Southern District of Ohio

A rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal authorities as part of an immunology research fraud scheme.

Song Guo Zheng, 58, of Hilliard, appeared in federal court today, at which time his guilty plea was accepted by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

“Federal research funding is provided by the American tax payers for the benefit of American society — not as a subsidy for the Chinese Government,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers.  “The American people deserve total transparency when federal dollars are being provided for research, and we will continue to hold accountable those who choose to lie about their foreign government affiliations in an attempt to fraudulently gain access to these funds.”

“The FBI and its partners are a unified front in protecting taxpayer-funded research, so there is no escape for those who break America’s laws. Whether it’s a midnight flight through Alaska or hiding in plain sight, we will find you and bring you to justice,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler, Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.

“Zheng promised China he would enhance the country’s biomedical research. He was preparing to flee the United States after he learned that his American employer had begun an administrative process into whether or not he was complying with American taxpayer-funded grant rules,” said David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Today’s plea reinforces our proven commitment to protect our country’s position as a global leader in research and innovation, and to punish those who try to exploit and undermine that position.” 

“The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to engage with universities to protect sensitive research from being illegally transferred to foreign governments,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “Today's plea represents an acknowledgement by Zheng not only of his violation of the trust given to him by the U.S. Government in the form of federal grant funds, but also of norms for research integrity and an abuse of the openness and transparency in the U.S. academic system.”

“The purpose of reporting potential conflicts of interest is to protect the integrity of professional judgment and ensure the public’s trust in the research being conducted,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “This defendant violated that trust by failing to report his financial interests and affiliations with foreign parties in an effort to improperly obtain research grant funding through the National Institutes of Health. The OIG is committed to identifying and investigating instances where individuals intentionally fail to report or falsify information regarding their sources of research support in order to ensure the proper use of taxpayer dollars.”

As part of his plea, Zheng admitted he lied on applications in order to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology.

Zheng was a professor of internal medicine who led a team conducting autoimmune research at The Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University. According to his plea, Zheng caused materially false and misleading statements on NIH grant applications, seeking to hide his participation in Chinese Talent Plans and his affiliation and collaboration with a Chinese university controlled by the Chinese government. Making false statements to the federal government is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

Zheng was arrested Friday, May 22, 2020, after he arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a charter flight and as he prepared to board another charter flight to China. When he was arrested, he was carrying three large bags, one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops, three cell phones, several USB drives, several silver bars, expired Chinese passports for his family, deeds for property in China and other items.

He was transported to the Southern District of Ohio and made his first federal court appearance in Columbus on July 7, 2020.

According to court documents, since 2013, Zheng had been participating in a Chinese Talent Plan, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with knowledge or access to foreign technology intellectual property. Since that time, Zheng used research conducted in the United States to benefit the People’s Republic of China. Zheng failed to disclose conflicts of interest or his foreign commitments to his American employers or to the NIH.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas W. Squires and S. Courter Shimeall, Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher N. St. Pierre, and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The final apprehended defendant in a money laundering scheme connected to online romance fraud was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today.

 

Kwabena M. Bonsu, 32, of Westerville, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in laundering the proceeds of a scheme that defrauded victims nationwide out of more than $3 million total.  Bonsu brought other participants into the conspiracy and directed the actions of some of the other members of the conspiracy.  He had direct connections to scammers in Ghana who were conducting romance fraud and needed help from people in the United States to get victims’ money from the United States to Ghana.

 

Six of eight Central Ohio defendants originally charged on Valentine’s Day 2018 have offered guilty pleas and been sentenced in U.S. District Court. Two of the defendants remain fugitives.

 

Those originally charged in the conspiracy also include: Kwasi A. Oppong (sentenced to 18 months in prison), Kwame Ansah, John Y. Amoah (33 months in prison), Samuel Antwi, King Faisal Hamidu (42 months in prison), Nkosiyoxoxo Msuthu (42 months in prison) and Cynthia Appiagyei (30 months of probation).

 

Ansah and Antwi are at-large.

 

According to court documents, individuals committing fraud created several profiles on online dating sites. They then contacted men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and other countries with whom they cultivated a sense of affection, and often, romance.

 

After establishing relationships, perpetrators of the romance scams requested money, typically for investment or need-based reasons and provided account information and directions for where money should be sent. In part, these accounts were controlled by the defendants. The funds were not used for the investment or need-based reasons provided.

 

The defendants in this case did not perpetrate the romance fraud, but instead laundered the funds from the fraud scheme, using companies and bank accounts in their control. In furtherance of the scheme, Bonsu and his co-conspirators created several companies, some of which were shell companies, to help attempt to hide the true nature of their proceeds. They withdrew the proceeds in cash, wired funds to their coconspirators and to other accounts, and used the fraud proceeds to purchase salvaged vehicles sold online. The financial transactions were meant to conceal the fraud. The cars were commonly exported to Ghana.

 

The purchase and shipment of vehicles helped conceal the fact that members of the conspiracy were sending proceeds of romance fraud overseas. Some members of the conspiracy found people in Ghana who wanted to purchase vehicles. The people in Ghana who wanted the cars would pay the perpetrators of the romance fraud scheme in Ghana. Under this method, money did not have to be wired overseas, which would have risked attracting the scrutiny of financial institutions.

In total, the defendants laundered more than $3.3 million in proceeds from romance scams.

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Division; and Vance Callender, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case.

 

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – One of 19 defendants charged in a Columbus gang-related racketeering conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 180 months in prison.

 

Eric Henderson, Sr., 41, participated extensively in planning and organizing the gang’s Portsmouth, Ohio, drug operation by recruiting accomplices and co-conspirators to carry out the trafficking.

 

T&A Crips derived its name from Trevitt and Atcheson streets in the King-Lincoln District of Columbus, where its members predominantly reside. T&A controlled the neighborhood through intimidation, fear and violence. Gang members were expected to retaliate with acts of violence when their members and associates were disrespected, threatened, intimidated or subjected to acts of violence.

 

Specifically, the co-conspirators in this case are charged with five murders:

the murder of Franky Tention on July 1, 2012, in the area of 431 Ellison Street;

the murder of William Moore on March 15, 2013;

the murder of Marvin Ector on December 23, 2013, on East 5th Avenue;

the murder of Quincy Story on January 24, 2015; and

the murder of Deaonte Fisher on March 4, 2016.

 

T&A engaged in a long-term operation of consistent transportation of heroin and crack from Columbus to Portsmouth, Ohio, for sale in various “trap houses.” In the summer of 2015, T&A, under the leadership of Henderson, Sr. began to deliver large amounts of heroin, crack and oxycodone from Columbus to Portsmouth on a weekly basis.  Female associates and drug-addicted “mules” transported the drugs at the direction of T&A members and associates. The drugs were then sold on a daily basis out of a number of “trap houses” in Portsmouth controlled by T&A members.

 

Henderson, Sr., also known as “Easy,” pleaded guilty in March 2019 to conspiracy to commit racketeering and conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. 

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Tom Quinlan; United States Marshal Pete Tobin and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.

 

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CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a Cincinnati city councilman and his business partner in a conspiracy involving honest services wire fraud, bribery, attempted extortion by a government official and money laundering.

Jeffrey Pastor, 36, of Cincinnati, allegedly solicited and received $55,000 in bribes between August 2018 and February 2019 in exchange for promised official action related to projects before the City of Cincinnati.

Pastor’s business partner, Tyran Marshall, 35, of Cincinnati, allegedly acted as a middleman in receiving bribes payments.

For example, according to the 10-count indictment that was returned on Nov. 4 and unsealed today, in September 2018, Pastor and Marshall flew to Miami, Fla. on a private plane to meet with investors regarding a real estate development project. Pastor never paid for or disclosed the trip.  During the trip, Pastor allegedly explained he would ensure favorable action on behalf of the city for the project and could receive money through Marshall’s non-profit entity Ummah Strength, LLC (which had been incorporated two weeks prior).  Pastor discussed “compensation” and agreed to accept $15,000 for helping with the project. He said the purpose of Marshall’s entity was to “sanitize” the money. Pastor accepted $15,000 in cash about a week later.

Pastor and Marshall allegedly solicited and received another $20,000 in October and November 2018. They allegedly received two $10,000 payments in exchange for Pastor’s official city action benefitting a second project.

From January 2019 through early March 2019, Pastor allegedly continued to attempt to secure more bribe money for help on a city project.

Pastor and Marshall each appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie K. Bowman.

Pastor is charged with each of the 10 counts in the indictment: one count of conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years in prison), two counts of honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years), three counts of bribery (up to 10 years), three counts of attempted extortion by a government official (up to 20 years) and one count of money laundering (up to 20 years).

Marshall is charged with four crimes: one count of conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years in prison), one count of bribery (up to 10 years), one count of attempted extortion (up to 20 years) and one count of money laundering (up to 20 years).

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew C. Singer are representing the United States in this case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Charles Michael Stratton, 63, of Fairborn, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 42 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering. Stratton was also ordered to pay more than $750,000 in restitution to his former employer, Honda, and $10,000 to Scioto Industrial Services.

 

“Stratton devised not just one, but multiple methods for defrauding Honda of more than three-quarters of a million dollars,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “The defendant skimmed from overages, arranged for double billing, and approved false invoices. Now, he will spend time in federal prison.”

 

Stratton served as the Facilities Manager for Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. in Marysville, Ohio, from 2008 until March 2015. In his role, he oversaw various vendor contracts, including those for security services, janitorial services, food service and uniform/laundry on behalf of Honda.

 

Acrux Investigation Agency, located in Lakeview, provided physical and personal security services for Honda. Surmount, also located in Lakeview, was a subsidiary of Acrux and provided monitoring services to Honda.

 

Stratton executed a scheme to defraud Honda using Acrux and Surmount by creating multiple purchase orders for payments in amounts just under $100,000, a threshold in which additional oversight and approval is required.

 

Using these purchase orders, as well as the main labor contract, Stratton caused Acrux and Surmount to submit false invoices to Honda and instructed them to keep the money in a “future fund.” Money allocated to the future fund was then used, in part, to pay Stratton directly or through his organization, SAFE. Springfield Area Fastball Elites, Inc. (SAFE) was an Ohio non-profit created by Stratton to support local baseball teams; however, SAFE lost its classification as a 501(c)(3) in 2010.

 

Stratton was indicted by a grand jury in May 2018 and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in October 2019.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed on Nov. 6 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James L Graham. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica W. Knight and Peter K. Glenn-Applegate represented the United States in this case.

 

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CINCINNATI – Four individuals facing human trafficking conspiracy and attempt charges made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court today. Each of the defendants is charged with a crime punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison.

 

According to the criminal complaint, Doyenn J. Clayborne, 34; ChaKirah Ala Shae Stephens, 22; Kionte Hashiem Anderson, 19; and Joleen Marie Smith, 44; were arrested on Oct. 29. as part of a FBI and Blue Ash Police Department operation targeting human trafficking.

 

Blue Ash police officers and FBI agents encountered the defendants as part of the operation at a Blue Ash hotel.

 

It is alleged the four defendants conspired to sell 16-year-old minor females for sex.

