District of New Hampshire

CONCORD – A Louisville, Colorado man was indicted in connection with a firearm offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Shelby Theriault, 30, was indicted on one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.  Theriault was arrested on January 20, 2024, and he is currently in state custody. Theriault will appear in federal court in Concord on April 17, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.

According to the charging documents and statements made in court, the defendant knowingly received and possessed a weapon made from a shotgun, with an overall length of less than 26 inches and a barrel length of under 18 inches and did not register this weapon with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Weapon.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $10,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Conway Police Department led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case.  

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

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CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine while on parole, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Michael Francis, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro to 150 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Francis also agreed to not contest the forfeiture of approximately $49,000 seized from him in connection with this investigation. On November 14, 2023, Francis pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine.

“Mr. Francis dealt large quantities of narcotics, while he was on parole for another drug-related crime,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack said. “The lengthy sentenced imposed today ensures the public will be protected from this repeat offender for more than 12 years.”

“Michael Francis is a repeat offender, committed to selling narcotics and making money with no regard for the harm he caused in his community,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Putting Mr. Francis out of business and behind bars for the next 12 years is a win for the people of New Hampshire. The FBI’s Major Offender Task Force and our partners will never cede our cities to drug pushers.”

On September 1, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a search of the defendant’s car after he parked at a TD Bank in Manchester. Law enforcement officers discovered a gift bag in the car containing a brick of more than one kilogram of cocaine, along with an empty gun holster and $10,000 in cash.  At the time of his arrest, the defendant was on parole for another drug-related crime and had roughly $4,000 in cash on him. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande, Charlie Rombeau, and Jarad Hodes prosecuted the case.

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CONCORD – A Nashua man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Shane Niven, age 33, pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of child pornography.  U.S. District Court Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2024.

Federal authorities found CSAM on electronic devices belonging to Niven at his home.  Niven is a registered sex offender with a prior conviction for possession of child sexual abuse material. Authorities identified Niven through tips made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which reflected that on at least two occasions, Niven’s residential IP address had been used to share hundreds of files of suspected CSAM with users of a particular online platform.  Several of the files identified in the tips to NCMEC were found on devices seized from Niven’s home.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation. The New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting the case.  

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

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CONCORD – A former New York man pleaded guilty today in federal court to escaping from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Michael Villanueva, 43, pleaded guilty to escaping from federal custody.  U.S. District Court Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2024.   

Villanueva was previously sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment by the District of Vermont for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely heroin and cocaine. In June 2023, he was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons from the federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania to the Hampshire House. At the Hampshire House, he was placed on house arrest and wore an electronic GPS monitoring ankle bracelet.

On January 10, 2024, Villanueva was told to report to the Hampshire House after authorities found inappropriate messages in his phone. That evening, at 6:41 pm, the Bureau of Prisons received an alert that Villanueva’s GPS monitoring ankle bracelet had been tampered with. Villanueva did not return to the Hampshire House. He was at large for three weeks before being apprehended in the Manchester area.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The U.S. Marshals Service led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.  

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CONCORD – A Keene couple has been indicted in connection with their production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Paul Baird, 43, of Keene and Krystal Baird, 38, of Keene were charged by complaint and arrested on March 20, 2024 for the production of child pornography. They were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 27, 2024.

According to the indictment, on or about January 29, 2024, Paul and Krystal Baird knowingly attempted to and knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor female under the age of 12 years, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, using materials that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce.

At the time of his arrest, Paul Baird was employed as a bus driver by the Student Transportation of America, which is a school transportation company that services the Contoocook Valley (ConVal) School District.

This investigation is ongoing. Members of the public who have information regarding this case should call the Homeland Security Investigations’ New England Field Division’s Manchester Office at 603-629-2716.

The Homeland Security Investigations is leading the investigation. The Keene Police Department is providing valuable assistance with this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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CONCORD – An Eliot, Maine, man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for cyberstalking an 8-year-old boy, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Michael Chick, age 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Landya McCafferty to 9 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On February 1, 2024, Chick pled guilty to one count of cyberstalking stemming from his course of conduct targeting an 8-year-old child who was a student on Chick’s school bus route.

 “Michael Chick’s crimes caused unimaginable pain and fear for the survivor and his family. It is only because of their bravery and diligence that the defendant’s crimes were uncovered,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “While Michael Chick’s incarceration will not erase the trauma he inflicted, it will hopefully provide some measure of justice for the survivor and his family.”

“Michael Chick used his access to children as a bus driver to manipulate a child, striking fear across multiple communities he worked. We cannot undo the pain Chick inflicted but we hope the end of this case marks a chance for a new beginning for those he harmed and a time to heal,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

Over the course of several months, Chick told the survivor elaborate lies about a secret organization that would harm the survivor and his family unless the survivor complied with certain demands.  Chick harassed and intimidated the survivor, telling him that he would be kidnapped and tortured and his family murdered if he did not do as “the organization” directed.  Chick gave the survivor several cell phones, directing the survivor to call Chick on the phones when he was alone.

Unbeknownst to the survivor and his family, Chick also followed and photographed them in public, placed GPS tracking devices on their vehicles, made surreptitious recordings of the survivor on the school bus, and went to the family’s home in the middle of the night, even taking photographs of the inside of their home through the windows.  Chick used the information he collected to further harass and intimidate the survivor, manipulating the survivor into believing that the organization was watching and following him. 

Homeland Security Investigations led the federal investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Greenland Police Department, the Eliot, Maine, Police Department, the Old Town, Maine, Police Department, New England State Police Information Network, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Massachusetts State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting the case.  

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CONCORD – A man and woman from Worcester, Massachusetts were convicted today by a federal petit jury in Concord for conspiracy to launder wire fraud proceeds after an eight-day trial, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Nafise Quaye, 47, and Sunna Sepetu, 37, both of Worcester, Massachusetts were convicted of one count of conspiracy to money launder. United States District Court Judge Samantha Elliot scheduled sentencing for both defendants on July 8, 2024.

“This verdict demonstrates the seriousness with which the United States Department of Justice takes frauds committed against vulnerable people through the internet,” said United States Attorney Jane E. Young. “The defendants knowingly accepted millions of dollars in wire fraud proceeds from a vulnerable victim in the United States and sent those proceeds overseas to the fraud perpetrator. Prosecuting people in the United States who facilitate the execution of international frauds committed on the internet is essential to frustrating the networks that pray on vulnerable members of our society.” 

Between 2013 and 2019, the defendants received approximately $3.2 million in proceeds from a fraud victim located in Texas. These proceeds were sent to bank accounts established by the defendants for various shell companies. The defendants then sent those fraud proceeds to the perpetrator of the fraud operating in Africa, while keeping a portion of the proceeds for themselves.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations within the United States Department of Homeland Security.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau is prosecuting the case.  

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CONCORD – A Keene man was indicted for possession and access with intent to view child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Connor Mueller, 29, was indicted on February 14, 2024, on one count of Possession and Access with Intent to View Child Pornography.  Mueller will appear in federal court today at 4:15p.m.

According to the charging documents on or about August 24, 2023, Mueller possessed material that contained one or more images of child sexual abuse, including images depicting minors who have not attained 12 years of age. These images were transported in and affecting interstate commerce by any means, including by computer.

The charge of Possession and Access with Intent to View Child Pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Keene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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CONCORD – A Keene couple has been charged in connection with their production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Paul Baird, 43, of Keene and Krystal Baird, 38, of Keene were charged by complaint for the production of child pornography.  Paul Baird and Krystal Baird appeared in federal court today.

According to the charging documents, as early as November 2023, Paul Baird was observed on a dark web chat site dedicated to CSAM of girls from four to fourteen years old. On March 7, 2024, Paul Baird posted links to three CSAM images to the website. A search of Paul Baird and his residence in Keene, New Hampshire earlier today led to the arrests of Paul and Krystal Baird for the production of child sexual abuse material.

