social acquaintances – other sexually explicit photographs of the victim that were stored on her laptop computer, which had been recently stolen during a burglary of her residence.  On Jan. 9, 2014, Villegas pleaded guilty in New Hampshire State Court to charges that he committed that burglary.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen of the District of New Hampshire.

The department would like to thank the cooperation of the Dover, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine, police departments and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

  CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Benjamin Maes, 32, of Hinsdale, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

The investigation began in November, 2012, when an FBI/Metropolitan D.C. Police Department task force received images of child pornography from an individual from Hinsdale, New Hampshire.  Benjamin Maes had been communicating with an undercover agent on-line and had sent the agent sexually explicit images of children.  He was arrested in December of 2012, pursuant to a federal arrest warrant issued in the District of Columbia.

Various electronic items belonging to Maes were seized pursuant to a search warrant and forensic examination of his cellular phones revealed numerous images of child pornography, including images of Maes engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor.

The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 27, 2014.  

The charge was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Washington D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, the Hinsdale Police Department and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.   Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.

CONCORD, N.H. – Jason Pratt, 30, of Hampton, New Hampshire, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 41 months in prison for unarmed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit unarmed bank robbery, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
            
            On March 22, April 3, and April 20, 2013, Pratt walked into three banks in Hampton and Seabrook, New Hampshire, where he presented a handwritten note demanding money, and made off with a grand total of $11,740 in stolen funds.

            Special Agents Laura Hanlon and John Ennis led the investigation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in collaboration with the Police Departments of Hampton and Seabrook, New Hampshire.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.

  CONCORD, N.H. – Delano Nelson, 50, of Compton, California, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery charges, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.                               

In October and November of 2011, the defendant committed the armed robbery of Hannoush Jewelers in Manchester and Kay Jewelers in Tilton.  In July of 2012 he was apprehended in Compton, California, and indicted by a federal grand jury in August, 2012. Walter Williams, also of Compton, California and Shyloe Johnson of Sanbornton, New Hampshire previously pled guilty and were sentenced for their participation in the robberies.

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manchester Police Department and the Tilton Police Department.    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon

  CONCORD, N H:   Justin Madigan, 31, of Barrington, was sentenced  in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire  to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to  transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            In November of 2008 the Portsmouth Police received information that an individual was using America On Line (AOL) to send numerous emails containing images and videos depicting the sexual assault of children.

A further investigation was conducted by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children and a search warrant for Madigan’s residence was executed.  Computer evidence seized was examined and found to contain hundreds of images depicting the sexual assault of young children.

             This case was brought in furtherance of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

             This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.

   CONCORD, N.H. –Christian Gonzalez, 35, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 21 months in prison for aiding and abetting the making of false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Gonzalez admitted that he was not able to legally purchase a firearm so he solicited another individual, or “straw purchaser,” to purchase firearms for him.  On seven different occasions, Gonzalez drove the “straw purchaser” to a federally licensed firearms dealer in New Hampshire and provided him the money to purchase eleven firearms.  Gonzalez took possession of the firearms immediately after the purchases were made. Two of the firearms were later recovered in Malden, Massachusetts.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

CONCORD, N.H. – Jonathan Tanguay, 42, of Bartlett, New Hampshire, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 84 months in prison, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            In February of 2010, a search warrant executed at Tanguay’s home revealed a laptop computer, external hard drive and compact disc containing child pornography images.  Tanguay was convicted of knowingly possessing those images in October 2013 after a three-day jury trial.

            Special Agent Phil Bleezarde led the investigation for the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customers Enforcement Division, and Concord Police Detective Mark Dumas, a member of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was the lead computer forensic examiner on the case.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth R. Aframe and Nick Abramson.

This case was being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.   Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

  CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Daniel Preston, 36, of Monument, Colorado, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and the distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

In January 2011, Preston shipped ounce quantities of methamphetamine from Colorado to Milton, New Hampshire.  After the methamphetamine arrived in New Hampshire, it would be repackaged and distributed in gram quantities. Preston shipped over 500 grams of methamphetamine to New Hampshire from Colorado during a one (1) year time-frame.

Preston is facing up to 20 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced in May, 2014.    The case was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry L. Ollila. 

   Concord, NH –Nutveena Sirirojnananont plead guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to federal gun trafficking/export violations that include conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), making a false statement in connection with a firearm purchase, and unlicensed firearms dealing, announced United States Attorney, John P. Kacavas.
 
The investigation revealed that from August 2010 through September 2011, Sirirojnananont was involved in the illegal trafficking/export of approximately eight (8) firearms from the United States to Thailand. These export-controlled articles are on the U.S. Munitions List (USML) items, as defined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  These charges carry a maximum sentence of twenty years and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00.