 

In addition to audio recordings of the defendants discussing logistics for providing underage females for sex, law enforcement officials discovered condoms (both used an unused), sexual devices, bottles of lubricant and a firearm in the defendants’ hotel room.

 

Officers and agents also encountered a 16-year-old female victim who had allegedly been brought to the hotel to perform sex acts for money, a portion of which would  be given to the defendants.

 

Conspiring to sex traffic a minor is punishable by up to life in prison and attempting to sex traffic a minor is punishable by 10 years up to life in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentence.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Blue Ash Police Chief Scott Noel announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

 

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

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DAYTON – Two corporations entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court today for conspiring to commit mail fraud.

 

Steve Rauch, Inc. and Green Star Trucking, Inc. admitted they conspired during the summer of 2014 to submit false paperwork to the City of Dayton for demolition contract payments.

 

According to court documents, Steve Rauch, Inc. accepted a contract with the city that required the company to sub-contract a set portion of the work to a certified disadvantaged business – for example a small business, a woman-owned business, etc. In this instance, the certified disadvantaged business was Green Star Trucking, Inc.

 

Steve Rauch, Inc., knowing it had not satisfied the requirements on its demolition project, contacted Green Star and asked that Green Star falsely certify it had completed and been paid for several thousand dollars’ worth of additional work on the project. Green Star agreed and signed the false paperwork that Steve Rauch, Inc. then sent to the city.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber announced the pleas entered into today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Brent G. Tabacchi is representing the United States in this case.

 

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DAYTON – U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers announced the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday in favor of the government, upholding the conviction of Laith Waleed Alebbini. The 29-year-old Jordan citizen was convicted of conspiring and attempting to join ISIS following a bench trial in Dayton in November and December 2018 before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.

 

Court documents and trial testimony detail that on April 26, 2017, FBI agents arrested Alebbini at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, as he was attempting to travel to Turkey and then Syria to join ISIS – a designated foreign terrorist organization. Alebbini is a U.S. legal permanent resident who was living in Dayton.

 

About one hour before Alebbini arrived at the Cincinnati/Kentucky International Airport, several relatives pleaded with Alebbini not to join ISIS. Alebbini responded in three separate back-to-back text messages:  “Do you think I am a criminal”  “I am a terrorist”  “I am mujahid.”

 

In another, previous conversation with a friend, Alebbini said, “I, cousin, want to go be an inghimasi soldier.” As explained at trial, an “inghimasi soldier” is a particularly lethal type of suicide bomber – one who seeks to cause as much death and destruction as possible prior to detonation.  

 

Alebbini was sentenced in June 2019 to 180 months in prison and 25 years of supervised release for attempting to and conspiring to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).  He will likely face deportation following service of his prison term. 

 

In his appeal, Alebbini challenged the sufficiency of the evidence for both of his convictions. He argued the proof was insufficient to convict him of conspiring to provide material support to ISIS because it did not demonstrate that he entered into any kind of agreement with his cousin, Raid, his alleged co-conspirator, who departed Dayton prior to Alebbini’s attempt but was apprehended by Jordanian authorities upon arrival there. He also argued that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of attempting to provide material support to ISIS because, in his view, it did not demonstrate that he took a substantial step towards the crime, or that he intended to work under the direction and control of ISIS.

 

The Court of Appeals ruled against Alebbini’s arguments, stating in a precedent-setting published opinion that the government proved the elements of the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

Specifically, the Court of Appeals stated the government sufficiently proved conspiracy elements through consistent information and conversations detailing Alebbini’s plans with a co-conspirator to join and fight for ISIS.

 

Likewise, the government showed sufficient evidence that Alebbini took a substantial step towards the crime when, after research, preparation, and conveying to others his intent to join ISIS and work under its direction and control, Alebbini embarked on his journey to ISIS by departing Dayton, traveling to the Cincinnati/Kentucky International airport, sending farewell messages to family, checking in for his flight, and walking toward the airport security checkpoint after obtaining his airline ticket, all of which corroborated Alebbini’s intent

 

First Assistant United States Attorney Vipal J. Patel argued the appeal on behalf of the United States.

 

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the criminal case against Alebbini. First Assistant Vipal J. Patel and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Criminal Chief Dominick S. Gerace of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the criminal case.

 

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DAYTON – Jordan D. Carpenter, 30, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

 

According to court documents, in July 2019, Carpenter met an undercover officer at a parking lot in Lebanon, Ohio, to sell the officer a 5.56mm rifle that functions as a machine gun. Carpenter sold the firearm for $2,500.

 

Carpenter described other types of firearms he could sell the undercover, and offered the officer a discount if he bought guns in bulk from Carpenter.

 

In August 2019, the two met again at a parking lot in Lebanon, Ohio, and Carpenter sold two more firearms for $3,200, one of which was a machine gun as well.

 

Carpenter was previously convicted of felonious assault in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, which prohibits him from possessing firearms. Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

 

Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and the Warren County Drug Task Force announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt is representing the United States in this case.

 

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A prior sex offender currently on parole supervision pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to a child exploitation crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

 

Larry Richard Dickerson, 56, attempted to coerce a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity.

 

According to court documents, in May 2020, officers with the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force were conducting undercover online chats to identify individuals who were attempting to solicit and engage in illegal sexual activity with minors.

 

An officer posing as a juvenile on a social media application received a message from Dickerson and the two became in regular contact. Dickerson requested nude photos of the purported teenager. In one instance, he asked her to send a shirtless picture with the name “Rick” written across her chest so that he could be sure she was not a “cop.”

 

In a phone call with the undercover officer, Dickerson asked numerous questions about the supposed 15-year-old’s sexual history and preferences. The defendant asked the undercover officer to describe what her pubic region looked like. The two made a plan to meet to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

 

Dickerson and the officer decided to meet first in public before going somewhere private to engage in sex. Law enforcement observed Dickerson arrive at the designated meeting place and he was subsequently arrested.

 

Dickerson has two prior child sex offense convictions. In 2002, he was sentenced to 21 months in prison in the District of South Carolina on a child pornography charge. In 2018, he was convicted in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas with three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, based on his communications with a 13-year-old girl via MeetMe, and his subsequent meeting with a sexual abuse of the child.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Franklin County ICAC partnering agencies announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Hill and Special Assistant United States Attorney Roger Dinh are representing the United States in this case.

 

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DAYTON – Arland Mills, 42, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to hiring a man to illegally purchase firearms for him.

 

As part of his scheme, Mills obtained multiple firearms, three of which were later recovered during the execution of a search warrant on Ruskin Road in Dayton where Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge Del Rio was shot on Nov. 4, 2019.

 

Delano Wells, 50, of Trenton, purchased the firearms at a licensed firearms dealer in Middletown on behalf of Mills. Wells was charged by criminal complaint on Nov. 5, 2019, with making false statements on a federal firearms form. Wells lied on ATF Form 4473 by indicating “yes” he was purchasing the firearm for himself and not for anyone else.

Once Wells purchased the firearms, he would provide them to Mills. Mills then either paid Wells a stipend in addition to the cost of the gun, or he forgave a portion of the debt owed to him by Wells.

Wells purchased more than eight firearms in this manner on behalf of Mills, along with several firearm lower receivers.

Mills will be forfeiting 28 firearms, which were seized by the government from Mills as part of this case.

Aiding and abetting the making of a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Chris Hoffman, Special in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck, Jr. announced the plea entered into today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Andrew J. Hunt are representing the United States in this case.

 

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CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers today announced $1.7 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in Hamilton County. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.

 

Hamilton County was awarded $1 million through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Community-Based Crime Reduction grant. The grant leverages community knowledge and expertise to focus enforcement efforts on crime “hot spots” – neighborhoods where crime is concentrated – to generate long-term impacts.

 

Hamilton County was also awarded $700,000 through BJA’s Strategies for Policing Innovation grant. The aim of this funding is for state and local law enforcement agencies to work with researchers to identify innovative and evidence-based strategies to tackle chronic crime.

 

“Today’s grants will bolster the work we already have underway in Cincinnati to hold armed and violent offenders accountable,” U.S. Attorney DeVillers said.

 

Other grant award recipients in the Southern District of Ohio include the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, who was awarded more than $1.1 million to enhance the quality, completeness and accessibility of criminal history record information through the National Criminal History Improvement Program. This funding ensures the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check systems.

 

Licking County was awarded $339,000 from the Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime program. The program is designed to provide local prosecutors with training and strategies for prosecuting violent offenders.

 

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources. More information about OJP and its components can be found at https://www.ojp.gov.    

 

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CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati police officer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to submitting false tax returns by failing to report cash income she earned from off-duty work details.

 

Quianna Campbell, 40, of Cincinnati, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in February 2020. Today, she pleaded guilty to three counts of the indictment of filing false tax returns.

 

Campbell has been employed with the Cincinnati Police Department for 11 years.

 

According to her plea, she worked off-duty at various businesses, including nightclubs, throughout her employment at CPD.

 

According to police records, Campbell earned more than $81,000 total working off-duty details in 2015, 2016 and 2017. She underreported her income for those years by at least $60,000 when filing her taxes.

 

Campbell will pay nearly $24,000 in restitution to the IRS as part of her plea.

 

“As a police officer, the defendant was responsible for enforcing the law,” said Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “By filing false tax returns for her personal financial gain, she violated the law.”

 

Willfully filing a false tax return carries a potential maximum penalty of up to three years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker is representing the United States in this case.

 

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DAYTON – A 35-year-old Centerville woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to interstate stalking that resulted in her ex-husband’s death.

 

Tawnney Caldwell accepted responsibility for her role in the August 2017 murder of Robert Caldwell. Parties involved in Tawnney Caldwell’s case have recommended a sentence of 20 to 35 years in prison. 

 

According to her plea agreement, around 6pm on August 15, 2017, Robert Caldwell and his three minor children left a counseling appointment in Riverside, Ohio. While crossing the parking lot, Robert Caldwell was shot multiple times by an assailant in front of his children and died at the scene. The assailant was later identified as co-defendant Sterling Roberts.

 

Tawnney Caldwell is the ex-wife of the murder victim and was the girlfriend of Sterling Roberts at the time of the incident.

 

She and the murder victim had an ongoing dispute regarding the custody of their children and Tawnney Caldwell had talked to Sterling Roberts on at least two occasions (while Roberts was incarcerated in Montgomery County) about killing Robert Caldwell.

 

Tawnney Caldwell collaborated with others, including Sterling Roberts; his brothers, Chance Deakin and Christopher Roberts; Chandra Harmon (Tawnney’s mother); and James Harmon (Tawnney’s step-father), to plan, execute and cover-up the violent crime resulting in the death of Robert Caldwell.

 

Court documents indicate Roberts pretended to be a customer in need of stonework and messaged Robert Caldwell to lure him into meeting in Jamestown, Ohio in early August 2017. Roberts, armed with a gun, allegedly ambushed Robert Caldwell, who fled and called 911. Robert Caldwell eventually escaped that encounter and reported it to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.