At the time of his arrest, Paul Baird was employed as a bus driver by the Student Transportation of America, which is a school transportation company that services the Contoocook Valley (ConVal) School District.

This investigation is ongoing. Members of the public who have information regarding this case should call the Homeland Security Investigations’ New England Field Division’s Manchester Office at 603-629-2716.

The Homeland Security Investigations is leading the investigation. The Keene Police Department is providing valuable assistance with this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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CONCORD – A Newbury man pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with child exploitation offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Marc Jacques, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2024.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jacques uploaded 49 files of apparent CSAM to the social media platform Kik between November 24 and December 6, 2021.
Jacques’ IP address had been reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
(NCMEC) in connection with at least 40 CyberTips related to the online sexual exploitation of children between 2018 and 2022. In June 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant on Jacques’ and his residence. Forensic examination of Jacques’ electronic devices revealed the presence of over 200 files of apparent CSAM as well as chats between him and others related to the sexual exploitation of children and sharing of CSAM.

The charging statute provides a sentence of not less than 5 and not more than 20 years in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the Nashua Police
Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey
Weiland is prosecuting the case.

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

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CONCORD – Five men have been indicted in connection with a drug trafficking organization, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

The defendants were indicted for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely fentanyl and methamphetamine.  Three defendants were also charged with one count each of distribution of controlled substances. Over the past week, law enforcement arrested four of these defendants. One defendant remains a fugitive.

According to the charging documents and statements made in court, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances between October 13, 2023 and March 12, 2024.

The following defendants have been indicted in connection with these charges:

1. Jose Luis Guerrero Nunez, who is in federal custody.
2. Carlos Alejandro Chevalier Santos, who is in federal custody.
3. Eddy Mendez Carmona, who is in custody on unrelated charges.
4. Juan Carlos De Los Santos Romero, who remains a fugitive.
5. Luis Guerrero Cabral, who was released.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the federal investigation. The Hampton Police Department, Seabrook Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, and Methuen Massachusetts Police Department provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasey Weiland and Heather Cherniske are prosecuting the case.  

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

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CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for producing child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Chad Lawlor, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 25 years in prison and 30 years of supervised release. Lawlor pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor on November 13, 2023.

“The defendant is a recidivist sex offender that continued to prey upon and exploit children long after his previous conviction for hands-on sex offenses against a minor,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Today’s sentence ensures that the public will be safe from the defendant for more than two decades. We will never be able to undo the immeasurable harm Lawlor caused his survivors, but I hope today’s lengthy sentence provides the survivors some measure of comfort and justice that they deeply deserve.”

“Lawlor, already a convicted sex offender, manipulated young children into engaging in sexually explicit conduct in a private video chat which he recorded. He was the ringleader of an online group devoted to the sharing of images and videos that immortalized the abuse of innocent kids for the members’ own sick gratification. Today’s sentence takes him off the street,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “We stand with the families of those Lawlor preyed on and hope today’s sentence can bring some closure as they begin to move forward.”

"NH ICAC is honored and privileged to work with so many dedicated law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys,” said Lieutenant Eric Kinsman, Commander of the New Hampshire ICAC Task Force. “It's this type of professional and collaborative relationship that brings cases like this to a successful conclusion and helps the victims of these heinous crimes take one step closer to the peace and happiness they deserve."

“Anyone who chooses to engage in the sexual exploitation of children possess a significant threat to society,” said Chief Kevin Rourke of the Nashua Police Department. “The Nashua Police Department is committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”

Lawlor was identified during an online undercover investigation as being the administrator of an online chat group that was devoted to the exchange of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).  Lawlor used the chat group to both send and receive images of CSAM with other users.  Lawlor is a registered sex offender based on a 2005 Massachusetts conviction for indecent assault and battery on a person over 14.

Pursuant to a search warrant in April 2021, federal agents seized and examined two cell phones belonging to Lawlor, one of which contained numerous videos Lawlor created while engaged in online video chats with minors.  During the video chats, Lawlor directed the minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  Lawlor used the screen recording function of his cell phone to create videos of the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from the video chats.  Lawlor pled guilty to charges relating to four identified minors ranging in age from 8 to 13 years old.

Homeland Security Investigations led the federal investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland prosecuted the case.

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

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CONCORD – A convicted felon was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring with straw purchasers to buy him firearms, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Mario Marques, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Joseph Laplante to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On December 4, 2023, Marques pleaded guilty to conspiring to make false statements during the acquisition of firearms, and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“The defendant as a felon was prohibited from possessing guns. Yet, he was undeterred by the law in his criminal pursuit as he recruited others to purchase guns for him,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young.  “The firearms Marques illegally possessed and sold were recovered during investigations of drug trafficking and shooting crimes. His customers included juveniles, gang members, and criminals. As evident from today’s sentence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to target those that perpetuate violence in our communities.”

"Far too often, the firearms that law enforcement officers seize during the commission of violent crimes, originate from straw purchasers,” said James M. Ferguson Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Boston Field Division. “In order to combat gun violence, we need to attack it at its source, which is straw purchasing. Mr. Marques' sentence ensures our entire community that they are a bit safer knowing he will be serving time in prison for his crimes. This is a great outcome, thank you to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Between September 30 and November 20, 2021, Marques solicited straw purchasers to obtain firearms for him from multiple federally licensed firearms dealers in New Hampshire.  Marques is a convicted felon and is legally prohibited from purchasing firearms himself.  In obtaining the firearms, Marques selected the guns in advance for the straw purchasers to buy for him.  On several occasions, Marques accompanied a straw purchaser to a firearms dealership, where the straw purchaser lied on the forms required to purchase the guns by saying he was buying the guns for himself, when he was really buying them for Marques. 

Among other guns, Marques possessed a Springfield Armory Model XD .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol purchased in New Hampshire during the course of the conspiracy.  Law enforcement officers recovered the Springfield Armory pistol on June 3, 2022 during investigation of a separate crime in Brockton, Massachusetts.  Marques sold this firearm, as well as other firearms that straw purchasers bought for him, to other individuals, including gang members, who used the guns in connection with crimes. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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CONCORD – A Massachusetts man was indicted in connection with defrauding a nonprofit health care provider to obtain funds designated for reducing suicide rates among veterans, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

David Duren, a/k/a Dawud Hakiem Duren, 48, was indicted on wire fraud and federal program fraud charges.  Duren will appear in federal court in Concord today.

According to the charging documents, Duren was a program manager for a nonprofit health care provider in Nashua, New Hampshire.  He was in charge of overseeing a program funded by a $750,000 Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant.  The grant was awarded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment and services to veterans at risk of suicide.  At Duren’s recommendation, the health care provider hired a company called “E3 Foundation” to provide services funded by the Staff Sergeant Fox grant.  E3 Foundation was in turn purportedly led by a “Dr. Michael Rapp.”  However, unbeknownst to the health care provider, Duren controlled E3 Foundation and was pretending to be “Dr. Michael Rapp” on emails and calls.

Duren was able to fraudulently obtain almost $50,000 in Staff Sergeant Fox program funds and tried to obtain an additional $25,000 before being discovered.  He used a website called “Invoice Generator” to create fake invoices.  Duren and E3 Foundation also did not provide the services and products that he billed for.  Instead, Duren misused the Staff Sergeant Fox program funds on personal purchases, including landscaping, a Royal Caribbean cruise, and payments to models on OnlyFans.com.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.  The charge of federal program fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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

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CONCORD – A Derry woman pleaded guilty today in federal court for her role in attempting to fraudulently obtain $2.5 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Tammy Dodge, 43, pleaded guilty to bank fraud.  U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2024.  Dodge’s husband and co-conspirator, David Dodge, pled guilty on February 20, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2024.

The Dodges claimed to own or control multiple businesses in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including Teacher Tammy (a/k/a Teacher Tammy’s), Optimized Operations, and Business Done Right.  In reality, these companies had no operations and served no business purpose.