"The federal regulations involving the sale and export of firearms are specifically designed to prevent guns and other weapons from falling into the wrong hands," said Bruce Foucart, special agent in charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. "This case clearly demonstrates that we are allied with our federal and local law enforcement partners, including the men and women of the ATF and Portsmouth Police Department. Together, we will continue to target those who attempt to profit by circumventing these laws."

The investigation involved by the cooperative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Manchester Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Resident Agent in Charge Manchester Office, and U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Hampshire (USAO-NH). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.

   CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Eric Morrison, 22, pled guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

The investigation began in 2013 when the Manchester Police received information from the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, that the defendant, a member of the United States Air Force stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, was communicating with Erin Upham, a resident of Manchester.  Specifically, the Air Force Special Agents informed the Manchester Police that the defendant’s communication was of a sexual nature and involved a minor child.

Search warrants were obtained for various electronic items belonging to Morrison and Upham and a forensic examination of the items revealed digital images of a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  On June 19, 2013, a federal grand jury indicted both Morrison and Upham for conspiracy to produce child pornography.  Morrison faces a minimum term of fifteen years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2014.

The charge was the result of an investigation by the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Manchester and Derry Police Departments and is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.   Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon who is the U.S. Attorney’s coordinator for Project Safe Childhood.

CONCORD, N.H. – Mark McLaughlin, 49, of Wolfeboro, has pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to making false statements to obtain federal employee disability benefits, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

McLaughlin admitted in annual reports he submitted to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (“OWCP”) that from June 2007 to July 2013, he failed to disclose income he received while working for a landscaping business. Consequently, he fraudulently received disability payments totaling $119,649.79 from the OWCP.

The United States Department of Labor, (“OWCP”) provides benefits to employees of the United States Postal Service who are totally or partially disabled due to injuries sustained during the course of their employment.  While receiving the benefits, a disabled employee is required to report all employment for which he received a salary, wage or payment of any kind.  This information is important to the OWCP because the amount of the disability benefit paid to the employee depends on the employee’s ability to earn money from other types of work.

McLaughlin is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2104.  He is facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

            The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Kinsella.

   CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Erin Upham, 21, of Manchester, pled guilty In United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

The investigation began in 2013 when the Manchester Police received information from the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations that the defendant, a resident of Manchester, was communicating with a member of the armed services who was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.  Specifically, the Air Force Special Agents informed the Manchester Police that they had information that the defendant’s communication was of a sexual nature and involved a minor child.  A federal search warrant was obtained for the search and seizure of various electronic items belonging to the defendant, including a lap top and cell phones. A forensic examination of the items revealed digital images of the defendant and a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The defendant is facing a minimum term of fifteen years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2014 at 10:30. 

            The charge was the result of an investigation by the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Manchester and Derry Police Departments and is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.   Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

                         This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon who is the U.S. Attorney’s coordinator for Project Safe Childhood.

CONCORD, N.H. – Jose Armando Juarez-Garcia, 28, pleaded guilty in United States District Court in for the District of New Hampshire to reentering the United States after having been deported to his home country of Mexico, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            Juarez-Garcia was found in Manchester in December of 2013 by Immigration Enforcement Officers of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite having been deported to Mexico five times since September 2006.

            Juarez-Garcia faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.  He will also be subject to further deportation proceedings after he serves his sentence.  After accepting his guilty plea, the court ordered that Juarez-Garcia held in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which was scheduled for April 23, 2014.  

                This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.

    CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Sean Brown, 40, of Nashua, New Hampshire was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to ten years in prison after a jury found him guilty of three counts of unlawful distribution of cocaine base (“crack”), announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            During February, 2010, Brown made three sales of cocaine base (“crack”) to an individual assisting the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department in their investigation into the illegal sale of drugs within the city. The three sales took place in the vicinity of 73 Elm Street, which was Brown’s residence at the time. Brown was arrested outside of the residence on February 24, 2010 as police executed a search warrant on his residence.

            In sentencing Brown to a ten year sentence, Judge McAuliffe noted that while Brown dealt small quantities of drugs, he was a “persistent” drug dealer, having been previously convicted in federal court in 1997 with unlawful possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), heroin and methamphetamine, for which he received a 46 month term of imprisonment in federal prison, and again in Hillsborough County Superior Court in 2005 for four counts of unlawful sale of heroin, for which he received a 3 ½ to 7 year sentence in the New Hampshire State Prison.

             The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis and Seth Aframe.

     CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Dana Moody, 57, of New Boston, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 72 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            The investigation into Moody began in November of 2011 when the FBI was notified by the New Haven, Connecticut, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that an undercover officer had intercepted images of child pornography being transmitted by a computer user located in New Boston, New Hampshire.

Upon receiving the information, the FBI conducted a further investigation and secured a search warrant for Moody’s residence in New Boston.  Computer evidence seized from Moody’s home was examined and found to contain several thousand images depicting the sexual assault of young children.

            This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

             This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.