 

According to Tawnney Caldwell’s plea, between the time of the attempted homicide and the eventual murder of Robert Caldwell, Roberts fled to a relative’s home in Tennessee. Tawnney Caldwell traveled interstate and brought him back to Ohio, stopping in Kentucky to illegally purchase Roberts an AK-47 rifle.

 

According to Tawnney Caldwell’s plea, the two planned the details of the victim’s murder together at Tawnney Caldwell’s residence and were in contact via cell phone multiple times before and after the murder.

 

Sterling Roberts is scheduled for jury trial in U.S. District Court on Nov. 30.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Riverside Police Chief Frank Robinson and Sugarcreek Township Police Chief Michael Brown announced the plea entered into today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Laura Clemmens are representing the United States in this case.

 

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 30 years in prison for participating in a local gang’s racketeering conspiracy.

 

Michael Watson, 27, is one of 19 defendants who were charged in October 2018 as members and associates of the Trevitt and Atcheson Crips gang (T&A) in a violent conspiracy involving murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, witness tampering, robbery, assault and other crimes.

 

The gang derived its name from Trevitt and Atcheson streets in the King-Lincoln District of Columbus, where its members predominantly reside. T&A controlled the neighborhood through intimidation, fear and violence. Gang members were expected to retaliate with acts of violence when their members and associates were disrespected, threatened, intimidated or subjected to acts of violence.

 

Specifically, the co-conspirators in this case are charged with five murders:

the murder of Franky Tention on July 1, 2012, in the area of 431 Ellison Street;

the murder of William Moore on March 15, 2013;

the murder of Marvin Ector on December 23, 2013, on East 5th Avenue;

the murder of Quincy Story on January 24, 2015; and

the murder of Deaonte Fisher on March 4, 2016.

 

Watson pleaded guilty in March 2020 to shooting Marvin Ector, a member of the rival Milo Bloods gang. Ector’s murder was a retribution killing; he was targeted for assassination for previously disrespecting a T&A member who had been killed. Watson shot Ector in December 2013 while Ector was in his car at a Sunoco gas station on the near-east side of Columbus.

 

“These revenge murders – killing one another over ‘disrespect’ – have got to stop,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “The only results are being killed yourself or spending much of, if not all of, the rest of your life in federal prison.”

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Tom Quinlan; United States Marshal Pete Tobin and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.

 

# # #

CINCINNATI – A longtime campaign and political strategist for Ohio House Representative Larry Householder and a lobbyist hired by an energy company to funnel money to Householder’s enterprise each pleaded guilty in federal court today.

 

Jeffrey Longstreth, 44, and Juan Cespedes, 41, of Columbus, each pleaded guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving more than $60 million paid to a 501(c)(4) entity to pass and uphold a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout.

 

They are two of five individuals charged by criminal complaint and indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2020.

 

Charging documents allege Larry Householder, 61, of Glenford, Ohio, Matthew Borges, 48, of Bexley, Ohio, Neil Clark, 67, of Columbus, Longstreth and Cespesdes conspired to violate the racketeering statute through honest services wire fraud, receipt of millions of dollars in bribes and money laundering. The 501(c)(4) entity Generation Now was also charged.

 

According to court documents, from March 2017 to March 2020, the enterprise received millions of dollars in exchange for Householder’s and the enterprise’s help in passing House Bill 6, a billion-dollar bailout that saved two failing, Ohio nuclear power plants from closing.

 

The defendants then also allegedly worked to corruptly ensure that HB 6 went into effect by defeating a ballot initiative to overturn the legislation. The Enterprise received nearly $61 million into Generation Now from an energy company and its affiliates during the relevant period.

 

In his plea, Longstreth admits to organizing Generation Now for Householder, knowing the entity would be used to receive bribe money to further Householder’s bid for Speaker of the House. Longstreth managed Generation Now bank accounts and engaged in financial transactions designed to conceal that the energy company was a source of funding to Generation Now.

 

Cespesdes also pleaded guilty to his role in the racketeering enterprise and admitted that he orchestrated payments to Generation Now. Cespedes knew the payments were meant to help Householder achieve political goals, and in return, help pass and preserve the nuclear bailout legislation.

 

The racketeering conspiracy as charged in this case is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

 

“If you have information related to the public corruption alleged in this case, please contact the FBI at 513-421-4310,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “This investigation remains ongoing, and as such, there will be no additional comment beyond the publicly-filed documents we outlined in this news release.”

 

DeVillers and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge of the Cincinnati Division of the FBI, announced the pleas entered into today before U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black. Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew C. Singer, as well as Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy Mangan and Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter, are representing the United States in this case.

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A California man was sentenced to prison today for making violent threats toward The Ohio State University and its football players during the 2018 Ohio State v. Michigan game.

 

Daniel Lee Rippy, 29, of Livermore, Calif., was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for making an interstate threat.

 

According to court documents, Rippy sent a message over Facebook threatening a shooting at The Ohio State University and vowing to hurt football players. He sent several other threats during the game – which was being played in Columbus – to injure or kill players, their family members and the head coach.

 

“In the middle of Ohio State’s annual rival game with the University of Michigan and with more than 100,000 fans in the stadium, law enforcement suddenly had a potential threat of a shooting,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “Because of Rippy, law enforcement officials at the stadium were placed on high alert and re-allocated resources to investigate the threat. His words are not without consequence, as illustrated by today’s sentence of imprisonment.”

 

Rippy’s prior connections to the state of Michigan initially concerned law enforcement given the ease with which Rippy could travel to – or perhaps already be at – the game. Officials ultimately determined that Rippy was in California at the time he made the threat, though, and did not pose an immediate danger.

 

“By threatening to harm Ohio State football players, coaches, and others, Mr. Rippy committed a serious federal crime,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “Threats like these are thoroughly investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force along with our law enforcement partners and result in significant consequences.”

 

FBI agents arrested Rippy in California in December 2019 and he was released on bond, but he was re-arrested and U.S. Marshals transported him to Columbus after he failed to appear for a scheduled appointment with the court.

 

Rippy pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of making a threat in interstate communications.

 

Joining U.S. Attorney DeVillers and SAC Hoffman in announcing the sentence was Ohio State University Police Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt. Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley imposed today’s sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Knight represented the United States in the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The final two of eight defendants in a $44 million money-laundering case were convicted today when they pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court. Another co-conspirator was sentenced today in federal court as well. Local and federal law enforcement, working in conjunction, spent years investigating large-scale narcotics traffickers in an effort that ultimately brought down the money-laundering ring.

 

According to court documents, beginning around 2013 and continuing until September 2019, the defendants conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl and marijuana and commit large-scale money laundering.

 

The schemes relied on the use of small businesses that held themselves out as cell phone stores. The stores sold few, if any, cell phones, and they conducted little, if any, legitimate business otherwise. Rather, the stores were merely front businesses for drug traffickers to send large amounts of money related to their drug trafficking from Columbus to Mexico.

 

Jose Luis Rosales-Ocampo, 57, of Columbus, and his family members ran the so-called cell phone stores: Los Rosales on Shady Lane Road, Los Rosales 2 on East Main Street and Express Cellular on Eastland Square Drive.

 

The storefronts principally served as a place for individuals to wire illicit drug proceeds to Mexico. Thousands of illicit wire transfers were completed per year. Drug dealers from multiple narcotics-trafficking cells would drop large amounts of narcotics money at the stores, after which the store owners would falsify money sender names, addresses and phone numbers on the wire transfers to Mexico in order to conceal the nature of the proceeds. 

 

In total, the joint state–federal efforts led to the prosecution of eight defendants federally and 35 defendants by the office of Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien. The investigation and prosecution of these defendants removed approximately 34 kilograms of heroin, 516 grams of cocaine, 76 grams of fentanyl and 250 pounds of marijuana from Central Ohio streets. Additionally, investigators seized $458,500 in U.S. currency as part of the investigation and prosecution of these cases.

 

“The agents and officers on these cases dedicated thousands of hours of good investigative work to expose a massive money-laundering scheme that was benefiting drug lords in Mexico,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners, at least 40 defendants are no longer doing business in Central Ohio and a significant amount of illegal drugs have been removed from our community.”

 

One of the lead drug distributors, Julio Angel Homer Gonzalez, 43, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. 

 

Eliezar Mendoza-Nava, 36, and Rodrigo Esqueda-Vazquez, 33, each pleaded guilty today.

 

“IRS Criminal Investigation followed the money and discovered that the cell phone stores were operating primarily for the purpose of laundering drug proceeds,” said Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle and disrupt money laundering organizations.”

 

Five of the other five defendants – Jose Rosales-Ocampo, Thania Rosales-Guadarrama, Josue Gama-Perez, Dulce Rosales-Guadarrama and Rodolfo Franco-Valdez – also previously pleaded guilty and currently await sentencing.

 

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing defendants is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Division; Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien; Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan and officials with the Ohio HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Commission announced the plea agreements and sentences imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

 

Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall, Jessica W. Knight and Special Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. Stanley from Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s office are representing the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #

DAYTON – A federal grand jury has charged five Dayton individuals in the summer 2019 kidnapping and subsequent death of Kwasi Casey, whose body was later found in a detached garage on Fountain Ave. in Dayton.

 

According to the indictment that was returned yesterday and unsealed today, co-conspirators kidnapped and abducted the victim at gunpoint on July 7, 2019.

 

Mr. Casey was taken to one of the defendant’s homes, where he was held against his will and beaten with a baseball bat. Another defendant made ransom demands of the victim’s family.

 

The indictment details that Casey escaped on July 8, 2019, but was recaptured and forced into a co-conspirator’s minivan, where the victim was again physically assaulted. It is alleged Mr. Casey ultimately died as a result of the defendants’ actions.

 

Those charged include: Eric Blackshear, 40; Markale Thomas, 26; Devon Love, 27; Ryan Reese, 25; and Antoine Dye, 35.

 

Each of the defendants is charged with conspiring to kidnap the victim, a federal crime punishable by up to life in prison.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck, Jr. announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith and OCDETF Deputy Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.

 

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

# # #

DAYTON – Three Dayton men were charged today with gun-related crimes.

 

Davonte Hall, 27, and Demarque Demons, 27, were each charged by a federal grand jury in separate indictments. Hall was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Demons was charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense and possessing heroin with intent to distribute. 

 

Edward Clark, 33, was also charged by criminal information with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.

 

They are among more than 20 area men charged federally with gun crimes in Dayton in the past 90 days.

 

“We’ve recently seen historic levels of gun violence in our cities,” said David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “The year has also brought unique challenges to police and prosecutors who combat this violence. It is vital that we work together and with the community to target the extremely small population of violent offenders who create such a huge and horrific impact on our communities.” 

 

Hall allegedly caused a high-speed chase with local law enforcement after striking a Montgomery County deputy cruiser on Sept. 16, 2020. Prior to being disabled by marked police cruisers, Hall drove on a rim of a tire for several miles into oncoming traffic in an attempt to elude law enforcement. Hall’s vehicle was eventually boxed in by law enforcement, and Hall was found to be in custody of pistol with an extended magazine. Hall was previously convicted in Montgomery County of assaulting a police officer.

 

A criminal complaint details that Demons allegedly fled from law enforcement at a high rate of speed after an attempted traffic stop. When subsequently arrested, officers recovered a firearm, as well as heroinand a digital scale.

