Northern District of New York

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tyshawn Warren, age 35, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to serve 126 months in federal prison for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 6-year term of supervised release, to begin once Warren is released from prison.

On July 18, 2019, following a traffic stop in Potsdam, New York, Warren was found in possession of more than 37 grams of cocaine powder. At the time of his arrest, Warren had previously been convicted of two (2) felony controlled substance offenses.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, and the Village of Potsdam Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shira C. Hoffman.

 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Robert Payne, age 39, of Ithaca, New York, was sentenced today to serve five years (60 months) in prison for his conviction for participating in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett, Sheriff Eugene Conway, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and William J. Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County District Attorney.  The defendant was also ordered to serve a period of four years supervised release following his term of incarceration, and to forfeit to the government $112,500 in proceeds from his drug trafficking activity. 

Pursuant to his plea agreement in this case, Payne admitted that during the summer of 2018, he distributed roughly 2.5 kilograms of cocaine to his co-defendant Daitwaun Fair.  This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Phoenix Phan, age 61, of Syracuse, made her initial appearance and was arraigned today in Federal Court in Syracuse, New York on charges that she filed false federal income tax returns for herself, and aided and assisted in the filing of false federal income tax returns for others as part of her tax preparation business.  Following today’s court appearance, Phan was released pending trial. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”). 

As alleged in the indictment, Phan failed to report gross receipts on her personal income tax returns for tax years 2013-2017.  The indictment also alleges that Phan aided and assisted others in filing false federal income tax returns, including by falsely reporting: (1) business income that the taxpayer did not earn (to increase a tax credit); (2) rental losses; and/or (3) that the taxpayer had a filing status (e.g., head of household) that the taxpayer did not actually have. 

The charges against Phan carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison per count, a fine of up to $100,000 per count, and a term of supervised release of up to one year.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas Kopach, age 33, of Gansevoort, New York, was arrested yesterday on a charge of transporting child pornography. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 

A criminal complaint alleges that in February 2020, Kopach knowingly emailed a video depicting the sexual abuse of a minor.  The charges in the complaint are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charge set forth in the complaint, Kopach faces at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of $250,000.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statue the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. 

Following several initial hearings before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, Kopach remains detained pending a detention hearing on July 28. 

Anyone with information relevant to this investigation may call HSI’s Albany office at (518) 220-2129. 

This case is being investigated by HSI, with assistance from the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Williams. 

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood.  Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Gonzalez-Reyes, age 53, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Gonzalez-Reyes admitted as part of his guilty plea that he is a citizen of the Dominican Republic, and that he was removed from the United States to the Dominican Republic on June 5, 2002 and again on July 27, 2011. 

On March 21, 2018, he was found by an ICE Officer in the Albany County Jail.  A check of fingerprint records resulted in the discovery of the prior removals.  Gonzalez-Reyes was an inmate at the Albany County Jail after his arrest for selling controlled substances in the city of Albany during the summer of 2017.  Gonzalez-Reyes was convicted in Albany County Court of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, Third Degree, and sentenced on November 2, 2018 to 30 months in state prison . 

This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.

 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Hassan Raheem, age 43, of Uniondale, New York, was sentenced today to 106 months in prison for possessing and intending to distribute crack cocaine, and possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and John B. Devito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States Senior District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also ordered that Raheem serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.

As part of his December 3, 2019 guilty plea, Raheem, who has 6 prior felony convictions, admitted that on July 26, 2016, he possessed a loaded .22 caliber semiautomatic pistol and 17 grams of crack cocaine packaged for distribution at a motel in Colonie, New York.  He further admitted that he intended to sell the crack cocaine, and that he possessed the pistol in order to guard against the potential theft of his drugs and drug proceeds. 

This case was investigated by ATF and the Colonie Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Edwin Rodriguez, a/k/a “Chaka,” age 31, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for possessing and intending to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and City of Amsterdam Police Chief John “JJ” Thomas.

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 4-year term of supervised release, to begin once Rodriguez is released from prison.

On May 15, 2019, Rodriguez was the subject of a traffic stop in Amsterdam.  In pleading guilty, he admitted that he was stopped while driving to meet a drug customer to whom he planned to sell 100 grams of heroin. As Amsterdam Police Officers were arresting Rodriguez for driving with a suspended license, a vacuum-sealed bag of powder fell out of his pant leg.  The bag contained 100.3 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl.

Also on May 15, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Rodriguez’s Amsterdam residence.  In the apartment’s kitchen, they found an empty bleach bottle, with a hidden compartment containing 1.78 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, which Rodriguez intended to sell.

This case was investigated by the DEA and the Amsterdam Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Michael Starkey, age 29, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 61 months in prison for his convictions on multiple charges relating to his participation in cocaine and crack cocaine distribution conspiracies, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett, Sheriff Eugene Conway, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and William J. Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County District Attorney.  The defendant was also ordered to serve a period of four years supervised release following his term of incarceration, and to forfeit to the government $10,000 in proceeds from his drug trafficking activity. 

Pursuant to his plea agreement in this case, Starkey admitted that during the summer of 2018, he repeatedly acquired multiple ounces of cocaine from one of his co-conspirators, which Starkey then redistributed to others in the form of cocaine and crack cocaine.  This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Daniel J. Trammell, age 58, of Syracuse, was named as a defendant in a federal indictment charging him with assaulting a United States Postal Service employee, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Joseph Cronin, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Trammell was ordered detained following his arrest on April 22, 2020. According to the indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, on April 21, 2020, Trammell is alleged to have entered the Franklin Square Station Post Office in Syracuse, shouted at Postal Service employees, and threatened to shoot a letter carrier who was previously assigned to deliver mail to Trammell’s residence. A short time later, Trammell allegedly assaulted the letter carrier during his delivery of mail, causing a cut to the victim’s neck.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charges set forth in the indictment, Trammell faces up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Syracuse Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Anthony Lopes, age 29, of Syracuse, was named as a defendant yesterday in a federal indictment charging him with possessing unregistered silencers, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Chief Kenton Buckner, City of Syracuse Police Department.