In total, Tammy Dodge and her husband submitted 30 fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from private lenders, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the Small Business Administration, and pandemic relief grants from the New Hampshire Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) and the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC). 

Tammy Dodge used fake supporting documents in the applications.  For example, on January 25, 2021, she applied for a $35,833 PPP loan for Teacher Tammy. She provided the lender a purported check and February 2020 bank statement for a TD Bank account in the name of Teacher Tammy.  However, the account was under the defendant’s own name and did not even exist until June 2020.  The defendant also provided fake tax documents. 

Overall, because lenders detected most of the fraudulent applications, the Dodges were able to obtain $219,323.34 out of the approximately $2.5 million they sought.  They misused some of the fraudulently obtained funds.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.  

During the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act included multiple relief provisions to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Private lenders could participate in the PPP.  The loans, which were supposed to be used for payroll, were fully guaranteed by the government.  If borrowers used the PPP loans for payroll and other approved expenses as intended, they could apply for loan forgiveness.  The CARES Act also opened up the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  As with PPP loans, EIDL loans were supposed to be used for payroll and other business expenses such as rent and mortgage.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

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

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CONCORD – A Nashua man was indicted in connection with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Robert Reidy, age 32, was indicted on one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person and one count of possession of unregistered firearms. Reidy is in state custody on related charges. Reidy will appear in federal court on March 6th, 2024 at 2:00p.m.

According to the charging documents, on December 5, 2023, Reidy possessed three pistols, a short-barreled rifle, and a silencer, as well as 160 rounds of ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Reidy is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.  The short-barreled rife and silencer were unregistered firearms.

The charge of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person provides for a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to a three-year term of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.  The charge of possession of unregistered firearms provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $10,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Nashua Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case.

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

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CONCORD – A Maine man was indicted in connection with tampering with consumer products, First Assistant United States Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Marc Flore, 43, was indicted on one count of tampering with consumer products. Flore will appear in federal court in Concord at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Flore laced a batch of coffee-Oreo flavored ice cream with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a schedule I controlled drug, and stored the THC-laced ice cream with other batches of ice cream in a freezer at the Roots Café in Newmarket, New Hampshire, where the ice cream was then sold to public consumers.

The charge of tampering with consumer products provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Newmarket Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case.

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

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CONCORD – Justin Gebo pleaded guilty today in connection with his possession of firearms as a prohibited person, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Justin Gebo, 29, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, including being in possession of a firearm while under indictment and being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2024.

According to the charging documents, on or about January 1, 2023, Gebo was in receipt of a Ceska Zrojovka (“CZ”) model Scorpion EVO 3, S2, 9x19mm short-barreled rifle, with an attached armbrace, while he was under felony indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.  That firearm was later recovered during a homicide investigation on June 3, 2023, in Franklin, New Hampshire.  In addition, on or about February 3, 2023, Gebo was in possession of a 17 Design and Manufacturing, model 17DM-15, multicaliber rifle, after he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

The charge of felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm wile under indictment provides for a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police and the Laconia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W.R. Ward is prosecuting the case.

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CONCORD – A former Grantham man and current resident of Holly Springs, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord to embezzling almost $240,000 from LISTEN Community Services (LISTEN), an Upper Valley charity that offers multiple services for vulnerable individuals, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Kyle Fisher, 43, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.  U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2024.  Fisher was charged on May 10, 2023.

Fisher was the Executive Director of LISTEN from approximately August 2016 through October 2022.  As Executive Director, Fisher had full access to LISTEN’s finances, including its PayPal account, which it used to collect donations, and its bank account.  The defendant made unauthorized transfers from LISTEN’s PayPal and bank accounts to accounts he controlled.  He also wrote eight unauthorized checks payable to himself.  Fisher then spent the stolen funds on personal expenses, primarily gambling at a casino in Massachusetts.

For example, on January 24, 2022, Fisher withdrew $4,787 from LISTEN’s PayPal account and transferred the funds to his personal bank account.  Later that same day, Fisher made multiple withdrawals from his bank account, including at ATMs at the casino.  He then deposited a substantial amount of cash into his personal casino account that day.  The casino records showed that Fisher continuously gambled on January 24, 2022 and January 25, 2022, and lost a net of $6,719 across those two days.

Fisher also took steps to conceal his embezzlement from LISTEN.  For example, he created a fake PayPal statement that showed over $94,000 in payments to Dell.  Fisher also provided fraudulent invoices to LISTEN.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lebanon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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CONCORD – A Rochester man pleaded guilty today in federal court to fraud and identity theft related to his fraudulent applications for CARES Act loans and to possession of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Heath Gauthier, 48, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, attempted wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2024. Gauthier was charged with wire fraud and identity theft on February 15, 2023, and was charged with possession of child pornography on August 2, 2023.

Between February 2020 and March 2021, Gauthier fraudulently applied for more than a dozen loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs. Gauthier applied for loans for non-existent companies and used the identities of more than ten deceased individuals in his applications, listing them in some applications as owners or employees of the fictitious companies.  He also submitted false documents, including fabricated tax documents and counterfeit driver’s licenses, in support of the applications.  In total the indictment alleges that Gauthier applied for more than $1 million in CARES Act loan funds.

Gauthier was arrested on February 16, 2023, and investigators executed a search warrant on his residence, where they seized and later searched Gauthier’s electronic devices.  During the search, investigators discovered more than 1,500 files that contained child sexual abuse material.

The charging statutes provide a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and no greater than 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography.  The identity theft charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years and, if a defendant has a qualifying prior office, the child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. Gauthier also faces at least 5 years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of at least $199,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The IRS Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Social Security Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. Hunter and Kasey Weiland are prosecuting the case.  

During the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act included multiple relief provisions to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Private lenders could participate in the PPP.  The loans, which were supposed to be used for payroll, were fully guaranteed by the government.  If borrowers used the PPP loans for payroll and other approved expenses as intended, they could apply for loan forgiveness.  The CARES Act also opened up the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  As with PPP loans, EIDL loans were supposed to be used for payroll and other business expenses such as rent and mortgage.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

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

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CONCORD – Thirteen defendants have been indicted in connection with drug trafficking organizations out of Manchester and Concord, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Over the past week and a half, law enforcement arrested nine of these defendants on conspiracies to distribute controlled substance charges, namely methamphetamine and fentanyl. 

The following defendants have been indicted in connection with these charges:

1. Rashidahmed Cantave, 42, of Boston, Massachusetts, who was released on federal pretrial supervision.
2. Matthew Schnell, 43, of Bellingham, Massachusetts, who is in federal custody.
3. Thomas Conway, 53, of Bedford, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody.
4. Michael Raiche, 47, of Manchester, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody.
5. Angel Demarco, 41, of Manchester, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody.
6. Anthony Conley, 47, of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody.
7. Dennis Drew, 50, of Northfield, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody.
8. Robby Lewis, 51, of Manchester, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody.
9. Maureen Corsetti, 34, of Manchester, New Hampshire, who was released on federal pretrial supervision.
10. Serene Hull, 38, of Concord, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody.
11. Zachary Albert, 42, of Concord, New Hampshire, who is in state custody.
12. Jeremy Trask, 35, of Milford, New Hampshire, who is in state custody.
13. Alton Ryan, 50, of Boscawen, New Hampshire, who is in state custody.

According to court documents and statements made in court, these drug trafficking rings have allegedly been supplying methamphetamine and fentanyl to customers since at least October 2022. 

The charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force and the New Hampshire State Police led the investigation.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department, the Concord Police Department, the Bow Police Department, and the Seabrook Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarad E. Hodes and Heather A. Cherniske are prosecuting the case.

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

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

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CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the drugs, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Jeffrey Hayes, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release.

“The devastation caused by fentanyl and methamphetamine touches every community in New Hampshire,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “Those who traffic these poisons like the defendant will be sentenced to prison for significant periods of time.”