 

According to court documents in Clark’s case, investigators with the Regional Agencies Narcotics and Gun Enforcement (RANGE) Task Force found a handgun between a mattress and box spring in Clark’s bedroom while executing a search warrant. The handgun, which had been previously reported stolen, had an extended magazine and was loaded with 22 rounds. Clark has prior convictions in Montgomery County for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and kidnapping.

 

Others charged federally in Dayton in the past 90 days for gun crimes include:

 

Defendant

Age

From

Date Charged

Offense(s)

Lemanuel Booker

32

Dayton

7/14/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Possession of fentanyl and heroin with intent to distribute

Dustin VanWey

32

Dayton

7/28/2020

Unlawful possession of ammunition  by a convicted felon

Jack Clarence Elson II

42

Dayton

7/28/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon; Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute

Kalani Grier

21

Dayton

7/28/2020

Brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime

Anthony McGlothan

40

Dayton

8/11/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Diondray Beal

35

Springfield

8/11/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Use and Carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; Possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute

Joshua Payne

36

Dayton

8/25/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; Possession of methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to distribute

Joshua Ryan Fuller

31

Dayton

8/26/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Antwaun Smith

43

Dayton

9/8/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Possession of valeryl fentanyl with intent to distribute

Robert Gilmore

40

Dayton

9/8/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; Receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment; Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute

Samuel Hayes

61

Dayton

9/8/2020

Armed bank robbery; Brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon

Brent Shropshire Jr.

36

Dayton

9/10/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Charles Scott Cooper

53

Moraine

9/21/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence

Stephon Jones

23

Dayton

9/22/2020

Brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime

Brandon Harrison

31

Dayton

9/22/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

George Lail

26

Dayton

10/1/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Ronald Howe, Jr.

42

Dayton

10/1/2020

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Tevin D. Brown

25

Dayton

10/2/2020

Unlawful possession of ammunition by a user of, or person addicted to, a controlled substance

 

Indictments, criminal complaints and bills of information merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today, United States Attorney David M. DeVillers announced a surge in enforcement to address gun crimes in two Columbus neighborhoods.

 

As part of the “hot zone” firearms initiative, federal and local law enforcement agencies and prosecuting authorities will jointly identify dangerous offenders for federal prosecution in the Hilltop and Linden neighborhoods.

 

According to local crime statistics, 20 homicides were committed from January to mid-September 2020 in Columbus Division of Police zone 3, which includes the Hilltop. There were 11 homicides during that time in precinct 10 alone. Precinct 10 makes up a quarter of zone 3 and is located south of Broad Street, straddling I-270. The Hilltop police zone reported 35 non-fatal shootings this summer.

 

Columbus police zone 4 encompasses Linden. During the first eight and a half months of 2020, 24 homicides were committed in zone 4. There were 36 non-fatal shootings in zone 4 during summer 2020.

 

Linden precincts 2 and 5, located along Cleveland Ave. east of I-71 and north of I-670, accounted for 23 of the zone’s 24 homicides and 30 of the zone’s 36 non-fatal shootings.

 

City wide, the Columbus Division of Police seized more than 1,500 illegal firearms via search warrants and misdemeanor and felony investigations from January through September 2020. In September alone, 244 firearms were seized via the same means.

 

Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories, including being a felon, convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense or under a court authorized restraining order. These crimes can be punished by up to 10 years in federal prison.

 

Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. Defendants convicted of these crimes face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison.

 

DeVillers announced he is shifting resources within his office in order to handle the anticipated increase in federal firearms prosecutions. He plans to pivot some Assistant United States Attorneys from other types of cases to handle violent crime.

 

City and county prosecutors are also dedicating resources through Special Assistant United States Attorneys who will prosecute at the federal level.

 

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien has assigned Assistant County Prosecutors James Lowe and Jason Manning, who are current Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSA), to prosecute federal firearms offenses and has committed Assistant County Prosecutors John Gripshover and Amy Van Culin, to be designated SAUSAs.

 

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein has dedicated current SASUAs Melanie Tobias and Joe Gibson to prosecute federal firearms offenses.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan; Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced the initiative today.

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today, U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio filed charges against more than 200 new defendants with firearms-related crimes in Fiscal Year 2020. The district also prosecuted* 23 defendants for murder during this timeframe, with the vast majority involving firearms.

 

The number of firearms matters received by the office, as well as the number of defendants charged, increased by approximately 26 percent compared to the district’s past four-year average.

 

The cases are a result of the partnership between federal and local law enforcement in Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton. In Fiscal Year 2020, city and county prosecuting attorneys have dedicated more manpower to taking firearms cases federally by assigning Special Assistant United States Attorneys from their offices.

 

The following local offices have dedicated Special Assistant United States Attorneys to prosecute federal firearms offenses:

 

• Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien (three SAUSAs)
• Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein (two SAUSAs)
• Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley (one full-time SAUSA)
• Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters (one full-time SAUSA)

 

Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories, including being a felon, convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense or under a court authorized restraining order. These crimes can be punished by up to 10 years in federal prison.

 

Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. Defendants convicted of these crimes face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison.

 

Individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.

 

“If you’re prohibited from possessing a gun and you get caught with a firearm in this district, you’re going to federal prison,” the U.S. Attorney said. “You’re going to prison for years, not months. You’re not getting probation and you are going out of the state to a Bureau of Prisons facility.”

 

In Columbus, DeVillers announced today that he designated two parts of the city as “hot zones” and committed to increasing the number of federal prosecutions for gun offenses committed in the Hilltop and Linden neighborhoods of Columbus.

 

DeVillers announced federal charges against 16 defendants at the end of September in Cincinnati as part of a Cincinnati gun violence initiative with ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Hamilton County Sheriff.

 

In August, a Huber Heights man was sentenced in federal court in Dayton to the statutory maximum 10 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

 

“This office has a long history of prosecuting the worst of the worst when it comes to homicide cases, the vast majority of which involve cold case murders committed by repeat violent offenders who have threatened, intimidated and even killed witnesses,” DeVillers said. “Holding these criminals accountable can only be done with the help and cooperation of our county and city prosecutors and local law enforcement.”

 

The Dayton office charged three men in November 2019 in the murder of Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio.

 

The Columbus Office prosecuted defendants for murder in the Trevitt and Atcheson crips gang case that involves five murders charged, including the murder of a seven-year-old bystander. Also in Columbus, Antwan Hutchinson was sentenced to life in prison for murdering two potential witnesses. Additionally, six MS-13 defendants were prosecuted in Fiscal Year 2020 for murder involving a firearm.

 

The Cincinnati office indicted its first-ever federal murder case in July 2020.

 

DeVillers added, “2020 has brought historic levels of gun violence to our cities. The year has also brought unique challenges to police and prosecutors who combat this violence. It is vital that we work together and with the community to target the extremely small population of violent offenders who create such a huge and horrific impact on our communities.” 

 

# # #

 

*Prosecuted includes case proceedings such as indictments, pleas and sentencings that occurred during FY 2020

DAYTON – Kavonte Knolton, 21, pleaded guilty to two crimes related to armed robbery today in federal court. Knolton will face at least seven years and up to life in prison for brandishing a firearm during a crime violence, and up to 20 years in prison for robbery. Any sentence imposed for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence must be served consecutively to any other punishment.

 

Knolton and Jamaal Murphy, 19, were charged in June 2020 with working together to rob at gunpoint several businesses in the Dayton area.

 

Knolton and Murphy were arrested June 29 by Dayton Police and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

 

As part of his plea, Knolton admitted he helped rob a UDF on Woodman Avenue on Valentine’s Day 2020. According to court documents, Knolton pointed an inoperable firearm at the store clerk while Murphy stole approximately $80 in cash and various tobacco products.

 

Knolton admitted he helped Murphy rob the Circle in Kettering, Ohio in February 2020 and the Wyoming Mini-Mart in Dayton during March 2020. He is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 14, 2021.

 

Charges against Murphy remain pending.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Dayton Police Chief Rick Biehl announced the plea entered into today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Brent G. Tabacchi and Deputy Criminal Chief Dominick S. Gerace are representing the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #

CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged 11 Cincinnatians in a conspiracy to steal bank customers’ information in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky in an indictment unsealed here today.

 

According to the indictment, five of the defendants were employed as customer service representatives at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, and in conspiracy with the other defendants, stole customer account information from 2018 until August 2020.

 

“Fifth Third had protective measures and a culture in place to help identify potential misuse of customer information and should be commended for coming forward to work together with law enforcement to hold these alleged fraudsters accountable,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers.

 

It is alleged the bank employees were recruited into the scheme through social media. The employees were allegedly paid by other co-conspirators to identify bank customers with high cash balances, and steal and provide the customer information to the other co-conspirators.

 

Other individuals known as “runners” were recruited to enter Fifth Third bank branches to withdraw money from the compromised accounts. These runners were often homeless or drug-addicted. It is alleged they were given false ID cards with their picture and the name of the account theft victim. The indictment details that runners were sometimes taken to thrift stores and bought clothing to more appropriately match the victims’ identities. Co-conspirators drove the runners to and from the bank branches. After withdrawing $3,000 to $8,000, the runners would receive a small payment.

 

Those charged include:

Name

Also Known As

Age

Keyonte Bronson

Dom

25

Juan Leonard

Tim

27

Duane Grigsby

 

34

Marcus Knox

Sleepy

28

Patrick H. Walker

Sin Wolf

46

Gregory Palmer

Cook LaFlare

28

Diamond Brocks

 

25

Kenisha Cavitt

 

29

Kellielle Berry

 

25

Jalen Rowe

 

25

Sharnese Davis

 

26

 

Each of the defendants is charged with conspiring to commit bank fraud, a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Bronson, Grigsby, Knox, Palmer and Walker are also charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory penalty of two years in prison.

 

Bronson was arrested Thursday evening and is scheduled to appear at 2:30pm today in federal court in Cincinnati.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the charges. They also commended the investigative coordination of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Police Department, Drug Abuse Reduction Taskforce (DART) and Cincinnati Police Department. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.

 

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – United States Attorney David M. DeVillers announced today that he has designated Election Officers in each of the district’s three offices to serve as points of contact for the upcoming general elections. 

 

DeVillers appointed:

• • Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight district wide,
  • Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate in Columbus,
  • Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter in Cincinnati, and
  • Deputy Criminal Chief Dominick S. Gerace in Dayton.

 

As District Election Officers, they are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with the Justice Department in Washington.

                                                                                               

“The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur,” said U.S. Attorney DeVillers. “We seek to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open.”

 

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.

 

DeVillers added, “Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”  

 

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

 

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

 

# # #

CINCINNATI – The owner and operator of a Hamilton pain clinic was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for illegally distributing controlled substances, committing health care fraud and violating the anti-kickback statute.

 

Nilesh Jobalia, 55, of Cincinnati, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $2.2 million in restitution to Medicaid, Medicare and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

 

According to court documents, Jobalia owned and operated Cincinnati Centers for Pain Relief in Hamilton, Ohio from March 2013 through December 2017. Although the practice was not licensed as such, it operated almost exclusively as a pain clinic.