Lopes was previously ordered detained following his arrest on April 12, 2020, in connection with a criminal complaint. According to the indictment and the previously filed criminal complaint, Lopes is alleged to have possessed and sold a total of 3 silencers on February 10, 2020, and February 13, 2020. The indictment further alleges that none of the silencers bears a serial number, and none are registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted, Lopes faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Syracuse Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary L. Duchesne, age 25, of Stillwater, New York, appeared in court today on a charge of possessing child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

A criminal complaint alleges that in June 2019, Duchesne maintained a Dropbox account that he used to possess images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charge set forth in the complaint, Duchesne faces up to 20 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of $250,000.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Duchesne appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered detained.

Anyone with information relevant to this investigation may call HSI’s Albany office at (518) 220-2129.

This case is being investigated by HSI, with assistance from the Stillwater Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood.  Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Benjamin Jakes-Johnson, age 40, of New York City and Syracuse, New York, was sentenced today to serve 212 months in prison for distributing, attempting to receive, and possessing child pornography while on supervised release for an earlier conviction for possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Thomas Relford Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.

In today’s sentencing Jakes-Johnson was ordered to serve 200 months for his convictions at trial, and a consecutive 12 months for violating his supervised release by, among other things, committing the new crimes. Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a lifetime term of supervised release, to begin after Jakes-Johnson is released from prison, and a total of $5,300 in special assessments. Jakes-Johnson also will continue to be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 

During a 5-day jury trial in March 2020, the evidence established that Jakes-Johnson used an online peer-to-peer file-sharing program to distribute and attempt to receive child pornography in December 2016, and that he possessed child pornography in 2017. The trial evidence showed that Jakes-Johnson, who was on federal supervised release for a 2008 child pornography conviction, used a closed on-line platform from Syracuse area hotels in an effort to conceal his identity and escape detection by law enforcement. During the execution of a search warrant in 2017, law enforcement also found that Jakes-Johnson possessed child exploitation material on a laptop computer and thumb drive in a Syracuse apartment he kept secret from his Probation Officer, also in order to avoid detection of his unlawful activities.

During trial, Jakes-Johnson claimed that, although he was mentally competent at the time he first possessed child pornography in 2008, he was legally insane at the time he committed the offenses in 2016 and 2017 due to post-traumatic stress disorder from prior abuse. The jury rejected his insanity defense after hearing all of the evidence, including testimony from both defense and government expert witnesses about the defendant’s mental state. The trial evidence also included a recorded interview between Jakes-Johnson and law enforcement officers during which he admitted the offense conduct, and displayed a thoroughgoing understanding of the potential penalties he could face as a repeat offender.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New York State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey J.L. Brown and Michael D. Gadarian.

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

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Robert Bresee, age 57, of Norwich, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months (15 years) in prison for transporting and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Bresee, who was previously convicted in Chenango County Court of Rape in the First Degree, and sentenced to 15 years’ in prison, admitted that while on post-release supervision from that offense he uploaded 70 images of child pornography to a Google account, and possessed an additional 21 images on his cellular telephone.

Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Bresee is released from prison, and ordered a $200 special assessment. Bresee, who is currently designated a Risk Level 3 Sexually Violent Offender, will be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

Bresee’s case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Norwich Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Three members of the United States Air Force Air National Guard have been sentenced for smuggling firearms parts and accessories into the United States.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent Robert Shearer, Air Force Office of Special Investigations; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 

Kevin D. Ronca, age 41, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced on October 31, 219 to 3 years of probation, to include 3 months of home detention, and a $5,000 fine.  Ronca was a Master Sergeant in the Air National Guard, assigned to the 109th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, New York.  As part of his plea to conspiracy to import firearms, Ronca admitted that he conspired with another Air National Guard Member, Joseph R. Paludi, to smuggle two firearm silencers Ronca had purchased abroad back to Stratton Air Base aboard a military aircraft.  The silencers were discovered upon arrival in Scotia.

Paludi, age 34, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced on November 7, 2019 to 2 years of probation and a $4,000 fine for his role in the conspiracy to import firearms.  Paludi was a Technical Sergeant in the Air National Guard, assigned to the 109th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Stratton Air Base.

As part of the ensuing investigation, agents discovered that another member of the squadron, Timothy R. Schmitt, age 28, of Galway, New York, also smuggled a silencer and a threaded blackout barrel into the United States aboard a military aircraft.  Schmitt, also a Technical Sergeant, pled guilty on October 3, 2019 to possession of an unregistered firearm.  He was sentenced today to 2 years of probation and a $5,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, ATF and HSI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jervonne Harris, age 41, of Hampton, Virginia, was sentenced today to serve 35 months in prison for conspiring to distribute marijuana and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

As part of his previous guilty plea, Harris admitted that between May 2017 and August 2017 he received bulk quantities of marijuana from a source of supply on the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation in New York State. Harris sold the marijuana he received to customers in Virginia, and sent the proceeds from those sales back to his source of supply by courier and wire transfer. As part of his guilty plea, Harris admitted to distributing about 57 kilograms of marijuana.

In addition to his term of imprisonment, the court also sentenced Harris to six years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a money judgment in the amount of $250,800.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Oswego County Drug Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of HSI, members of the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators from the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, the SUNY Oswego Police Department and Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Saul McDuffie, age 33, of Albany, pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Eric Hawkins of the Albany Police Department. 