"Our efforts to combat drug distribution are vital to safeguarding our community, and this outcome underscores the severity of such criminal activities and their detrimental impact on society,” said Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg.

In 2021, the Manchester Police Department investigated Hayes for drug distribution, and eventually searched his residence. During the search, they found distribution-level quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case.

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CONCORD – A Derry man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to attempting to fraudulently obtain $2.5 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

David Dodge, 41, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2024. Dodge’s wife and co-conspirator, Tammy Dodge, has a change of plea hearing scheduled for March 4, 2024.

Dodge claimed to own or control multiple businesses in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including Teacher Tammy (a/k/a Teacher Tammy’s), Optimized Operations, and Business Done Right.  In reality, these companies had no operations and served no business purpose. 

In total, Dodge submitted 30 fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from private lenders, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the Small Business Administration, and pandemic relief grants from the New Hampshire Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) and the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC).  To commit the fraud, David Dodge also used the Social Security Number of a minor child to apply for and obtain an Employer Identification Number from the IRS for a fictional company called Consulting Services. 

Dodge used fake supporting documents in the applications.  For example, on May 4, 2020, David Dodge applied for a $39,355 PPP loan for Optimized Operations.  He provided a “Payroll Report” purporting to show that Optimized Operations had monthly payroll of approximately $46,000 through December 2020, seven months into the future.  Other fake documents included a doctored Limited Liability Company certificate showing that Optimized Operations was incorporated in Massachusetts in June 2016, when it did not exist on paper until May 2020.  David Dodge also provided fraudulent tax documents showing that Optimized Operations had five employees paid $45,000 each quarter.

Overall, because lenders detected most of the fraudulent applications, Dodge was able to obtain $219,323.34 out of the approximately $2.5 million he sought.  He misused some of the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase jewelry.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.  

During the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act included multiple relief provisions to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Private lenders could participate in the PPP.  The loans, which were supposed to be used for payroll, were fully guaranteed by the government.  If borrowers used the PPP loans for payroll and other approved expenses as intended, they could apply for loan forgiveness.  The CARES Act also opened up the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  As with PPP loans, EIDL loans were supposed to be used for payroll and other business expenses such as rent and mortgage.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

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

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CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty today in federal court for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. 

John Barber, 32, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely methamphetamine and fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2024. The defendant was indicted on September 6, 2022, but pleaded guilty to a superseding information that included an additional drug charge.

On February 23, 2022, a New Hampshire State Trooper stopped a car in Concord on Interstate 93, in which the defendant was a passenger.  After the driver gave consent to search the car, law enforcement found numerous plastic baggies, a digital scale and a locked zipper pouch in the vicinity of the defendant.  The pouch was later searched pursuant to a warrant and contained roughly 45 grams of methamphetamine and 130 grams of fentanyl.  The defendant was carrying $3000 in cash, and he admitted that he intended to distribute the pouch of drugs to someone else.

Later, on August 23, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of the defendant’s camper in Manchester and found approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine in a plastic bag containing other smaller baggies.  The defendant admitted the methamphetamine was his.  The method of packaging and quantity of methamphetamine is indicative of distribution. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Matthew Hunter are prosecuting the case.  

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CONCORD – A Hudson man pleaded guilty today in federal court to fraudulently submitting four loan applications to obtain CARES Act funds, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Matthew Dispensa, 57, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud and one count of attempted wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2024.  Dispensa was charged on April 26, 2023.

Dispensa fraudulently applied for multiple loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs. For example, on May 5, 2020, the defendant applied for a $90,400 PPP loan from Primary Bank for an entity called Gateway Hills LLC.  In connection with the application, the defendant provided the bank multiple false supporting documents, such as fake annual and quarterly tax documents and a “Management Report” for the period ending December 31, 2020, seven months into the future.  The defendant also provided a “Payroll Summary” showing that he was paid $8,700 per month through Gateway Hills LLC.  The defendant’s tax returns actually showed no income from that entity.

Similarly, on December 29, 2020, the defendant applied for a $150,000 EIDL from the Small Business Administration.  In that application, the defendant falsely claimed that the Gateway Hills LLC entity had gross revenues of $485,000 in the 12 months preceding January 31, 2020.  However, the bank records showed no actual regular business activity for Gateway Hills LLC.

Overall, the defendant fraudulently obtained $342,650 and attempted to fraudulently obtain $492,650.

The charge of bank fraud provides a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million.  The charge of attempted wire fraud provides a sentence of no more than 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hudson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

During the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act included multiple relief provisions to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Private lenders could participate in the PPP.  The loans, which were supposed to be used for payroll, were fully guaranteed by the government.  If borrowers used the PPP loans for payroll and other approved expenses as intended, they could apply for loan forgiveness.  The CARES Act also opened up the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  As with PPP loans, EIDL loans were supposed to be used for payroll and other business expenses such as rent and mortgage.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

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

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CONCORD – A Hampton man pleaded guilty today in federal court to four separate fraud schemes involving a total intended loss of approximately $2.1 million, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.   

Anthony Silva, 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. As part of the plea agreement, Silva will forfeit assets totaling over $825,000 to the United States government. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott scheduled sentencing for May 2, 2024.  The grand jury returned an initial indictment against the defendant on March 21, 2022, and a superseding indictment on December 20, 2023. 

Silva orchestrated four separate fraud schemes using stolen identities.  Specifically, Silva used stolen names, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers, and other identifiers to fraudulently obtain (1) unemployment insurance benefits from Vermont, (2) unemployment insurance benefits from Massachusetts, (3) American Express credit cards, and (4) CARES Act funds.  The fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits and CARES Act funds were deposited either by check or direct deposit into dozens of accounts Silva controlled at multiple banks.  Many of these accounts were in the names of individual victims or fictional organizations, with Silva listed as the trustee.  Silva obtained more than $400,000 from Vermont, over $150,000 from Massachusetts, and $600,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration.  The fraudulently-obtained credit cards were used to make over $50,000 in purchases from retailers such as Victoria’s Secret and Walmart.  Silva also tried unsuccessfully to obtain $1.35 million in CARES Act funding. The total intended loss was approximately $2.1 million.

The charge of wire fraud and mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of either $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is higher.  The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of 2 years to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and John J. Kennedy are prosecuting the case.

During the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act included multiple relief provisions to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Private lenders could participate in the PPP.  The loans, which were supposed to be used for payroll, were fully guaranteed by the government.  If borrowers used the PPP loans for payroll and other approved expenses as intended, they could apply for loan forgiveness.  The CARES Act also opened up the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  As with PPP loans, EIDL loans were supposed to be used for payroll and other business expenses such as rent and mortgage.

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

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CONCORD – United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces the appointments of Assistant United State Attorney Jennifer C. Davis to serve as the Criminal Division Chief and Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. McDonald to serve as the Deputy Criminal Division Chief.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Davis has 30 years of experience serving in the District of New Hampshire, most recently as the Deputy Criminal Division Chief. Prior to her roles in leadership, she conducted complex long-term narcotics investigations as the District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator and National Opioid Coordinator. She has also served as a mentor for her colleagues as the District’s Senior Litigation Counsel.

AUSA Davis has prosecuted a vast array of crimes including health care and security fraud, illegal firearm and narcotic possession, immigration, and white-collar theft. Earlier in her career, AUSA Davis received a detail appointment as the Assistant Director for Criminal Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Education, where she oversaw the implementation of trainings for the country’s federal prosecutors. She is a graduate of Marquette University Law School.

“This Office is fortunate to have Jen’s dedication, experience, dependability, and leadership,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “For many years, Jen has served as a mentor to federal prosecutors, both in New Hampshire and nationally, and a dependable ally to our law enforcement partners. These characteristics, coupled with her strong legal and analytical skills, make her exceptionally equipped to lead the Criminal Division.”

AUSA MacDonald has served in the District of New Hampshire’s criminal division since 2015. While AUSA MacDonald has prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases throughout her career, she specializes in computer crime, most notably matters involving cryptocurrency.