 

Patients were prescribed fentanyl, oxycodone, methadone, morphine and other controlled substances on many occasions without actually being seen by the doctor.

 

“Prescribing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and for illegitimate medical purposes is illegal,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “This defendant’s actions put the health and safety of his patients at risk and further exacerbated the ongoing opioid epidemic. The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who that engage in this illegal behavior are held accountable.”

 

“He was a dope dealer with a white coat and a license, and now he has neither,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “He shares responsibility for the misery of addiction and death that we call by the clinical name of the opiate crisis, and I am glad to support the work of the United States Attorney in bringing him to justice.”

 

Jobalia’s practice also billed Medicare, Medicaid and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for medically unnecessary prescriptions and services not rendered.

 

For example, prescriptions to one customer alone caused the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to pay more than $450,000 for medically unnecessary drugs. In total, Jobalia caused more than $2 million in false claims.

 

Jobalia also received more than $103,000 from a pharmaceutical company for purported speaking engagements about a fentanyl spray, a medication intended for breakthrough cancer pain.

 

The speaking engagements were actually sham programs, though, in which many attendees were not medical professionals permitted to prescribe the fentanyl spray. Usually, Jobalia, some of his staff and the pharmaceutical sales representative were the only people present at the engagements, which were held at fine dining restaurants in the Cincinnati area.

 

Jobalia was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2018 and pleaded guilty in September 2019.

 

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General;  Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Anthony Groeber, Executive Director, State Medical Board of Ohio; Steven Schierholt, Executive Director, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy; and Stephanie B. McCloud, Administrator, Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Salvador A. Dominguez is representing the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction of a New Jersey entertainment industry business manager who was convicted at trial in federal court in Columbus.

 

A jury convicted Kevin Foster, 44, of Montclair, N.J., in August 2018 of 16 counts for his role in an investment scam involving the product “OXYwater”. The court sentenced Foster to 89 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay nearly $8 million in restitution.

 

Foster appealed, contending that the evidence supporting one of his convictions was insufficient and challenging the sentence imposed.

 

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the United States and affirmed Foster’s convictions and sentence in an opinion filed Oct. 1.

 

Foster’s case stemmed from the prior prosecution of Thomas E. Jackson and Preston J. Harrison, who collected approximately $9 million from investors under false pretenses to start and market the sports beverage OXYwater through their company, Imperial Integrative Health Research and Development (“Imperial”). The two were convicted by a federal jury in March 2015 of multiple wire fraud, money laundering and tax fraud charges. Jackson and Harrison were both sentenced to 83 months’ imprisonment.  Lovena Harrison, Preston Harrison’s spouse, was convicted of various offenses as well and sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison.

In 2015, Jackson and Preston and Lovena Harrison also appealed their convictions, and, in 2016, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in favor of the United States.

Foster was the principal of his management/accounting firm, Foster & Firm, Inc., and as business manager for Shaffer Smith (“Ne-Yo”), induced Smith to invest $2 million into OXYwater under false representations. Unbeknownst to Smith, Foster also invested additional funds belonging to Smith into the product without his consent and fraudulently took out lines of credit under Smith’s name.

Foster also defrauded a second celebrity client, Brian McKnight, as a way to secure money to help keep Imperial solvent.

Foster stole millions of dollars from Smith and McKnight’s bank accounts in order to fund the operations of OXYwater as well as his own lavish lifestyle, including multiple luxury vehicles, a personal driver, designer watches, and season tickets to the New York Giants and New York Knicks.

In his appeal, Foster challenged the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain his bankruptcy-fraud conviction. Foster attempted to contend that the government did not sufficiently prove a false statement was material to a bankruptcy proceeding; however, the Court of Appeals ruled to uphold the bankruptcy-fraud conviction.

 

Foster also unsuccessfully contended that the District Court had erred in allowing certain testimony during his trial and had erroneously calculated the amount of loss to victims and the $7.9 million restitution attributable to him. The Court of Appeals affirmed in favor of the government on these points as well.

 

Appellate Chief Mary Beth Young and Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly represented the United States during the various appeals, and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica H. Kim prosecuted the original cases at trial.

 

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CINCINNATI – Cin-Air LP pleaded guilty and was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for violating the Clean Water Act by causing and mishandling a jet fuel leak in March 2019 at Lunken Airport.

The company was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $90,000 fine. As part of its probation, the company will provide training to all employees on spill prevention and cleanup. It will also publish a full-page acknowledgment of its conduct in Business Air’s FBO Today.

According to the plea document, on March 21, 2019, Cin-Air’s fuel pump at the Lunken Airport airplane hangar was inadvertently left running overnight after a mechanic refueled an airplane.

A safety switch called the “dead man switch” had been previously altered with a zip tie, causing the switch to permanently stay in the open position.

When Cin-Air employees reported to work the morning of March 22, they discovered the fuel pump had been running all night and leaking. It was estimated that more than 3,000 gallons of fuel had spilled from the pump during the night.

Cin-Air never notified to the National Response Center and waited approximately six hours before notifying the Cincinnati Fire Department. Before calling the fire department, company employees washed down the spill area with water into a nearby storm sewer.

Emergency crews traced the fuel spill to a cove of the Little Miami River. No jet fuel was observed in the main river channel.

Efforts were made to contain and clean up the spill, and it is estimated 1,700 gallons of fuel were recovered. Cin-Air contributed approximately $220,000 toward nearly $440,000 in cleanup costs.

“The defendant’s negligence resulted in a fuel spill that contaminated the Little Miami River, a tributary of the Ohio River,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Ohio. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that EPA and our law enforcement partners are committed to enforcing laws designed to protect the health of our communities and our natural resources.”

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jennifer Lynn, Special Agent in Charge, United States EPA criminal enforcement program;  Laurie A. Stevenson, Director, Ohio EPA; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Cincinnati Fire Chief Roy E. Winston announced the sentence imposed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie K. Bowman. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey and Department of Justice Environmental and Natural Resources Division Trial Attorney Adam Cullman are representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Hassan and Abdurahim Nuriso, owners of the Somali specialty market Towfiq Market on Sullivant Avenue, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to commit food stamp and WIC fraud. The brothers redeemed more than $10 million in SNAP and WIC benefits at their store between 2010 and 2019.

 

A federal grand jury charged the pair in February 2020.

 

As part of the conspiracy, brothers Hassan, 40, and Abdurahim Nuriso, 47, converted illegally obtained food stamp benefits, WIC coupons and WIC electronic benefits into money, in order to use the money for other purposes.

 

The defendants allowed SNAP and WIC beneficiaries to purchase items that were not redeemable through the food stamp or WIC programs.

 

In total, Hassan and Abdurahim Nuriso redeemed in excess of $8 million of SNAP benefits and nearly $2.1 million in WIC benefits at Towfiq Market between 2010 and November 2019.

 

As part of their pleas, the Nurisos will forfeit nearly $245,000. Approximately $18,650 in cash was seized during a federal search and seizure warrant at one of the Nuriso brother’s homes in Grove City in November 2018. More than $10,000 was seized during during the execution of a federal search and seizure warrant at Towfiq Market.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),Cincinnati Division; and Anthony V. Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, announced the pleas entered into today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Brenda S. Shoemaker is representing the United States in this case.

 

# # #

An Ohio man pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Ohio before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. to conspiring to illegally transport and dispose of hazardous waste at several area apartment complexes.

According to court documents, in October 2018, Khaled Ebrigit, 54, of Columbus, Ohio, paid and directed Martin Eldridge, 41, of Williamsport, Ohio, to dump drums of hazardous waste near dumpsters at several apartment complexes throughout Columbus.

Ebrigit knew the material was hazardous and did not have a permit to dispose of it.

In total, six 55-gallon drums and 64 10-gallon drums were dumped at six residential apartment complexes in Columbus. Many of the drums were labeled with brightly colored warning labels with symbols and written statements indicating “flammable” and “irritating,” and with a detailed listing of hazards and precautions including but not limited to “[h]ighly flammable,” “[i]rritating to eyes,” and “[t]ake precautionary measures against static discharges.” Many of the drums were leaking. 

As a result of the dumping, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus Fire Department and Columbus Division of Police responded to reports of illegal dumping and cleaned the various sites.

As part of his plea, Ebrigit agreed to pay at least $30,000 in restitution.

Specifically, Ebrigit pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiring to illegally transport hazardous material, transporting hazardous material and disposing of hazardous material.

Eldridge pleaded guilty in December 2019 to the same three crimes.

The U.S. EPA Criminal Enforcement Program, Ohio EPA, and Franklin County Sheriff’s office investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Michael Marous of the Southern District of Ohio, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Robinson from Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s office are representing the United States in this case.

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

CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers announced today that landlord John Klosterman and his wife, Susan Klosterman, will pay $177,500 total to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that John Klosterman sexually harassed female tenants since at least 2013 at the 55 residential properties the couple owned in Sedamsville.

“In this settlement, Klosterman acknowledges that the United States has evidence he sexually harassed tenants on multiple occasions,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “He’s being held accountable under the Fair Housing Act and will pay more than $167,000 to victims of his heinous conduct.”

The defendants acknowledged in the settlement that, if this case had gone to trial, the United States was prepared to introduce the following evidence:

• sworn deposition testimony from John Klosterman acknowledging that, on multiple occasions, he engaged in inappropriate sexual communications with his female tenants and prospective tenants, made comments about the physical appearances of his female tenants and prospective tenants, sent pictures of a naked male statue to his female tenants, and offered to send to his female tenants, and requested that his female tenants send to him, sexual photographs;
• sworn deposition testimony from John Klosterman admitting that he offered to pay an “allowance” to a female tenant in exchange for engaging in a sexual relationship with him; and
• text messages and recordings of phone calls in which John Klosterman made sexual comments to female tenants and prospective female tenants.

 

According to the complaint filed in 2018, Klosterman engaged in unwanted sexual touching, offered to reduce rent and overlook or excuse late or unpaid rent in exchange for sex. He evicted or threatened to evict female tenants who objected to or refused sexual advances. Klosterman also entered the homes of female tenants without their consent and otherwise monitored their daily activities with cameras directed at their units. 

 

Under the settlement, which still must be approved by the court, the Klostermans will pay $167,125 in damages to former tenants who were harmed by John Klosterman’s harassment, $7,875 to another plaintiff in the lawsuit, and a $2,500 civil penalty to the United States. The consent order also bars the defendants from participating in the rental or management of residential properties in the future.

 

The United States’ lawsuit was pursued jointly with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color religion, national origin, sex disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt.

 

Individuals can report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mailing the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submitting a report online.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division announced the settlement agreement filed in federal court today. Deputy Civil Chief Matthew Horwitz is representing the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #

The Justice Department today announced that landlord John Klosterman and his wife, Susan Klosterman, will pay $177,500 to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that John Klosterman sexually harassed female tenants since at least 2013 at residential properties the couple owned in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Under the settlement, which still must be approved by the court, the Klostermans will pay $167,125 in damages to former tenants who were harmed by John Klosterman’s harassment, $7,875 to another plaintiff in the lawsuit, and a $2,500 civil penalty to the United States. The consent order also bars the defendants from participating in the rental or management of residential properties in the future.