In pleading guilty, McDuffie admitted to possessing a loaded Taurus handgun, which he placed on the tire of a car parked on North Swan Street in Albany, on October 28, 2019.  McDuffie has multiple prior felony convictions, including two convictions for drug offenses, for which he was sentenced to a total of over six years in prison, and a burglary conviction, for which he was sentenced to two to six years in prison. 

At sentencing, McDuffie faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.   A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the Albany Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Rachel L. Williams. 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nestor Cordero-Hernandez, age 43, of Fort Ann, New York, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.

Cordero-Hernandez was also ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison, and to forfeit $42,450 in proceeds from his drug trafficking activity.

In imposing sentence, the Court found that between September 2018 and November 2019, Cordero-Hernandez agreed with others to participate in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed over 600 grams of methamphetamine and 450 grams of cocaine in Fort Ann, and elsewhere, for profit.  He faces deportation to Mexico following the completion of his sentence.

This case was investigated by the DEA, and the Warren and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Eric Soto, age 38, of Queens County, New York, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute over 800 grams of heroin, and oxycodone pills, in June 2018 in various locations in Albany County.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division. 

Soto was also ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release following his release from prison, and to forfeit $19,960 in proceeds from his drug trafficking activity.

In imposing sentence, the Court found that in June 2018, Soto travelled from New York City to the Capital Region on three occasions for the purpose of distributing both heroin and oxycodone at various locations in Albany County, including in Colonie, Guilderland and Watervliet.  On June 22, 2018, he was arrested in a mall parking lot in possession of 583 grams of heroin and 99 oxycodone pills, which he intended to sell.  He has remained in custody since his arrest.

This case was investigated by the DEA, with assistance from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Police Departments of Colonie, Guilderland and Watervliet.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jazmin Gonzalez, age 49, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced to serve 46 months in federal prison following her guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and distributing cocaine and heroin, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

As part of her guilty plea in December 2019, Jazmin Gonzalez admitted that she possessed a .380 mm caliber semiautomatic pistol and 68 rounds of ammunition as a convicted felon during an ATF undercover operation in Amsterdam, New York, on December 4, 2018. During this transaction, she also distributed 50 small glassine bags each containing heroin, as well as a quantity of cocaine. Jazmin Gonzalez was previously convicted in March 2011 in Montgomery County (New York) Court of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a prior felony drug offense.

Jazmin Gonzalez was also sentenced to a three-year term of supervised release to be served following her completion of her prison sentence.

This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Amsterdam Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.

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

 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Timothy W. Bentley, age 47, of Saint Albans, Vermont, pled guilty today to being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.

As part of his plea, Bentley admitted that on May 9, 2019, he entered a hardware store in Chazy, New York, took a Mossberg 590 Shockwave firearm from the wall display behind a counter, secreted that firearm in his pants, and walked around the store with a distinctive limp (because the firearm was in his pants).  He then left in a car.  Bentley has been in custody since his arrest on May 17, 2019.  Agents recovered the stolen firearm.

Bentley is prohibited from possessing the firearm as a result of a 2011 conviction in the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, for aiding and abetting a bank robbery

As a result of this conviction, Bentley faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. on December 8, 2020.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case was investigated by the ATF and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – William Hines, age 42, formerly of Hoosick Falls, New York, appeared in court today on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

A criminal complaint alleges that in January 2017, in Rensselaer County, Hines downloaded child pornography from a foreign website and possessed numerous images of child pornography on his cell phone and a computer. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty

Hines was arrested on April 20, 2020 in Hudson, Florida, and then transported to the Northern District of New York.  Today, Hines was ordered detained pending further proceedings.

If convicted of all charges in the complaint, Hines faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least 5 years and up to lifetime post-imprisonment supervised release, and mandatory registration as a sex offender.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. 

This case is being investigated by HSI with the assistance of the Hoosick Falls Police Department and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia G. Suarez. 

This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. 

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

UTICA, NEW YORK – Oscar Manuel Grego Costa, age 46, a Portuguese citizen living in Newark, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release, for bringing an illegal alien into the United States from Canada and attempting to bring the alien to Newark.  Maria Jose Carvalho, age 47, of Newark, was sentenced today to time served (4 days in jail), followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiring to transport an illegal alien within the United States. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Steven Bronson, Area Port Director, United States Custom and Border Protection (CBP); and Robert N. Garcia, Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.

On November 17, 2018, Carvalho drove from Newark to Canada, where she met with and picked up Fabio De Soussa Barbosa.  Barbosa was a citizen of Portugal, who had been a long-time resident of New Jersey.  Barbosa was not authorized to enter the United States.  After meeting Barbosa in Canada, Carvalho drove to a remote location on the Canadian side of the border during the early morning of November 18, 2018, and dropped off Barbosa, who then walked across the border into the United States.  Barbosa entered the United States undetected and Carvalho then drove to the Champlain Port of Entry and attempted to return to the United States.  Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers had observed Carvalho drop off someone near the border and RCMP, in turn, contacted Border Patrol.  

Border Patrol responded and encountered a Chevrolet Tahoe, with a New Jersey license plate, registered to Maria Carvalho.  The vehicle, which was near Mooers, New York, had four men inside.  The driver was Christopher Boals and the three passengers were Daniel Costa, Antonio Nieves, and Fabio De Sousa Barbosa.  Christopher Boals, Daniel Costa and Antonio Nieves had been hired by Oscar Manuel Grego Costa to meet with and pick up Barbosa on the United States side of the border, and then drive him away from the border so that Barbosa could be transported to Newark. 