AUSA MacDonald received a detail appointment in 2022 as a founding member of the United States Department of Justice’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, which is tasked with investigating and prosecuting the criminal misuse of digital assets. Prior to this specialized assignment, AUSA MacDonald worked on a myriad of criminal cases, including white collar theft, computer hacking, child exploitation, human rights violations, drug trafficking, and human trafficking cases. She also served as the Project Safe Childhood and Human Trafficking Coordinator for the District of New Hampshire. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.

“Georgie is a welcomed addition to the leadership team in the District of New Hampshire,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “She is a skilled attorney with impeccable trial and advocacy skills, who also commands the respect of her colleagues throughout the country and in this Office. She will undoubtedly be a beacon for the criminal attorneys given her legal acumen and boundless enthusiasm.” 

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CONCORD – U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces the appointment of Matthew Vicinanzo as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA). AUSA Vicinanzo will handle civil and criminal Civil Rights matters in the District of New Hampshire.

“Assistant U.S. Attorney Vicinanzo comes to the U.S. Attorney’s Office with a breadth of experience from private practice,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “Matt is a New Hampshire native who cares deeply about our communities. He is eager to expand the Civil Rights practice in this Office, and further support the civil and constitutional rights of Granite Staters.”

Most recently, AUSA Vicinanzo represented clients in civil and criminal matters as Counsel at Crowell & Moring LLP, where he handled investigations and litigation related to the federal False Claims Act, anti-fraud statutes, and complex commercial disputes. AUSA Vicinanzo clerked for United States Chief Judge Jeffrey R. Howard, and he attended Georgetown University Law Center.

AUSA Vicinanzo is expected to investigate and prosecute civil and criminal Civil Rights matters. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was allocated two new attorney positions to address civil rights, and domestic terrorism/violent crime in New Hampshire. An AUSA focused on domestic terrorism and violent crime was appointed in October 2023.  

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CONCORD – Ian Freeman was ordered to pay restitution totaling more than $3.5 million to 29 victims and forfeit various other assets that were seized during the investigation, U.S Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Ian Freeman, 43, of Keene, was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to pay restitution totaling $3,502,708.69 to 29 victims of his offense. The Court also issued a preliminary order of forfeiture of various other assets that were seized during the investigation. On October 2, 2023, Ian Freeman was sentenced to 96 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and a fine of $40,000. Freeman was convicted by a federal jury on December 22, 2022, following a ten-day trial.

“Ian Freeman’s money laundering business caused many vulnerable people unnecessary anguish. Nothing will ever take away the pain he caused these victims, but I am grateful that the dedicated prosecution team on this case was able to make many of them financially whole,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “It is rare for victims of romance scams and other international fraud schemes to have their money returned to them because of the anonymity that businesses like Ian Freeman’s offer fraudsters. I urge everyone to protect themselves and their older loved ones by learning the indicators of these types of scams, so that you are better prepared to prevent being victimized.”

"This court order forcing Ian Freeman to pay millions of dollars in restitution to dozens of elderly victims across the country who suffered agonizing losses is a significant step toward justice,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “While no amount of money can make up for the emotional toll Mr. Freeman’s actions have inflicted, it does ensure that he has been held both criminally and financially responsible for what he did. The FBI will never stop working to shut down fraud schemes like this one to protect older folks and help them hang on to their hard-earned money. If you’re being victimized, or know of someone who is, please reach out to the FBI – anonymously, if you like.”

Freeman laundered over ten million dollars in proceeds of romance scams and other internet frauds by exchanging U.S. dollars for bitcoin. By failing to register his business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network as required by law, disabling “know your customer” features on his bitcoin kiosks, and ensuring that bitcoin customers did not tell him what they did with their bitcoin, among other things, Freeman created a business that catered to fraudsters. By charging exorbitant fees, Freeman made more than a million dollars.

Records and exhibits in the 10-day trial proved that as part of the conspiracy, Freeman and his co-conspirators opened and operated accounts at financial institutions in the names of various churches including the Shire Free Church, the Church of the Invisible Hand, the Crypto Church of New Hampshire, and the NH Peace Church. Freeman instructed bitcoin customers, who were often victims of scams, to lie to the financial institutions and describe their deposits as church donations. From 2016 to 2019, he paid no taxes, and concealed his income from the Internal Revenue Service.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. The national Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team and the Department of Justice, Tax Division, provided valuable assistance in the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald, John Kennedy, and Seth R. Aframe.

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CONCORD – A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to stealing approximately $10 million from a New Hampshire-based investment company, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Roberto Montano, a/k/a Jorge Roberto Montano Midence, a/k/a Roberto Pellegrini, a/k/a Alberto Yardi, 58, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.  Chief U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2024.  Montano was charged by complaint in 2015 and was indicted in 2021.

Montano is a Guatemalan citizen who managed two forestry projects in Guatemala for a New Hampshire-based investment adviser between 2007 and 2014.  Beginning in approximately late 2009, Montano embezzled the projects' funds by (1) diverting cash and concealing the diversions using altered bank and financial statements; (2) mortgaging the projects’ properties without authorization and investing the proceeds in failed business ventures; and (3) stealing teak forestry subsidies paid by the Guatemalan government.  To conceal his embezzlement, Montano altered or deleted entries in financial statements and moved funds back-and-forth between accounts during audits.  For example, the defendant provided the victim a false bank statement reporting that one of the bank accounts had a cash balance of approximately $1,147,604 when it actually had a zero balance.

After Montano was alerted to an investigation into the fraud in 2014, he participated in a Skype call with the victim in which he admitted to embezzling funds “many years ago.”  He admitted he “cooked the books” and “illegally” mortgaged properties.  Montano was in Miami at the time and promised that he would travel to New England.  He also said he would not flee and added, “If I have to go to prison, I’ll go to prison.”

The defendant instead fled the United States for Guatemala.  While in Guatemala, the defendant participated in another call with the victim where he again admitted to embezzlement and fraud totaling approximately $10 million.  However, the defendant was also wanted by Guatemalan authorities, and he moved to Nicaragua, where he has been living for several years under an alias.  Most recently, Montano was known as “Alberto Yardi,” a purported life coach and yoga instructor. 

Since 2014, the FBI was actively engaged in efforts to locate and arrest Montano.  Montano was ultimately arrested on November 1, 2023, at Miami International Airport.  Once he was taken into custody, Montano provided law enforcement a five-page document admitting his guilt.  The first two sentences read, “I am guilty.  I abused the trust [the victim] placed in me.”

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount stolen, whichever is greater.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

FBI is leading the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Republic of Guatemala, the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Panama City, Panama, the FBI Miami Field Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. State Department, specifically the U.S. Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua, and the Embassy of Italy in Managua, Nicaragua. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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CONCORD – A Georgia man was sentencing today in federal court in Concord for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Lester Aceituno, 40, was sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 30 months in prison.  The defendant was convicted by a federal jury on November 3, 2023, after a five-day trial. Aceituno and his two co-defendants, Kizito Chukwujekwu and Chinedu Ihejiere, were indicted on August 24, 2020. Kizito Chukwujekwu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced on November 23, 2021. Co-defendant Kizito Chukwujekwu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced on November 23, 2021.

“The defendant and his co-conspirators brazenly stole and used other identities to achieve their scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to fraudsters like the defendant that such activity will not be tolerated, and this Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who victimize members of the public.”

“Lester Aceituno saw it as easy money,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “He stole the identities of unsuspecting victims and amassed tens of thousands of dollars. What he didn’t account for was the FBI and our partners catching him. Anyone who engages in this sort of criminal behavior should know the FBI is hard at work rooting out financial fraudsters like him and bringing them to justice like we did in this case.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will aggressively investigate and seek prosecution of individuals like Lester Aceituno, who along with his co-conspirators, stole identities and cashed out on the scheme,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.  “The burden of identity theft for victims is financially devastating and creates significant inconveniences.  We will continue to support and collaborate with our federal law enforcement partners to stop those who are engaged in these types of schemes.”