“Sexual harassment of women in their homes is indecent, destructive, and illegal,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The Fair Housing Act protects the right of women and their families to live in peace and security and without the fear that deviant people will intimidate and bully them for sexual favors. This department will continue tirelessly to pursue landlords and others who abuse their authority by preying upon vulnerable women.” 

“In this settlement, Klosterman acknowledges that the United States has evidence he sexually harassed tenants on multiple occasions,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers for the Southern District of Ohio. “He’s being held accountable under the Fair Housing Act and will pay more than $167,000 to victims of his heinous conduct.”

The complaint, filed in 2018, alleged that John Klosterman sexually harassed female tenants at the rental properties since at least 2013. According to the complaint, he engaged in harassment that included, among other things, making unwelcome sexual advances and comments, sending unwanted sexual text messages and photos, engaging in unwanted sexual touching, offering to reduce rent and overlooking or excusing late or unpaid rent in exchange for sex, evicting or threatening to evict female tenants who objected to or refused sexual advances, and entering the homes of female tenants without their consent and otherwise monitoring their daily activities with cameras directed at their units. 

The defendants acknowledged in the settlement that, if this case had gone to trial, the United States was prepared to introduce the following evidence: (a) sworn deposition testimony from John Klosterman acknowledging that, on multiple occasions, he engaged in inappropriate sexual communications with his female tenants and prospective tenants, made comments about the physical appearances of his female tenants and prospective tenants, sent pictures of a naked male statue to his female tenants, and offered to send to his female tenants, and requested that his female tenants send to him, sexual photographs; (b) sworn deposition testimony from John Klosterman admitting that he offered to pay an “allowance” to a female tenant in exchange for engaging in a sexual relationship with him; and (c) text messages and recordings of phone calls in which John Klosterman made sexual comments to female tenants and prospective female tenants.

The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is an effort to combat sexual harassment in housing led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The Attorney General recently reaffirmed this commitment by directing the Justice Department to deploy all available enforcement tools against anyone who tries to capitalize on the COVID-19 crisis by sexually harassing people in need of housing. The goal of the department’s initiative is to address sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, or other people who have control over housing. As part of the initiative, the Justice Department developed a public service announcement and formed a joint task force with HUD to combat sexual harassment in housing. Since launching the Initiative in October 2017, the Department of Justice has filed 18 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing. Since January 2017, the Justice Department has filed or settled 23 cases alleging sexual harassment in housing and has recovered over $2.9 million for victims of such harassment.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals can report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mailing the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submitting a report online. Individuals can also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or filing a complaint online.     

CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged 15 Cincinnati men and one Chicago man with crimes related to Cincinnati gun violence in separate indictments unsealed here today. Six defendants were arrested late last week, and 10 were already in state custody.

U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers, ATF Special Agent in Charge Roland Herndon, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac and Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil announced the cases as part of a 2020 Summer Gun Violence Initiative.

The aim of the initiative is to identify repeat and dangerous offenders for federal prosecution.

The cases include multiple incidents of shots fired, defendants who allegedly threatened children with firearms at a school and an apartment complex, and a handful of individuals fighting in the street with weapons.

Each defendant is a convicted felon charged with illegally possessing a firearm, which is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Those charged include:

Name

Age

Daniel Ambrose

25

Ricardo Boyd

32

Kenneth Davis

22

Traevon Edwards

27

Willie Goldsmith

27

Darryl Johnson

28

Greg McIntosh

27

Richard Williams-Moore

23

Jeff Napier

34

Rashan Robinson

31

Jerome Rucker

22

Recardo Sims

26

Andreqio Stevens

41

Darren Thomas

32

Demetrius Williams

24

Terrance White, of Chicago,

26

Ambrose, Boyd, Goldsmith, Johnson, McIntosh and Sims were arrested on Friday.

The Cincinnati Police Gang Squad has been investigating Daniel Ambrose for his alleged responsibility in several shooting incidents in the Avondale neighborhood this August. Ambrose was arrested early Friday morning by ATF SWAT.

In February 2020, Ricardo Boyd was arrested on local domestic violence charges after assaulting a woman and a child. It is alleged that Boyd illegally possessed a firearm in his pants pocket at the time of the assault.

It is alleged that in September 2020, Recardo Sims and multiple other individuals were fighting on Bowling Green Court in Cincinnati. 911 calls indicate that at least four firearms were seen.

In the case pending against Andreqio Stevens, at least six people called 911 on May 12, 2020, to report that Stevens was allegedly standing in the parking lot of Eatondale Apartment Complex waving a gun and threatening to “kill everybody.” In some 911 calls, you can hear individuals screaming and warning others to “get in the house.” Callers describe being terrified, running away from Stevens and having children with them.

In January 2020, Daryl Johnson reportedly waved a gun at students at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in downtown Cincinnati.

U.S. Attorney DeVillers said federal investigations into Cincinnati gun violence will continue, and he anticipates more charges to come.

Criminal Chief Karl P. Kadon, OCDETF Deputy Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy, Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley N. Brucato, Kenneth L. Parker, Timothy D. Oakley, Jennifer Weinhold, Anthony Springer, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi, Zach Kessler and Jackie Stachowiak are representing the United States in these cases.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

CINCINNATI – A former prominent college basketball player, who currently plays professionally overseas, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for failing to file tax returns in the United States.

 

Yancy D. Gates, 31, of Cincinnati, was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay nearly $270,000 in restitution to the IRS for failing to pay his taxes.

 

According to court documents, since 2012, Gates has played professional basketball for teams in Lithuania, Israel, China Germany and France.

 

Gates earned anywhere from $80,000 for his first season to $80,000 per month during the season he played in China. In addition to his salary, Gates’ employer teams provided him with all of his needs while living abroad, including his apartment, utilities, a car, health insurance, transportation, and several round trip flights he could use for himself or for family and friends.

 

During the offseason, Gates would return to the Southern District of Ohio to live.

 

Gates knew he was required to report his foreign earned income on a U.S. tax return, but has never filed a return nor reported any of his income from playing professional basketball.

 

Gates was charged by a bill of information in August 2019 pleaded guilty in January 2020 to two counts of willfully failing to file tax returns. His case was unsealed today.

 

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Springer is representing the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #

DAYTON – In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced the launch of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S), a program aimed at reducing the supply of synthetic opioids in 10 high impact areas, including the Southern District of Ohio, and identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.

 

Under Operation SOS, the United States Attorneys in 10 districts with some of the highest drug overdose death rates in the country each designated a county where they would focus on prosecuting every readily available case involving fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids, regardless of the drug quantity.

“The Justice Department’s commitment to fighting the opioids epidemic is stronger than ever, and we are using every tool in our arsenal to disrupt the supply of these drugs on our streets,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen. “Operation SOS has had a significant positive impact on the communities where it is being employed. The Department will continue to build on these successes and work to stop the drug traffickers who so callously wreck lives.”

 

In Dayton, 106 defendants have been charged in federal court since the initiative started, including approximately 50 defendants charged in FY2020.

 

One Dayton case – U.S. v. Marco Villa et al. – involved the lead defendant arranging for bulk amounts of fentanyl to be shipped from Mexico to his grandmother’s house in Dayton where it was picked up and kept at various places around the city. When federal agents questioned him on June 26, 2019, they seized 483 grams of fentanyl at his house. The defendant intended to accept another 256 grams that day.

 

Villa was sentenced on Sept. 9 to 150 months in prison.

 

U.S. v. Anthony Franklin, et al. involves an individual who had previously served a nine-year state prison sentence for drug trafficking. On Oct. 22, 2019, after law enforcement observed activity consistent with drug transactions, including the delivery of what appeared to be a kilogram of narcotics by a courier, members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force executed a search warrant at a residence in Dayton, where they located three firearms, 1,205 grams of methamphetamine, 1,716 grams of fentanyl, 305 grams of heroin, drug processing equipment and 12 cell phones.

 

One of the recovered cell phones contained photographs of multiple kilograms of fentanyl and communications with a narcotics supplier. Through subsequent investigation, law enforcement recovered an additional 19.5 kilograms of fentanyl/carfentanil.

 

Another case involved defendant Robert Cartwright. On Oct. 9, 2019, members of the Dayton -based Regional Agencies Narcotics and Gun Enforcement Task Force (RANGE), working in conjunction with DEA Ft. Wayne, watched an Indiana-based distributor of heroin/fentanyl purchase approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from Cartwright in Dayton. On Oct. 17, 2019, RANGE executed a search warrant at Cartwright’s residence, and located 673.73 grams of fentanyl, a Glock 19, a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, $42,424 in cash, and drug processing equipment, including a hydraulic press and press parts, and five digital scales. 

 

Cartwright has pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing.

 

“Street drug dealers often mix or ‘cut’ their dope with fentanyl, a drug 50 times more powerful than pure heroin and so potent that a few grains the size of salt can kill a person,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “More than 230 people in Montgomery County have died from accidental illegal drug overdoses so far this year and statistically, it’s likely that many of the deaths can be tied to fentanyl.”

 

U.S. Attorney DeVillers commended the Assistant United States Attorneys and supporting staff of the Dayton U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in prosecuting more than 100 fentanyl cases over the past two years.

Nationally, since 2018, Operation SOS has resulted in approximately 750 defendants being charged in federal court, with 384 of those defendants charged thus far in FY 20. Most importantly, the districts participating in the program have seen a decline in opioid overdoses. From 2017 to 2019, most SOS counties reported a decline of 14% to 24%. One notable success was in the Western District of Pennsylvania, where the opioid overdose rates declined by nearly 45%.