Oscar Manuel Grego Costa was found by Border Patrol at the Rouses Point train station later that morning and arrested.  Immigration inspection of Oscar Manuel Grego Costa, including a check of his fingerprints, revealed that he had been removed from the United States to Portugal in 1994 and that he had not secured permission to return to the United States following the removal. Costa was also sentenced today to 12 months in prison for the offense of re-entry into the United States of a previously removed alien.  The court directed that the 12-month sentence run concurrent to Costa’s 36-month sentence for alien smuggling. 

Christopher Boals, age 41, of Newark, was sentenced on December 11, 2019 to 15 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release, for bringing an illegal alien into the United States from Canada and attempting to bring the alien to Newark.

Antonio Nieves, age 46, of Newark, was sentenced on December 11, 2019 to 15 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release, for bringing an illegal alien into the United States from Canada and attempting to bring the alien to Newark.

Daniel Costa, age 24, a citizen of Portugal residing in Newark, was sentenced on January 8, 2020 to time served (13 months in prison), for bringing an illegal alien into the United States from Canada and attempting to bring the alien to Newark. 

Fabio De Soussa Barbosa, age 24, a citizen of Portugal residing in Newark, was convicted of the misdemeanor offense of entry without inspection by an alien, on December 18, 2018 and sentenced to time served (30 days in jail), and to pay a $5,000 fine.    

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward P. Grogan and Ashlyn Miranda.

 

BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Justin Hobbie, age 42, of Springfield Center, New York, was sentenced today to 200 months in prison for persuading three girls between the ages of 14 and 17 to engage in sexual activity and transmit live depictions of that activity to him.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Hobbie was a gym and health teacher in Cooperstown, New York.  In pleading guilty, he admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he persuaded three girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct and live-stream that conduct to him over the internet.  These sexually explicit acts and images were recorded by Hobbie so that he could look at them again. 

“While working as a teacher, Justin Hobbie preyed on teenage girls he met online by pretending to be a teenage boy and pressuring victims to make and send him sexually explicit video,” said United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.  “Hobbie has now been held accountable for egregiously exploiting those children over a three year period.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly stated: “Child exploitation is an egregious crime especially when children are victimized by a teacher, or anyone in a position of trust.  Today's sentencing hopefully begins the healing process and marks a final chapter in a painful period for those affected.”

Hobbie also admitted to amassing a large collection of child pornography using peer-to-peer file sharing software.  The collection included videos depicting the rape of toddlers.

Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, to begin after Hobbie is released from prison, and restitution in the amount of $9,999.99.   Hobbie will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by HSI Albany with assistance from the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood.  Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

There are numerous Internet-based tools that assist parents and guardians in protecting children from online predators.  More information is available at the iGuardians web site, operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians), and the NetSmartzKids web site, operated by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (https://www.netsmartzkids.org/). 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Austin Pratt, age 23, of Syracuse, was arraigned today on an indictment filed by a federal grand jury charging him with Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Distribution of Child Pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.

The indictment charges that sometime between February and April 2018, Pratt engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a 10-year-old child for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the conduct, and that he then distributed the child pornography over the Internet.  An earlier criminal complaint filed in the case details some of the images and a video Pratt is accused of producing.  It also details some of the messages Pratt sent at the time he distributed the images and video to an Instagram user who has since been identified by the FBI, including an admission that the child depicted in the images and video is the 10-year-old.

If convicted, Pratt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and a maximum sentence of 30 years for sexually exploiting the 10-year-old, and a minimum of 5 and maximum of 20 years for distributing the images he produced.  He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and will have to register as a sex offender.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Pratt is detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter on Thursday, July 2, 2020.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Syracuse Resident Agency and the New York State Police as a part of the Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, in cooperation with the Syracuse Police Department and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York. 

Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Martin Nicholson, age 32, of Geddes, New York, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Hon. Thomas J. McAvoy to serve 15 years in federal prison for willfully causing the Sexual Exploitation of a Child, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.

Nicholson, a former local track coach, pled guilty to the offense in October 2019, admitting that sometime between 2012 and 2015 he threatened to cut off a relationship he was having with a minor, unless that minor produced and sent him sexually explicit images of another child, who was under the age of 14.  Nicholson admitted that he received the requested images, and sent them to other users over the Internet.  The images produced at Nicholson’s direction were recovered from his residence following a search warrant conducted there in 2018 after Nicholson was discovered trading child pornography over Twitter.  

After serving his 15-year sentence, Nicholson will be required to serve 15 years on supervised release, and will be required to register as a sex offender.  He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and has agreed to pay restitution to his victims.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-Syracuse Resident Agency, and the New York State Police as a part of the Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, assisted by the Wallie Howard Jr. Center for Forensic Sciences, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York. 

Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Luis Rivera, age 34, of Albany, pled guilty last week to unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The guilty plea took place on June 25.  Rivera, who has three prior felony convictions, admitted that on January 31, 2019, he possessed a Taurus PT 738 .380 caliber pistol.  

Rivera faces up to 10 years in prison and a post-imprisonment supervised release term of up to 3 years, when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on October 26, 2020. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case was investigated by the ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.  

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Daitwaun Fair, age 33, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 102 months (eight and one-half years) in prison in connection with his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (“crack cocaine”), possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and maintaining a drug involved premises, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division; Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett; Sheriff Eugene Conway, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office; and William J. Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County District Attorney.

The defendant was also ordered to serve a four-year term of supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to forfeit $112,500.00 in proceeds from his drug trafficking activity.

In imposing sentence, the Court found that Fair and his coconspirators were responsible for distributing between 3.5 and 5 kilograms of cocaine in the Syracuse area from July to September 2018. The Court also found that Fair was the organizer of the drug trafficking operation, which included 12 other coconspirators, all of whom have previously pled guilty.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur.