Between June of 2016 and October of 2017, Aceituno and others used stolen identities to open accounts at banks in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Georgia.  Aceituno opened or accessed post office boxes in Massachusetts and Georgia to receive debit cards and pin numbers to access these accounts. Aceituno’s co-conspirators then deposited fraudulent checks totaling more than $119,000.  After the money was credited to the accounts, but before the bank determined the checks were false, one of Aceituno’s co-conspirators withdrew the money and gave it to another co-conspirator, the leader of the scheme.

The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brockton, Massachusetts Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. Hunter and Geoffrey W.R. Ward are prosecuting the case.  

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CONCORD – A former Dover man pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Christopher T. Brown, 38, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sentencing was scheduled for May 14, 2024, with U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe. Brown was first charged on April 26, 2023.

On January 9, 2023, the defendant’s spouse called emergency services and reported that she and the defendant had an argument, and that the defendant had a gun to his head. Dover police officers responded to the emergency call at the defendant’s home.  The defendant’s spouse consented to a search of the house, and officers found four firearms.  Those guns included two pistols, a .40 caliber rifle, and a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun.  Officers also recovered ammunition. 

The defendant later admitted to owning the firearms and knowing that he could not lawfully possess them as a felon.  The defendant also admitted that he used a straw purchaser to purchase three of the firearms and asked that straw purchaser to file a false police report that the firearms she bought were stolen. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Dover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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CONCORD – A Nashua man pleaded guilty today in federal court to firearms-related charges, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Joshua Smith, 39, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2024.  Smith was indicted on May 31, 2022.

On March 8, 2022, Nashua Police detectives were executing an outstanding warrant for the defendant’s arrest. Detectives apprehended and arrested the defendant as he was leaving the building to get into a taxi.  The defendant was carrying a duffle bag that contained a 40 mm caliber riot gun. Intelligence revealed that the riot gun was the property of the Manchester Police Department. The defendant had been convicted of several felonies, including a robbery in 2013, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The charges provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes, which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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CONCORD – An Arizona company and CEO were sentenced today in federal court in Concord for distributing drugs into interstate commerce, including tianeptine[1], that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Centera Bioscience, d/b/a Nootropics Depot, was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Talesha Saint-Marc to three years of probation.  The company’s CEO, Paul Eftang, 38, was sentenced to one year of probation.  The defendants have also paid a $2.4 million forfeiture and surrendered all drugs seized by the FDA and Customs and Border Protection. On October 30, 2023, Centera and Eftang pleaded guilty to the introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

“The defendants sold Tianeptine and other drugs that were not approved by the FDA,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “The FDA has a strict drug approval process to protect consumers from products that are unsafe or ineffective. Eftang and Centera Bioscience made substantial effort to sell misbranded drugs, which has consequences under federal law. This Office will continue to prosecute those who risk consumer’s health and safety.”

“Unapproved drugs present a serious health risk to those who buy and use them. The drugs can contain unknown ingredients and are manufactured under unknown conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillian, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ New York Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to traffic in dangerous and unapproved drugs including tianeptine and other chemicals trafficked by this organization.” 

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to keeping the U.S. Mail, its employees, and customers safe.  When the U.S. Mail is used to transport unapproved drugs such as Tianeptine, it is taken very seriously,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.  “We will continue to conduct investigations, alongside our law enforcement partners, that seek prosecution of those who compromise the safety of the American public.”

Tianeptine, adrafinil, phenibut, and racetams are pharmaceutical drugs not approved for use in the United States.  Racetams include piracetam, aniracetam, coluracetam, and phenylpiracetam.  The defendants imported approximately $7.4 million worth of raw material for these drugs from China between April 2017 and September 2021.  The defendants earned approximately $35 million from selling these drugs during that same time period.  The defendants sold the drugs across the United States, and at one point used Mexican intermediaries to ship the products. 

During this investigation, Customs detained several shipments of adrafinil and racetams addressed to Centera Bioscience or one of its subsidiaries.  These shipments included 20 barrels of phenibut hydrochloride from Shanghai Norky Pharmaceutical, 40 barrels of piracetam from Shanghai Soyoung Biotechnology, and 20 barrels of phenibut hydrochloride from Qingdao Sincess.  The company’s Strategic Director, Paul Sheard, represented to Customs that the shipments were supposed to be used for laboratory analysis and research only, and were not intended for human consumption.  The customs paperwork also incorrectly labeled the imports.

The defendants also maintained an active online presence to advertise tianeptine, phenibut, and racetams, including a sub-forum on the website Reddit.  Eftang himself posted regularly on Reddit under the username “MisterYouAreSoDumb.” 

The Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Geoffrey W.R. Ward, and FDA Special Counsel Sarah Hawkins prosecuted the case. 

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[1]Tianeptine is an unapproved drug in the United States. Although other countries have approved tianeptine to treat depression and anxiety, some have restricted how tianeptine is prescribed or dispensed, or revised the drug label to warn of possible addiction. Some people have turned to tianeptine as an opioid alternative, or to self-treat anxiety or depression.

CONCORD – A former New York man has been arrested and charged after escaping from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Michael Villanueva, 43, was charged with escaping from federal custody.  Villanueva was arrested yesterday in the Manchester area and will make an initial appearance in federal court today at 11:30 a.m.

According to the charging documents, Villanueva was previously sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely heroin and cocaine base.  In June 2023, he was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons from the federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania to Hampshire House.  At Hampshire House, he was allowed house arrest and wore an electronic GPS monitoring ankle bracelet.

On January 10, 2024, Villanueva was told to report to Hampshire House after authorities found inappropriate messages in his phone.  That evening, at 6:41 pm, the Bureau of Prisons received an alert that Villanueva’s GPS monitoring ankle bracelet had been tampered with.  Villanueva did not return to Hampshire House. He was at large for three weeks before being captured.

The charge of escape provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Marshals Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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

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CONCORD – A Maine man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord in connection to trafficking approximately14 kilograms (30 pounds) of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Brian Strout, 46, of Turner, Maine, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely methamphetamine. Chief Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2024. The defendant and his co-defendant spouse, Tara Christian, were charged by indictment on August 1, 2022. Christian pleaded guilty to similar charges on December 7, 2023.

On July 7, 2022, investigators received information that Strout and Christian were obtaining a supply of methamphetamine while at a casino in Everett, Massachusetts. Investigators conducted surveillance at the casino and located Strout and Christian loading bags into their vehicle and driving north toward New Hampshire on Interstate 93. When investigators stopped the vehicle, the defendants were found with 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that a FedEx package containing even more methamphetamine was enroute to the defendants in Maine. Agents located and searched the package and seized an additional 11.2 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.

The charging statute provides for a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, New Hampshire State Police, Maine State Police, and Everett (Massachusetts) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes is prosecuting the case.

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

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CONCORD – A California man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for wire fraud charges, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Jesse Hernandez, a/k/a Kevin Zarbalas, 61, previously of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced by senior U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro to 30 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Hernandez was also ordered to pay restitution to three separate victims in the amount of $88,815.29.

 “Not only did Hernandez victimize three companies in three states, but he continued this financial scheme while he was facing charges here in New Hampshire,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said.  “The sentence imposed today ensures that he will be prevented from harming business owners during his incarceration. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims, which is always a priority of this office.”

“Jesse Hernandez’s clients thought he was a man of his word. Little did they know he would take full advantage of that trust, using tens of thousands of dollars of their money as his own,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is fighting every day to shut down financial fraudsters like this, find justice for their victims, and protect the public. With today’s sentence, Mr. Hernandez has finally been held accountable.”