 

The nine other participating districts and some of their successes include:

• The Eastern District of California has reported 60 active Operation S.O.S. investigations. Recently, the USAO charged one sentence-enhanced “death resulting” prosecution.  In February 2020, another investigation resulted in the seizure of over 20,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills.
• The Eastern District of Kentucky reported that an SOS investigation led to a residential search warrant and seizure of more than 1,300 grams of fentanyl, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, $15,000 cash, two firearms, and paraphernalia used to traffic narcotics including a device for pressing fentanyl into a brick-like shape
• The District of Maine reported a July 2020 arrest of a defendant on charges of distributing counterfeit fentanyl pills marked as Percocet, in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred in May 2020. In addition, a Maine man was sentenced in February 2020 to five years in prison for two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in connection with an incident where the defendant was found in possession of fentanyl less than 24 hours after he was released on a state summons for possession of fentanyl.
• The District of New Hampshire reported the October 2019 arrest of a man on a warrant for distributing fentanyl. Manchester Police Detectives executed a search warrant on a local drug-house, where they located approximately 850 grams of methamphetamine and 56 grams of fentanyl, several assault-style rifles, a handgun, ammunition, scales, safes, cash, and cellphones.   
• The Northern District of Ohio reported a 10-defendant wire case involving a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating out of Elyria and Sandusky, Ohio.  The DTO purchased kilogram quantities of cocaine and oxycodone pills.  Co-conspirators would later cook the cocaine and sell it as crack to local dealers in Elyria.  During the conspiracy, agents seized approximately ½ kilo of cocaine, 100 grams of crack, oxycodone pills, and five firearms.
• The Western District of Pennsylvania prosecuted 98 SOS cases thus far in FY 2020. Particularly noteworthy among them is the prosecution of Lynell Guyton. Guyton was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of cyclopropyl fentanyl and other charges, including firearms and money laundering violations.  Guyton, who had been receiving shipments of fentanyl analogues from China, is both a Career Offender and an Armed Career Criminal. The case gained media attention when, during the execution of a search warrant in connection with the charges, the conspirators tipped over a table, sending cyclopropyl fentanyl into the air, sickening several law enforcement officers on the scene.
• The Eastern District of Tennessee reported multiple cases arising out of a single investigation involving a drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking heroin and fentanyl from Michigan to various communities in the Eastern District of Tennessee. 29 defendants have been indicted on various charges, including drug trafficking conspiracy, overdose death enhancements, money-laundering conspiracy, and various firearms offenses.  More than 5.5 kilograms of heroin and/or fentanyl and 11 firearms were seized during the investigation. 
• The Northern District of West Virginia reported a July 21, 2020, 44- count indictment against 12 defendants.  During the nearly yearlong investigation, law enforcement officers seized more than 280 grams of cocaine base and more than 40 grams of fentanyl from one of the defendant’s residences in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Throughout the investigation, officers seized more than 280 grams of fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, and heroin; more than 350 grams of cocaine base; more than one kilogram of liquid PCP; various amounts of cocaine; five firearms; and over $28,000.
• The Southern District of West Virginia reported that after a three-day trial, a jury convicted Steven McCallister of distribution of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Officers conducted a 50-gram purchase of heroin from McCallister, which then led to the execution of a search warrant at McCallister’s home.  Officers seized over one kilogram of fentanyl and a firearm. 

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local man pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus last evening to participating in a racketeering conspiracy in Columbus on behalf of the transnational criminal organization MS-13.

 

In his plea, Pedro Alfonso Osorio-Flores, 41, of Columbus, accepts responsibility for his role in the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, the November 2015 murder of 17-year-old high school student Wilson Villeda, and the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz.

 

Parties involved in Osorio-Flores’ case have recommended a sentence of 40 to 45 years in prison.

 

The defendant, also known as “Smokey,” is one of 23 members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus charged in a February 2018 second superseding indictment. He is the nineteenth defendant to plead guilty.

The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.

According to court documents, in summer 2015, Osorio-Flores and other conspirators beat and stabbed Serrano-Ramos to death before placing his body in a shallow grave in the woods in Innis Park.

In the murder of Wilson Villeda, Osorio-Flores and others attacked and killed the victim with a machete and buried his body in a shallow grave near Serrano-Ramos’s remains in Innis Park.

 

In December 2016, Osorio-Flores surveilled murder victim Martinez-Diaz at the Resolute Athletic Complex before following him home. He provided location updates to fellow MS-13 members so that they could shoot and kill the victim upon his arrival home.

 

Osorio-Flores pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the guilty plea entered before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.

 

Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jose Salvador Gonzalez-Campos, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 472 months in prison for participating in murders on behalf of an MS-13 racketeering conspiracy.

 

According to court documents, Gonzalez-Campos, also known as “Danger,” took part in the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus and the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.

 

The government also presented evidence that Gonzalez-Campos directed MS-13 members in Houston to shoot and kill a 15-year-old girl.

 

In the early morning hours of February 16, 2017, three MS-13 members took Genesis Cornejo to a quiet street in Houston after telling her they were going to buy marijuana. While the victim stood on the side of the road, two of the gang members shot her in the head and chest and left her on the side of the road.

 

Law enforcement interviews and social media messages state Gonzalez-Campos ordered the murder, saying the girl “had to disappear” because she had been in a relationship with a rival 18th Street gang member.

 

In his own Facebook messages, Gonzalez-Campos said, “I told him to hit her, for him to send word on the line…For real, dog, they had two days to kill her.”

 

“This defendant and others butchered a 17-year-old victim with a machete, causing at least 92 traumatic fractures,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “Gonzalez-Campos also participated in the year-long planning of a second Columbus murder, in which the victim’s body was riddled with bullets. Finally, this defendant used his authority in the transnational criminal organization to direct fellow MS-13 members in Houston to kill a 15-year-old girl whom they believed had dated a rival gang member.”

 

Gonzalez-Campos is one of 23 individuals charged in a second superseding indictment in February 2018 who are alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.

The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.

Gonzalez-Campos distributed, and possessed with the intent to distribute, street-level quantities of cocaine and marijuana.

 

He and others conspired to commit extortion by obtaining money from various individuals through the use of threats of violence against the victims and their families. The co-conspirators used national and international wire transfer services to send money that they generated to individuals in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and the United States. The funds were used to purchase weapons and other items used in criminal activity, provide assistance to MS-13 members who had been incarcerated or deported, aid the families of gang members who had been killed, and otherwise support MS-13’s operations in Central America and the United States.

 

Gonzalez-Campos pleaded guilty in Sept. 2019 to one count of participating in a racketeering conspiracy and one count of murder through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A Sargus, Jr.

 

U.S. Attorney DeVillers also recognized the assistance of the Harris County, Texas District Attorney’s Office.

 

Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.

 

# # #

 

DAYTON – A husband and wife and their Findlay Market vendor, Busch’s Country Corner, Inc., were all sentenced in U.S. District Court today for food stamp fraud.

 

Michael D. Busch was sentenced to 12 months in prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. His wife, Amanda Jo Busch, was sentenced to five years of probation with eight months in home confinement, and 200 hours of community service.

 

Both of the Busches and the corporation were also ordered to pay $87,192 in restitution.

 

The Busches were convicted by a jury in Dayton following a two-week trial in June 2019.

 

According to court documents and trial testimony, from April 2010 until May 2018, Busch’s Country Corner co-owner Michael Busch, his wife, Amanda Jo Busch, and his brother, Randall S. Busch, illegally exchanged cash for SNAP benefits.

The defendants caused more than 195,000 individual SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) transactions to be completed by Busch’s Country Corner, totaling more than $5.4 million. According to witness testimony at trial, approximately 64 percent, or $3.4 million, of those SNAP transactions were fraudulent.

Co-conspirators used an electronic point of sale device in order to process EBT transactions for cash. For example, one transaction included a beginning EBT balance of $1,300 and an ending balance of $11.

Michael, Amanda Busch and Busch’s Country Corner were each convicted on all counts, including conspiracy to steal government funds, SNAP fraud and wire fraud.

Randall Busch, the brother of Michael Busch, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of probation.

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Anthony V. Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General Investigations, Midwest Region; Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; and Michelle Thourot, Agent-in-Charge, Ohio Investigative Unit, announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Dwight Keller and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Laura Clemmens represented the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Perry County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

 

John William Shade III, 39, of Thornville, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

 

According to court documents, the FBI received reports of Shade making multiple comments of a threatening nature on Twitter towards the President of the United States, as well as one comment directly towards a local Secret Service agent.

 

Shade’s comments about the agent on Twitter came several weeks after the agent attempted to speak with Shade at his residence regarding an incident at an event where the Vice President of the United States was a speaker.

 

Shade has a history of traveling within and out of state to attend political events and protests. On several occasions, his conduct at these events has resulted in charges related to trespassing, obstructing, invasion of privacy and carrying weapons.

 

For example, in April 2018, Shade and others traveled to Georgia to counter-protest a rally by the National Socialist Movement (NSM). Shade used a GoPro camera to record himself. In his videos, Shade discusses a Glock19 present in the vehicle and how he would shoot NSM leaders.

 

The same month, Shade traveled to the American Renaissance Conference in Tennessee and recorded himself on his GoPro and in conversations with others. In his recordings, he mentions serving as armed security for his group and leaving weapons at a camp to avoid law enforcement detection at a checkpoint. 

 

During a court-authorized law enforcement search of Shade’s home, items were found that the FBI Laboratory later concluded may be readily assembled into an improvised incendiary device, also known as a firebomb or Molotov cocktail. 

 

Shade admitted that he possessed firearms and ammunition after being convicted in Guernsey County Court of Common Pleas to robbery, a second-degree felony. He pleaded guilty to the federal charge in November 2019.

 

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

 

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for conspiring with her husband and others to steal at least 35 vehicles, earning more than half a million dollars by selling their parts.

 

Tina Imes, 41, was sentenced to 36 months in prison. In July 2019, her husband James A. Imes, 51, was sentenced to 120 months in prison.

 

According to court documents, from January 2013 until April 2014, defendants stole at least 35 vehicles to dismantle them and sell their parts throughout the Midwest, earning $10,000 to $15,000 per week. Co-conspirators operated chop shops in three locations on the West side of Columbus to traffic the car parts.

 

For example, one vehicle – a truck stolen from Buckeye Ford in London, Ohio – was registered in the name of the couple’s minor son and had a fraudulent VIN and title assigned to it after the theft.

 

Most of the vehicles were sold as parts or scrap to salvage yards. More valuable parts were sold on Craigslist through posts advertised in cities across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia.

 

During the destruction of the vehicles, HCFC refrigerant chemicals were released into the atmosphere when vehicle air conditioning tubes were cut.

 

As part of this investigation, agents spoke with Imes in October and November 2018 about a felony arrest warrant for her husband. Imes told U.S. Marshals that the couple planned to divorce, and that her husband had fled to Kentucky. In reality, Imes was delivering food and other supplies to her husband at an apartment on Plumway Drive in Columbus.

 

Imes pleaded guilty in February 2019.

 

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Laurie A. Stevenson announced the sentence handed down today by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan J.C. Grey and J. Michael Marous are representing the United States in this case. 

 

The case was investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Ohio EPA Special Investigations Unit, as well as the assistance from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus Division of Police Auto Theft Unit and Ohio State Highway Patrol Theft and Fraud Unit.

 

# # #

CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged three Florida men in a financial fraud conspiracy that allegedly involved stealing identities in order to fraudulently obtain credit, tax refunds, and COVID-19 stimulus checks. Several of the victims of their alleged scheme resided in the Southern District of Ohio.

 

Adesh Alvin Bissoon, 41, of Miami Beach, Fla.; Michael Jacques Joseph, 37, of Miami Beach, Fla.; and Victor Torres, 38, of Apollo Beach, Fla.; are charged with defrauding at least 11 banks.

 

According to the indictment, from 2012 through August 2020, the co-conspirators used the Dark Web to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) on individuals, including victims who at the time lived in the Southern District of Ohio.

 

As part of the conspiracy, the three defendants allegedly used the IRS’s eAuthentication service to verify that the stolen PII was accurate and therefore useful in furtherance of the fraud. After verifying the PII, the defendants allegedly filed fraudulent tax returns in the names of some of the victims, causing those victims’ tax refunds and COVID-19 stimulus checks to be deposited into bank accounts controlled by the defendants.

 

It is also alleged that the defendants used the victims’ information to create fraudulent Social Security cards and driver’s licenses, which they then used to open financial accounts in the victims’ names. The conspirators allegedly profited from the scheme by requesting convenience checks in high dollar amounts from the fraudulently opened accounts. Bissoon, Joseph and Torres also registered LLCs with states and the IRS in order to obtain business credit cards with higher credit limits, according to the five-count indictment.