 

 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jamal Hassan, age 42, of Liverpool, New York, and Saddam Hassan, age 39, of East Syracuse, New York, pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.  Jamal Hassan also pled guilty to one count of a money laundering conspiracy. 

“Contraband cigarette dealers cheat state and local governments of tax revenue, and that lost revenue undercuts vital government programs,” said U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.  “These illegal sales also put honest businesses at a disadvantage.  Jamal and Saddam Hassan will now be held accountable for their efforts to line their pockets with unpaid taxes including forfeiture of $400,000.”

“Illicit cigarette smuggling is a highly profitable crime that steals from the taxpayer and funds other criminal activity," said Kevin Kelly, HSI Buffalo special agent in charge. “HSI, with our law enforcement partners, is committed to dismantling these criminal organizations that exploit our borders for profit.” 

New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Michael Schmidt said, “When individuals knowingly sidestep their tax obligation everyone suffers. These blatant acts rob the local community of funding for valuable public programs and services in addition to placing honest business owners at a massive disadvantage. We’ll continue to work with law enforcement, from the federal level on down to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

As part of their guilty pleas, the Hassan brothers admitted that they conspired to possess, sell, distribute, and purchase contraband cigarettes.  During searches at their residence and at a storage facility rented by Jamal Hassan and used by Saddam Hassan, law enforcement officers seized over 250,000 contraband cigarettes and over 760 counterfeit New York State tax stamps.  The Hassan brothers admitted that they sold the contraband cigarettes to markets and delis in the Syracuse area.  Jamal Hassan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and a term of 3 years of supervised release for his plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Jamal Hassan and Saddam Hassan face a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release for their plea to conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigation Buffalo Field Office; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; New York Police Department Intelligence Bureau-Strategic Intelligence Unit; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance; Oswego County Drug Task Force; and the Syracuse Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara B. Thomson. 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard Alvarado, age 26, of Oswego, New York, appeared yesterday in federal court on charges that he distributed and possessed child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to a criminal complaint, on February 29, 2020, Alvarado distributed videos of child pornography through a group messaging application on his cellular phone, including video files depicting sexual conduct with children between 5 and 9 years old. An examination of his cellular telephone revealed that it contained numerous image and video files depicting child pornography. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted, Alvarado faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Alvarado appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter, and was detained pending further proceedings.

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – William Y. Asiedu, age 27, of Albany, pled guilty today to wire fraud conspiracy, arising from his receipt of nearly $450,000 from the victims of romance scams.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In pleading guilty, Asiedu admitted that he agreed to receive the proceeds of a fraudulent scheme, and to distribute the proceeds to his co-conspirators in Ghana, in exchange for a 5 to 10 percent share for himself. 

Between October 2018 and May 2019, two victims, one from Arizona and the other from Switzerland, sent a total of $445,333 to bank accounts standing in the name of Community Youth Development Council Incorporated, an entity that Asiedu incorporated in New York.  Asiedu’s co-conspirators falsely led each victim to believe that she was sending the money for the benefit of a man she met through an online dating web site.  In fact, Asiedu’s co-conspirators posed as these fake lovers, and fraudulently induced the victims to send money to Asiedu. 

Asiedu faces up to 20 years in prison, and up to 3 years of supervised release, when Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy sentences him on October 15, 2020.  Additionally, Asiedu has agreed to pay $445,333 in restitution, and to forfeit currency worth more than $10,000.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Isidro De Los Santos, age 33, of Syracuse pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of  heroin, fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, and cocaine, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, and Chief Kenton Buckner, City of Syracuse Police Department

As part of his guilty plea, De Los Santos admitted that he conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute heroin, fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, and cocaine from a location on Syracuse’s west side. In pleading guilty, De Los Santos admitted that on six (6) occasions between December 2018 and January 2019, he and co-conspirator Anthony Moreno sold drugs during an undercover operation conducted by ATF, DEA, and the Syracuse Police Department. On January 31, 2019, ATF Agents assisted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Syracuse Police Department Special Investigations Division, executed a federal search warrant at Isidro De Los Santos’s residence and recovered over a pound (743 grams) of heroin mixed with fentanyl in two packages. A federal search warrant executed at the residence of Anthony Moreno on the same day resulted in the seizure of approximately 13 ounces of cocaine. A sentencing date will be set in the future. Anthony Moreno also pled guilty previously and is awaiting sentencing.

At sentencing De Los Santos faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a minimum of ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $10 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Syracuse Police Department Special Investigations Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert McAdam, age 47, of Rutland, Vermont, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The criminal complaint alleges that, between February 7, 2019 and June 16, 2020, McAdam exchanged text messages with an undercover investigator who was posing as the adult father of a 15-year-old girl.  In these exchanges, McAdam discussed his interest in having sex with the girl.  In furtherance of this interest, McAdam traveled to New York earlier this month to meet with the undercover officer in person.  After this meeting, McAdam arranged to have sex with the minor in a hotel room in Queensbury, New York, to take place on June 16, 2020.    On this date, McAdam traveled from Vermont to a predetermined hotel room in Queensbury.  Upon arrival to the hotel, McAdam was encountered by law enforcement and arrested. 

McAdam initially appeared in court on Monday before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel.  Following a second hearing held today, Judge Hummel ordered McAdam detained.

The charge filed against McAdam carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. 

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, including investigators with the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Williams. 

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/.

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Tyler C. King, age 31, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty today to obstruction of justice for a scheme to falsify evidence during his federal criminal trial.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As part of his guilty plea today, King admitted to obstructing justice by falsifying evidence for use in his November 2019 trial in Albany.  The 5-day trial ended on November 8 with King being convicted of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with his hacking of a New York-based technology company.  In court today, King admitted that he provided doctored evidence to his attorney that was then used during the trial, in an attempt to influence the trial’s outcome in his favor.

King faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby on October 6, 2020.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

King will be sentenced on August 11, 2020 in connection with his trial convictions.  He faces at least 2 years in prison for those convictions. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne A. Myers and Joshua R. Rosenthal.

 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Northup, age 29, of Hudson, New York, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for repeatedly accessing a child pornography web site available only through an anonymous Internet network.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered that Northup serve 10 years of post-release supervision, which will start after Northup is released from prison.  As a result of his conviction, Northup will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

As part of his guilty plea on December 11, 2019, Northup admitted that in 2015, he accessed “Playpen,” an online forum through which registered users advertised, viewed, and distributed child pornography.  Images and videos shared through the site were highly categorized according to victim age and gender, and type of sexual activity depicted. 

Before the FBI seized the Playpen web site and shut it down, it was available only through an anonymous Internet network, which allowed users to access websites including Playpen without revealing their actual internet protocol address, geographic location, or other identifying information.  Northup admitted that he logged into Playpen in order to download child pornography content.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Chad Swartwood, age 41, of Castle Creek, New York, was sentenced today to serve 180 months’ imprisonment for receiving and attempting to receive child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

As part of his previous guilty plea, Swartwood admitted that from approximately December 2017 through December 2018, he operated several social media accounts on different platforms where he presented himself as a teenage female interested in online, sexual interactions with minor boys.  While impersonating a teenage female, Swartwood engaged people he believed to be minor boys in sexually explicit text conversations, sent sexually explicit images that he claimed to be of himself as a teenage female, and solicited sexually explicit images from minor boys.

Swartwood was previously convicted of the New York State felony of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, an offense that involved a child less than 10 years of age.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which will start after Swartwood is released from prison.  Swartwood also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Broome County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood.  Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and is designed to marshal federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

 

 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jean Carlos Rivera-Perez, aka “Tego,” age 38, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin to a Schenectady-based drug trafficking organization.  The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett. 

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Rivera-Perez to forfeit $89,017 in heroin proceeds and to serve 5 years of post-release supervision.

In pleading guilty, Rivera-Perez admitted to being a member of a drug trafficking organization that distributed a kilogram or more of heroin in Schenectady between 2017 and December 20, 2018.  Rivera-Perez was the organization’s supplier and, through a courier, regularly delivered hundreds of grams of heroin from the Bronx to Schenectady, and received thousands of dollars in return.  The heroin was then sold in personal-use amounts in and around Schenectady by other members of the organization. 

In sentencing Rivera Perez, who has “King of Dope” tattooed across his abdomen, Judge D’Agostino found that he obtained $89,017 in heroin proceeds by suppling the organization in Schenectady.

Rivera-Perez was charged with eight other defendants, all of whom have pled guilty, and are from the Bronx, Schenectady, and Amsterdam, New York. 

The following defendants have pled guilty and face the following sentences of imprisonment:

Name

Age

Minimum

Maximum

Esteban Ressy, aka “The Boss”

44

15 years

Life

Daniel Garcia, aka “Danny”

35

10 years

Life

Linette Marie Soto

26

10 years

Life

The following defendants were sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:

Name

Age

Sentence

Gregory Insogna

46

5 years

Leamzy Soto Calderon, aka “Lee,” aka “Gordo”

29

57 months

Kirsten Jansen

28

18 months

Jose Cortes-Cruz, aka “Bimbo”

29

1 year and 1 day

Patrick McNamara

49

Time served

This case was investigated by HSI, the New York State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Amsterdam Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck. 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Anthony Hadden, age 27, of Modena, New York, appeared today in federal court on charges that he distributed and possessed child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to a criminal complaint, between December 13, 2017 and July 31, 2018, Hadden distributed and received images and videos of child pornography through a group messaging application on his phone. An examination of his phone revealed that it contained numerous files depicting child pornography. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Hadden had a detention hearing today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.

If convicted, Hadden faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Bruce A. Wakker, age 65, of Syracuse, New York, was arrested yesterday and charged with attempting to entice or coerce a child.  

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The criminal complaint alleges that between November 15, 2019 and June 11, 2020, Wakker exchanged sexually explicit text messages with an undercover investigator who was posing as both a 9-year-old girl and the adult mother of the girl.  On several occasions, Wakker directly instructed the girl how to use various sexual objects and aids he purchased and mailed to her and her mother.  Earlier this month, Wakker discussed meeting the girl and her mother.  On June 11, Wakker traveled from his residence in Syracuse to New York Mills, New York, to meet with them.  Wakker was encountered by law enforcement and arrested. 

Wakker appeared today for an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, who scheduled Wakker’s detention hearing for June 17.  Wakker will remain detained pending that hearing. 

This charge filed against Wakker carries a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. 

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, including investigators from the Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey Brown and Rachel Williams. 

Anyone who wants to provide law enforcement with information about the defendant should contact the FBI Albany Field Office at (518) 465-7551. 

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, Prouect Safe Childgood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better located, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/. 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Eckrote, age 36, of Granville, New York, appeared in federal court this week on charges that he distributed and possessed child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to a criminal complaint, between January 28, 2020 and March 9, 2020, Eckrote distributed images of child pornography through a group messaging application on his phone. An examination of his phone revealed that it contained numerous files depicting child pornography, as well as text messages with another individual arranging for Eckrote to meet and have sex with a person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Eckrote had a detention hearing yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.

If convicted, Eckrote faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police and Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joseph W. Cromp, Sr., age 46, of Blossfield, New York, pled guilty today to possessing two firearms and over 100 rounds of ammunition as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.