In May of 2019, Hernandez executed a scheme to illegally obtain funds from a New Hampshire business (TH) in connection with a customized ice cream truck for an experimental marketing event in California. TH sought a specialty-branded truck that was wrapped in the product’s marketing art and contained multiple specifications. TH found the defendant’s company, Mobie Experiential Trucks (Mobie), to be knowledgeable about the experiential vehicle industry and that his pricing was competitive. Hernandez provided a 22-slide presentation to TH personnel and discussed the presentation over the phone. The images in the presentation were later determined to display products done by other companies and pictures taken from the internet by Hernandez to misrepresent his experience and work. Ultimately, the ice cream truck was never delivered, and the defendant used the funds from TH for other purposes.

On December 1, 2021, Hernandez pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud in connection with the above.  After noticing a press release announcing the guilty plea, a Minnesota based company (AA) contacted authorities to report that it too had recently been defrauded by Hernandez under similar circumstances.  Later, in 2022, Hernandez attempted to defraud a New York based company in connection with another marketing truck, this time utilizing an alias of “Kevin Zarbalas.”  Hernandez’s bail was subsequently revoked, and he has been in custody since his arrest in California in March 2023.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau prosecuted the case.

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CONCORD – A Manchester woman pleaded guilty today in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in New Hampshire.  She is the third of the 22 defendants in the conspiracy to plead guilty, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Alesha Neault, age 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely, fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for May 3, 2024. The defendant was indicted on April 26, 2023.

On September 13, 2022, the defendant sold approximately 10 grams of fentanyl, and another 10 grams of fentanyl on October 6, 2022.  Customers called a phone number for a “dispatch” line used to purchase narcotics and would speak to a dispatcher who would put the defendant in touch with the customer to complete the drug sale.  The defendant or her associate would then arrange a meeting place for the drug transaction.  On both occasions, the defendant met the customer at an agreed-upon location in Manchester, picked the customer up in a car in which she was a passenger, and provided the customer with fentanyl in exchange for money inside of the car. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Jarad Hodes are prosecuting the case.  

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

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CONCORD – A Concord man was sentenced today in federal court for sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Scott Wilkinson, age 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 240 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.  Wilkinson was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution.

“The pain and trauma that Wilkinson caused the survivor and the survivor’s family is inconceivable,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “Not only did Wilkinson sexually exploit a child, but he produced child sexual abuse material from his crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize cases that involve harming children, and we will work tirelessly to obtain justice for survivors of heinous crimes like those committed by the defendant.”

“Scott Wilkinson admitted to unimaginably abhorrent behavior. He sought out sex with a child and perpetuated that trauma by recording and reliving it. The harm he has done is vast, and today’s sentence is richly deserved,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Locking up predators like Wilkinson is one of the most important actions that the FBI and our partners can take to help protect kids, the most vulnerable members of our community.”

In April 2022, Wilkinson traveled from New Hampshire to New Jersey, where he engaged in sexual acts with a 12-year-old child.  Wilkinson had been corresponding with the child online for approximately one year prior to traveling to New Jersey to meet the child.  A video that Wilkinson created of himself engaged in sexual acts with the child was found on his cell phone, as were other images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

The Egg Harbor Township Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland from the District of New Hampshire and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Harteis from the District of New Jersey prosecuted the case.  

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

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CONCORD – An Antrim man pleaded guilty today in federal court to faking a disability to get $662,871.77 in veteran’s benefits of which he was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Christopher Stultz, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2024. Stultz was charged on September 13, 2023.

Beginning in January 2003, Stultz falsely represented to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that he was no longer able to use his feet.  This caused the VA to rate him as 100% disabled, increasing his monthly VA benefits.  In addition, because the VA believed Stultz was unable to use his feet, he was also awarded funding through the VA’s Automobile Adaptive Equipment program to purchase special cars and vehicle adaptations designed to help mobility-impaired veterans.

However, Stultz did not need a wheelchair or other ambulatory device to move around.  He was surveilled on multiple occasions and recorded walking normally.  For example, on October 28, 2021, Stultz went to the VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plain in Boston.  He used a wheelchair while inside the VA facility.  After leaving the VA, he stood up, lifted the wheelchair into his car, and drove off to a shopping mall.  There, Stultz walked normally through multiple stores.  Similarly, on October 3, 2022, Stultz went to the VA Medical Center in Manchester.  Again, he used a wheelchair while inside the VA facility.  After leaving the VA facility, Stultz drove to the Mall of New Hampshire and was recorded walking normally through multiple stores.  In addition, multiple witnesses reported that they had never known Stultz to use a wheelchair or other ambulatory devices as far back as the early 2000s.

In total, from January 2003 through December 2022, Stultz received $662,871.77 in VA benefits he was not entitled to.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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CONCORD – An Alexandria man was sentenced in federal court in Concord for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Rex Jason Sumner, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 12 months and 1 day in prison and 5 years of supervised release.

“Prosecuting violations of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is critical in our effort to keep the most vulnerable members of our community safe,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said.  “Today’s sentence reinforces this Office’s dedication to protecting the public and ensuring accountability for those who attempt to circumvent their registration requirements.”

“If not for the valuable assistance and resources dedicated to overseeing the deceptive movements of registered sex offenders throughout the country and abroad, offenders such as Mr. Sumner would unknowingly lay dormant in our communities,” proclaimed Deputy U.S. Marshal Andrew Grillo. “This case highlights the efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement networks efficiently coming together to resolve an important matter central to public safety.”   

“The Alexandria Police Department was glad to be part of this investigation. Sumner is a potentially dangerous individual who thought that he could come and hide in a small town in New Hampshire,” said Chief David Suckling of the Alexandria Police Department. “This was a great collaboration between many agencies, and we were proud to do our share.”

According to Court documents and statements made in Court, Sumner is a Tier III sex offender with a duty to register for life.  Sumner was released from prison in Oklahoma in 2018 and had been registering with Oklahoma authorities at an address in Oklahoma despite residing in New Hampshire since early 2023.  Sumner would return to Oklahoma periodically to update his registration and continued to represent to authorities that he still resided in Oklahoma.

The United States Marshals Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Alexandria (NH) Police Department, the Plymouth (NH) Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Garvin County (OK) Sherriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting the case.  

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

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CONCORD – A Manchester woman pleaded guilty today in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Katie Girgus, age 30, is the second of the 22 defendants in this conspiracy to plead guilty, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2024. The defendant was indicted on April 26, 2023.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant sold a total of approximately 50 grams of fentanyl and 3.5 grams of crack cocaine between June and November of 2022.  Customers would call a phone number for a “dispatch” line used to purchase narcotics and would speak to a dispatcher who would put the defendant in touch with the customer to complete the drug sale.  The defendant would then arrange to meet with the customer, primarily in Manchester, to sell them drugs.  She would often meet the customer at an agreed-upon address, pick the customer up in her car, and complete the drug transaction inside the car. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Jarad Hodes are prosecuting the case.  

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

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CONCORD – Six defendants were arrested on January 17, 2024, in connection with a conspiracy to distribute cocaine sent through the U.S. Postal Service to New Hampshire.  The defendants were indicted on December 20, 2023, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Three defendants appeared in federal court in Concord for an initial appearance on January 17, 2024. The remaining defendants will appear in federal court for initial appearances on a later date.

The following defendants were indicted in connection with these charges:

1. Lewistone Baez Miranda, 48, of Manchester, NH. Baez Miranda is in custody.
2. Joshua Baez Core, 25, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Baez Core is in custody.
3. Euris Rosario Rodriguez, 38, of Manchester, NH. Rosario Rodriguez is in custody.
4. Siul Mary Rosa Cruz, 28, of Manchester, NH. Rosa Cruz is in custody.
5. David Orme, 51, of Manchester, NH. Orme is in custody.
6. Sasha Ramirez Muniz, 42, of Manchester, NH. Ramirez Muniz is in custody.

According to the charging document and statements made in court, each of the defendants was involved in a drug trafficking organization that shipped large amounts of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Manchester, New Hampshire, using the United States Postal Service.  Members of the organization would pick up the packages of cocaine in Manchester and provide them to Lewistone Baez Miranda and others for distribution.  The largest mail parcel shipped by the drug trafficking organization recovered by the United States Postal Inspection Service contained 4 kilograms of cocaine.