As part of his guilty plea today, Cromp admitted that he possessed a Rohm .22 caliber revolver and an Izhmash SAIGA 7.62 x 39 mm AK-47 style semiautomatic rifle, as well as 113 rounds of rifle ammunition that were seized pursuant to a search warrant by New York State Police from the defendant’s home in Blossfield, New York, on October 2, 2019. Cromp was previously convicted of the felony offense of Attempted Assault in the Second Degree in Oneida County Court on February 9, 2001. The search warrant followed a confrontation Cromp had with another man earlier in the evening.

At sentencing on October 27, 2020, Joseph W. Cromp, Sr. faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.  As part of his guilty plea, Cromp will forfeit both firearms and all ammunition seized during the execution of the search warrant at his residence. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick, with assistance from the Oneida County District Attorney’s office.

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

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ricky J. Bilyou, age 28, of Catskill, New York, pled guilty today to failing to register as a sex offender.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and United States Marshal David McNulty.

Bilyou was convicted of child exploitation, in Clinton County, Indiana, in 2016. 

In pleading guilty today, Bilyou admitted that he was residing in Indiana in May 2019, when he traveled to Colorado.  After staying briefly in Colorado, in late September 2019, he took Amtrak trains from Colorado, to Chicago, Illinois, and finally to the Albany-Rensselaer station. He then began residing in Catskill, up until his arrest on March 18, 2020.  Bilyou knew that he was required to register as a sex offender in New York, and failed to do so.

Bilyou faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on October 14, 2020.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jahjuan Sabb, age 20, of Troy, New York, was arrested on Saturday and charged with threatening to attack the Troy Police Department during a demonstration that took place yesterday, June 7. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Sabb is charged by criminal complaint with making threats to injure another person, and also with distributing information pertaining to the manufacture of an explosive or destructive device with the intent that the information be used for, or in furtherance of, a crime of violence. 

The complaint alleges that on June 5, Sabb made Facebook Live recordings in which he threatened to throw bricks at the Troy Police Department, Troy Police vehicles, and Troy City Hall, during a demonstration that took place yesterday in downtown Troy.  The complaint alleges that he also offered instructions on how to make firebombs with the intent that they be used during the demonstration.  The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Sabb, who was arrested Saturday, appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing on June 10.

If convicted on the charges set forth in the complaint, he faces up to 20 years in prison.   A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and members of state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Troy Police Department and New York State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zaiqua Acosta, age 21, of Albany, was arrested on June 4 on the charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; John B. Devito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Eric Hawkins, Chief of the Albany Police Department. 

The complaint alleges that Acosta, a felon, possessed a handgun in Albany on May 5, 2020.  The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Acosta was released on conditions following an initial appearance on June 5 before United States Magistrate Daniel J. Stewart.

This case is being investigated by the Albany Police Department and ATF, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel L. Williams. 

 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Alan Longmore, age 66, of Fayetteville, New York, pled guilty today before United States District Judge David N. Hurd to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Longmore, who remains detained pending his sentencing, faces at least 180 months of imprisonment and up to 210 months of imprisonment on the charges when he is sentenced on October 1, 2020 in Utica, New York.  The Court will also impose a term of supervised release of between five (5) years and life, and Longmore will be required to register as a sex offender.

As part of his guilty plea, Longmore admitted that he received images and videos of child pornography through a Peer-to-Peer file-sharing program.  A forensic review of his laptop computer revealed that it contained numerous video files depicting child pornography.  After being confronted about these charges, Longmore admitted to engaging in this conduct for years. In addition to these video and image files, the defendant also admitted to secretly recording and subsequently possessing video files depicting two minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

Longmore’s case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Syracuse Office with assistance from the NYSP Computer Crimes Unit, and the Manlius Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

 

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Margaret Vandyke, age 58, of Ellenville, New York, pled guilty today to her involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed crack cocaine and fentanyl in Ulster County. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, whose office leads the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT); Ulster County District Attorney David Clegg; New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett; and Village of Ellenville Police Chief Philip Mattracion.

Vandyke admitted that between September 2017 and December 2018, in cooperation with co-conspirators, she sold over 300 grams of crack cocaine on behalf of the organization in various locations around Ellenville. 

Vandyke faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $10 million, when she is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on October 2, 2020.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The following defendants have also pled guilty in connection with the conspiracy, and were sentenced as follows:

Name

Age

Prison Term

Supervised Release Term

Iqwan Mandiville, aka “Qwan”

27

70 months

4 years

Randy Mandiville, aka “B-Murda”

31

42 months

6 years

The following defendants have also pled guilty in connection with the conspiracy, and face the following terms of imprisonment:

Name

Age

Minimum

Maximum

Luis Curet

35

5 years

40 years

Edwin Jorge

46

None

20 years

Jennifer McCombs, aka
“Jennifer Marks”

49

5 years

40 years

The following defendant still faces charges in this case, and faces the following terms of imprisonment if convicted on the drug conspiracy charge:

Name

Age

Minimum

Maximum

 

Antonio Naveo, aka “Gratto,” aka “Green Eyes”

39

10 years

Life

Naveo is also charged with unlawful possession of a Mossberg shotgun as a felon.  The charges against Naveo are merely accusations.  He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by HSI, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with URGENT, an inter-agency taskforce targeting drug dealers and gang members in Ulster County, and the New York State Police, with assistance from the Village of Ellenville Police and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon.

ALBANY, NEW YORK - The Department of Justice yesterday announced nearly $400 million in grant funding through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP).  The Attorney General announced funding awards to 596 law enforcement agencies across the nation, which allows those agencies to hire 2,732 additional full-time law enforcement professionals.  The awards announced today are inclusive of the $51 million announced in May as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit.  

“The Department of Justice is committed to providing the police chiefs and sheriffs of our great nation with needed resources, tools, and support.  The funding announced today will bolster their ranks and contribute to expanding community policing efforts nationwide,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “A law enforcement agency’s most valuable assets are the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in the name of protecting and serving their communities.

“It is more important than ever for police agencies and the communities they serve to stand together to prevent crime, address problems, and promote justice,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York Grant C. Jaquith.  “These grants will help local departments hire officers who can do that.  With its demonstrated record of success, community policing has become  a bedrock principle of law enforcement strategy.”

The following law enforcement agencies in our district are receiving grant funding:

Agency

Amount

City of Binghamton Police Department

$250,000

Clinton County Sheriff’s Department

$500,000

Fulton County Sheriff’s Department

$125,000

Village of Owego Police Department

$797,815

The COPS Hiring Program is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. In addition to providing financial support for hiring, CHP provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement to enhance local community policing strategies and tactics. In a changing economic climate, CHP funding helps law enforcement agencies maintain sufficient sworn personnel levels to promote safe communities.  Funding through this program had been on hold since the spring of 2018 due to a nationwide injunction that was lifted earlier this year.

CHP applicants were required to identify a specific crime and disorder problem focus area and explain how the funding will be used to implement community policing approaches to that problem focus area.  43 percent of the awards announced today will focus on violent crime, while the remainder of the awards will focus on a variety of issues including school-based policing to fund school resource officer positions, building trust and respect, and opioid education, prevention, and intervention.  The COPS Office received nearly 1,100 applications requesting more than 4,000 law enforcement positions. 

The complete list of awards can be found here. To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nelson L. Gouge, age 47, of Glens Falls, New York, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for bank robbery.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Warren County Sheriff Jim LaFarr.

Gouge pled guilty on October 7, 2019 as his trial was set to begin.  As part of his plea, Gouge admitted that on January 12, 2018, at approximately 1 p.m., he walked into the Trustco Bank branch on Route 9L in Lake George, New York, after attempting to conceal his face by use of a neck warmer.  Gouge went to a line where a bank employee was standing, put a hard, black case on the counter and handed the employee a note that read, “I Have a weapon this is a robbery Just put all the money in the bag think about you and your employees + friends.”  The bank employee did not have a drawer of money at her station, so she went to another station and took money out of the drawer.  The employee turned back to her station where Gouge was holding a bag.  The employee put money in the bag and Gouge left with $4,301.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Department quickly identified Gouge as a suspect and arrested him that night in South Glens Falls, New York.

U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced Gouge to serve a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin after his term of imprisonment, and ordered Gouge to pay $2,587 in restitution, representing the amount of money not recovered by police.

This case was investigated by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, New York State Police, Warren County District Attorney’s Office, and the FBI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Yang Sui, age 42, of Niskayuna, New York, pled guilty today to stealing trade secrets belonging to the General Electric Company.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers; United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As part of his guilty plea, Sui admitted that between 2015 and 2017, he stole multiple electronic files pertaining to the research, design, and manufacture of silicon carbide MOSFETs (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors).  Silicon carbide MOSFETs are used in a variety of GE’s parts and products, including aviation equipment and wind turbines.

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino will sentence Sui on September 22, 2020.  Sui faces up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 or up to twice the value of the pecuniary gain to him from the crime, and up to 3 years of supervised release.  A sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss and National Security Division Trial Attorney Matthew Chang. 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Peter N. Allen, age 32, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, appeared today on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted enticement and coercion of a minor into a sexual act, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The complaint charges that Allen attempted to entice and coerce a person he believed to be an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexual acts with him.  In fact, the girl was portrayed by an undercover police officer, and Allen was arrested in Broome County after he drove there from Pennsylvania, expecting to meet the purported child at her home. 

The charge filed against Allen carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of at least 5 years, and up to life. If convicted, Allen will also be required to register as a sex offender.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty

Allen appeared today in Binghamton, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric and was ordered detained pending further proceedings.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sahar L. Amandolare.

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Robert Carville, age 57, formerly of Johnstown, New York, was ordered today to pay $369,693.58 in restitution to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reimburse it for its expenses incurred in removing hazardous waste that Carville stored without a permit at the former Carville National Leather Corporation building in Johnstown.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) in New York.

Carville National Leather Corporation was a family owned tannery business that operated in Johnstown, New York, from 1976 until it closed in September 2013. Robert Carville owned and operated the business for approximately 10 years prior to its closure.

Carville pled guilty in December 2018 to one felony count of illegally storing hazardous waste without a permit. As part of his guilty plea, Carville admitted that as the owner and manager of the tannery, he was responsible for the materials stored there when it ceased operations. Following the closure of the business, Carville moved out of state, leaving hundreds of containers of hazardous chemicals inside the abandoned tannery building. Some of these were labeled as “corrosive,” “acidic,” and “hazardous.” Carville did not have a permit to store hazardous materials. Chemicals began leaking from the tannery building approximately two years after Carville abandoned it. In light of the tannery’s proximity to multiple residences and to a local creek, EPA deemed it a Superfund site and incurred substantial expenses in cleaning up and removing the chemicals over a several-month period.

On July 22, 2019, Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. sentenced Carville to serve a 2-year term of probation. However, the Court deferred until today a determination on any restitution Carville owed EPA as part of the sentence. The parties presented evidence and testimony regarding restitution at an evidentiary hearing in December 2019. After reviewing that evidence and considering legal briefs filed by the parties, Senior District Judge Scullin today issued an order directing Carville, as part of his sentence, to pay $369,693.58 in restitution to EPA.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID), and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.