The charging statute for the drug offense provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.  

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

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CONCORD – A Brooklyn, New York man pleaded guilty on January 17, 2024 in federal court in connection with smuggling unauthorized immigrants, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Abraham Hernandez, 27, pleaded guilty to three counts of bringing in and harboring certain aliens. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for April 19, 2024. Hernandez was indicted on July 5, 2023.

According to the charging documents, on or about June 13, 2023, Abraham was stopped in Pittsburg, New Hampshire while transporting in a Honda SUV nine unauthorized immigrants who were in the United States in violation of law.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Border Patrol led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case.

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CONCORD – A former Belmont man was sentenced today in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

David Sweeney, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 160 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release. On July 5, 2022, Sweeney pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office working in conjunction with our federal and state law enforcement partners is committed to investigating and prosecuting recidivist drug traffickers, like the defendant, who pose an ongoing danger to our state by flooding our communities with thousands of doses of methamphetamine,” United States Attorney Jane E. Young said. “The significant sentence imposed today will protect our citizens from Sweeney’s unabated drug trafficking.”

“DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Sweeney accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in America.  This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

“David Sweeney pushed massive amounts of methamphetamine onto New Hampshire’s streets, and today’s lengthy prison sentence officially puts him out of business,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners are committed to taking down and locking up prolific drug traffickers like Sweeney – people with no regard for the incredible damage they inflict on so many lives and communities.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2016, United States District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty sentenced Sweeney to 54 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute heroin.  Sweeney was released from federal custody in January 2018, and placed on three years of federal supervision in New Hampshire. On December 13, 2019, while under the term of his supervised release, Sweeney sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confidential informant. As the investigation continued, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FBI determined that Sweeney conspired with other individuals located in New Hampshire, the Caribbean and Mexico to import multiple kilograms of methamphetamine into New Hampshire for distribution.

This matter was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis.

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

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CONCORD – A Colombian national was sentenced on January 9, 2024 in federal court in Concord for his illegal reentry into the United States after previously being deported, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Jheisson Rizo Suarez, 39, was sentencing by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 24 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Rizo Suarez pleaded guilty to one count of reentry after deportation.  On September 18, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty to the illegal reentry charge.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those, like the defendant, who commit violent crimes while in the United States illegally,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said.

On July 9, 2021, the defendant was arrested by the Dover Police Department in connection with a residential burglary in progress.  The subsequent investigation revealed that the defendant was illegally in the United States, after having been previously deported on or about January 28, 2013.

The Dover Police Department and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward.

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CONCORD – A Concord man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Ethan Lea, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On April 14, 2022, Lea pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

“Law enforcement will hold those that poison our communities with dangerous narcotics accountable,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce the supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine in New Hampshire by incarcerating prolific drug dealers.”

“Today’s sentence is a win for the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the people of New Hampshire as we work together to remove dangerous drugs and criminals off the street,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

After a motor vehicle stop on June 13, 2021, law enforcement seized approximately 245 grams of methamphetamine and 71 grams of fentanyl from Lea’s car.  On July 30, 2021, Lea was caught again with large quantities of drugs and evidence of drug dealing in his car, including 448 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, and over $2,000 in cash. He later admitted to law enforcement that the drugs recovered from the car stops belonged to him, and that he intended to distribute them.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande prosecuted the case.

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CONCORD – A North Carolina woman was indicted in connection with charges arising out of her embezzlement of funds from her previous employer, Farwell Funeral Service in Nashua, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

LaSaundra Simmons, 51, previously of Nashua, was indicted on 10 counts of wire fraud on December 6, 2023.  Simmons was arrested in North Carolina on December 11, 2023, and was ordered released on conditions on January 3, 2023.

According to the charging documents, Simmons worked as the bookkeeper for Farwell Funeral Service, Inc. for several years.  Starting in 2015, and continuing until it was discovered in January 2023, Simmons employed a scheme to embezzle funds from the company.  On more than 100 occasions, she either made unauthorized wire transfers of funds from the funeral home’s bank account to her own account, or drafted unauthorized checks which she deposited by electronic wire transfer into her own account.  She would often describe these checks as “commissions” or “consulting fees.”  She embezzled more than $500,000 over the course of the scheme.

Each charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, and up to 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.

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

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CONCORD – A Rhode Island woman was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for her role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Maylerin Urena, a/k/a/ Janet, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 27 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release.  On May 10, 2023, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

“The distribution of large quantities of drugs from northern Massachusetts into New Hampshire is a persistent problem,” said United States Attorney Jane Young.  The “Ronnie and Janet” drug organization had been a substantial contributor to this problem for some time, distributing many kilograms of fentanyl and crack into our state.  Today’s sentence shows that the people who operate these organizations will receive substantial punishment for their criminal conduct.”

“Illegal drug distribution ravages the foundations of our families and communities here in New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “Let this sentencing serve as an example to those who distribute poisons like fentanyl and crack cocaine, that DEA will aggressively pursue and hold you accountable.  This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners here in New Hampshire and our solid relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Urena’s husband, Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez, a/k/a “Ronnie” was the leader of the drug organization. Urena’s primary role was to operate the telephones maintained by the organization as a dispatcher to coordinate the meetings between drug customers and drug runners. The defendant also trained other people to work for the organization as dispatchers.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Department of Homeland Security led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshal Service; the Nashua Police Department; the Manchester Police Department; the New Hampshire State Police; the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office; the Hudson Police Department; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the Bedford Police Department; the Merrimack Police Department; the Keene Police Department; the Goffstown Police Department; the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force; the Massachusetts State Police; the Essex County Sheriff’s Department (Massachusetts); the Methuen Police Department (Massachusetts); the Haverhill Police Department (Massachusetts); the North Andover Police Department (Massachusetts); the Springfield Police Department (Vermont); the Maine State Police; the New Jersey State Police; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office (New Jersey); the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey); the Edison Police Department (New Jersey); the North Bergen Police Department (New Jersey); the Newark Police Department (New Jersey); the Bloomfield Police Department (New Jersey); the Edgewater Police Department (New Jersey); the Ridgefield Park Police Department (New Jersey); the Teaneck Police Department (New Jersey). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Aframe and Jarad Hodes prosecuted the case.

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CONCORD – A New York man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for transporting stolen goods from Home Depot and Lowe’s across state lines, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Deshun Jackson, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 13 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Jackson was also ordered to pay $204,969.02 in restitution, of which $179,606.25 is payable to Lowe’s and $25,362.77 is payable to Home Depot.  On September 15, 2023, Jackson pleaded guilty to Transportation of Stolen Goods.  Jackson’s co-defendant, Jalil McIntyre, pled guilty on July 31, 2023, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison on November 6, 2023. 

“Organized retail thefts have a significant impact on consumers by causing both financial loss and safety risks,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young.  “Today’s sentence demonstrates that federal law enforcement will continue to protect retail industry and consumers from this increasingly widespread problem by investigating, prosecuting and incarcerating offenders like the defendants.”

“What DeShun Jackson did –in stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in high-end merchandise from home improvement retailers all over New England - drives up costs for consumers and businesses everywhere,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s sentence should be a warning to others that if you engage in organized retail theft and transport stolen goods across state lines like Mr. Jackson did, you too will face serious consequences for your criminal conduct.”

Jackson and McIntyre traveled to Lowe’s and Home Depots across the northeastern United States, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. They stole high-value commercial items, such as circuit breakers. They were seen on surveillance footage grabbing products off shelves, placing them into large plastic bags, and walking out of the stores.  In total, they stole $204,969.02 worth of products across 24 separate thefts.  They also attempted to steal another $46,619.07 worth of products during 11 additional unsuccessful thefts.  The stolen products were brought back to New York, where both defendants lived.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office, the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in New York, the Seabrook Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the Windham Police Department, and the Derry Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.

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