 

Bissoon was initially charged by criminal complaint and released on bond in the Florida. The government later moved to revoke Bissoon’s pretrial release, alleging he had committed new crimes. On Aug. 28, United States Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz revoked Bissoon’s pretrial release after finding probable cause to believe that Bissoon had attempted to steal another $150,000 from a bank while on release by falsely claiming to be the victim of unauthorized bank transfers.

 

To date, agents have identified more than $1 million in suspected criminal proceeds flowing through accounts associated with Bissoon alone.

 

Each of the three defendants has now been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud (up to 30 years in prison), two counts of mail fraud affecting a financial institution (up to 30 years in prison) and two counts of aggravated identity theft (additional two years in prison).

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. Russell George, the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie D. Garcia and Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo are representing the United States in this case.

 

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

# # #

A Columbus, Ohio, attorney was sentenced to 18 months in prison today, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David DeVillers for the Southern District of Ohio.

According to documents and information provided to the court, Marcus “Marc” Dunn was a licensed attorney in Ohio. From 2007 until his client Dr. Kevin Lake died, Dunn advised and assisted Dr. Lake in legal matters relating to the operation of his clinics, including Columbus Southern Medical Clinic in Columbus, Ohio. At the time, Dunn specialized in tax law.

Around 2010, the IRS audited Dr. Lake’s entities. In response to an IRS revenue officer’s request for documentation supporting the entities’ claimed clinical equipment depreciation deductions, Dunn provided false “bills of sale” purporting to support the deductions, but which in fact falsely inflated the value of the equipment. At the same time that Dunn provided these inflated values to the IRS, he provided contradictory valuation information to third parties.

In 2011, Dunn filed petitions in U.S. Tax Court challenging the IRS’s determination that some of the audited entities owed additional taxes. The case was ultimately settled with an agreement that approximately $608,583 was due. When the IRS revenue officer attempted to collect the settlement amount in 2014, Dunn frustrated the IRS’s collection efforts by falsely representing that the relevant entities were defunct with no assets. In all, Dunn caused a tax loss of $513,960 to the United States.

On Nov. 26, 2018, Dunn pleaded guilty to corruptly endeavoring to impede and obstruct the IRS and the Supreme Court of Ohio suspended Dunn’s license to practice law in March 2019.

In January 2017, Dr. Lake pleaded guilty to drug, tax, and fraud charges, but died before sentencing in that case.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson ordered Dunn to serve 3 years of supervised release. Restitution to the government has already been paid using funds seized from Dr. Lake.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney DeVillers commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing and Carl F. Brooker of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Federal agents arrested seven men today in connection with a conspiracy to illegally traffic firearms to Canada.

 

A federal grand jury charged the co-conspirators in an indictment returned on Aug. 19 and unsealed this afternoon.

 

According to the indictment, the defendants acquired firearms both legally and illegally, stockpiled the firearms, and smuggled them to Canada in order to re-sell them for a profit.

 

It is alleged the group bought guns both through private sales and through straw purchases at gun shows.

 

For example, in April 2019, co-conspirators allegedly caused two individuals to conduct straw purchases of four firearms at the C&E Gun Show at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus.

 

Defendants would allegedly recruit female drivers to smuggle firearms across the border or to bring money back from Canada through promises of a free trip to Canada, payment, and access to drugs and alcohol.

 

In July 2018, more than $11,000 was seized by law enforcement from two of the defendants on one trip back to Ohio from Canada. Two months later, according to the indictment, more than $25,000 in cash was seized from two other defendants at the John Glenn International Airport.

 

The indictment details that on various occasions in 2019, individuals related to the conspiracy attempted to travel to Canada and were stopped by law enforcement. During each incident, multiple firearms were discovered in the vehicles.

 

In total, it is believed that the defendants conspired to smuggle more than 30 guns from Ohio to Canada from approximately July of 2018 through about the middle of 2019.

 

Those charged in the conspiracy include:

 

Name

Also Known As

Age

City of Residence

Omar Sharif Mohamed Hassan

O-Bandz

25

Columbus, Ohio

Jamil Jamal Abdalla

 

21

Columbus, Ohio

Mohamed Abdulkadir Mohamud

Bash

22

Columbus, Ohio

*Mohamed Abdi Hirad

Mo Trippin’, Trippin’

20

Columbus, Ohio

Abdirahim Mahmoud Dualeh

A.D.

24

Columbus, Ohio

*Shamarke Igal

Marke

24

Columbus, Ohio

Ahmed Ahmed

Seven

21

Columbus, Ohio

Abdiaziz Said Ahmed

Breezy

25

Columbus, Ohio

Ibrahim Ali

Ebey

24

Columbus, Ohio

*Mohamed Sharif Ali Mohamed

MoMo

22

Columbus, Ohio

Hussein Ahmed

 

23

Toronto, Canada

* Currently a fugitive

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan; United States Marshal Pete Tobin; Ohio Highway Patrol Superintendent Lt. Col. Richard Fambro; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Kelly A. Norris are representing the United States in this case.

 

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

The United States Marshals Service asks anyone with information regarding the location of the fugitives to submit an anonymous tip via text message to the USMS Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team. Text keyword “SOFAST” along with your tip to 847411.

 

# # #

CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged the two individuals allegedly involved in an Aug. 7 chase through Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of two bystanders in Newport, Ky. The indictment was returned Aug. 26 and unsealed today.

 

Mason Meyer, 28, and Kirsten Johnson, 22, both of Cincinnati, are charged federally with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

 

Meyer is also charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. In Campbell County, Ky., Meyer is charged with two counts of murder, endangerment, and fleeing and evading.

 

According to court documents, officials with the ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force were surveilling Meyer in Cincinnati on Aug. 7 when Meyer drove away.

 

Cincinnati Police officers attempted to stop Meyer when he fled, causing a police chase through Cincinnati and into Covington and Newport, Ky.

 

Local court documents detail that Meyer’s vehicle struck and killed a couple dining on the patio of Press on Monmouth in Newport, Ky. Two other pedestrians were struck and suffered minor injuries.

 

At the time of the chase, the federal indictment alleges Meyer and Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle.

 

The methamphetamine charge in this case is punishable by five to 40 years in prison. Possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a minimum of five years in prison. Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon carries a potential maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac and agencies with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Oakley and Jennifer K. Weinhold are representing the United States in this case.

 

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged Diamondo Valdez Butler, 39, of Columbus, with dealing fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death. Butler was arrested last night by authorities with the DEA and Gahanna Division of Police.

 

According to the indictment, on April 1, 2020, Butler distributed fentanyl that resulted in the death of a Gahanna man.

 

Butler, also known as “Yellow,” allegedly sold $70 worth of fentanyl to a friend of the deceased at a gas station on Cleveland Ave. The friend and the deceased traveled to the gas station together and each contributed $35 towards the purchase. The fentanyl was divided half to the deceased and half to the friend. The deceased used the fentanyl at his home in Gahanna and was discovered unresponsive the next morning. The coroner’s report indicates the cause of death was fentanyl intoxication.

 

Butler allegedly distributed fentanyl multiple other times in April and August.

 

He is charged in a nine-count indictment that was returned on Aug. 25. 

 

“Fentanyl trafficking is like playing Russian Roulette,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. Any given dose can kill someone, and if it does, that trafficker will face a minimum of 20 years in prison.”   

 

Distributing narcotics that result in death or serious bodily injury is a federal crime punishable by 20 years up to life in prison.

 

“These charges are a reminder of the lethality of fentanyl,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin. “The DEA continues to prioritize investigating drug dealing that results in death.”

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Gahanna Division of Police Chief Jeffrey Spence announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Prichard is representing the United States in this case.

 

An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

# # #

DAYTON – Gene Talley, 48 of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Dayton today to to 100 months in prison as the lead defendant in a Texas-to-Ohio heroin operation. He pleaded guilty in February to conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.

 

According to court documents, beginning in or about 2007, Talley met with another individual in Austin, Texas who agreed to provide controlled substances, including heroin, to Talley for distribution in the Southern District of Ohio.

 

As part of the scheme, Talley arranged for other individuals to collect the drugs and bring them to Ohio, and sent money back to the supplier through couriers. On three occasions, law enforcement intercepted the money, including: approximately $99,000 seized by police in Austin, Texas in December 2012; approximately $230,000 seized by police in Chicago in June 2015; and approximately $240,000 seized by police in Winfield, Texas. The seized money was Talley’s payment for multiple kilograms of heroin.

 

Four others charged as part of the scheme include Brianna Reid, Adriauna Smith, Syreeta Scruggs  and Kenneth Patterson.

 

Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the DEA’s Drug Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Andrew J. Hunt represented the United States in this case.

 

# # #

DAYTON – Two brothers originally from Dayton and four others were arrested in North Carolina today for their alleged participation in a narcotics conspiracy responsible for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl and cocaine to Dayton. 

 

Law enforcement authorities have seized narcotics, cash, and firearms from the drug trafficking organization on multiple occasions – including fentanyl, cocaine, cash and firearms seized from a search warrant executed at 1454 Ruskin Road on Nov. 4, 2019. It was during the execution of this search warrant that Dayton Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Detective Jorge Del Rio was shot and killed. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation was later named “Operation Never Forget.”

 

“This indictment alleges the group of men charged were responsible for providing local dealers with thousands of doses of fentanyl and cocaine,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not rest until we have traced every source of drug supply and held accountable every individual involved in this alleged conspiracy.”   

 

According to the indictment, from 2014 through August 2020, members of the conspiracy acquired bulk amounts of cocaine and fentanyl from suppliers in Los Angeles and Houston. The co-conspirators transported the cocaine and fentanyl to Charlotte, N.C., where they processed and repackaged the cocaine and fentanyl for resale in southern Ohio and North Carolina. 

 

Local distributors in southern Ohio allegedly purchased kilogram quantities of the cocaine and fentanyl for resale, and thousands of unit dosages of the drugs were distributed throughout southern Ohio.

 

The indictment further alleges that the members of the conspiracy collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds. The Government seeks to forfeit more than $686,000 in cash seized during the investigation.

 

The defendants are all charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Those charged include:

 

Name

Also Known As

Age

City of Residence

Roger Earl Walton, Jr.

Mike

41

Concord, N.C. (formerly of Dayton)

Shawn Dwayne Walton

Swoop

46

Charlotte, N.C. (formerly of Dayton)

Noah Alexander Sherrill

704 Noah

33

Charlotte, N.C. (formerly of Dayton)

Rauland Pollard, III

Saki, Sockey

35

Dayton

Glynn Sewell

Frezzy

39

Charlotte, N.C. (formerly of Dayton)

Louis Walton

 

22

Charlotte, N.C.

 

If convicted, the defendants face at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl announced the charges. 

 

The case is the result of the cooperative efforts of the DEA, led by the Dayton Resident Office and including DEA offices in Charlotte, N.C., Greensboro, N.C., Beaumont, Texas, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, Annandale, Va., and the Special Operations Division; as well as FBI and ATF. These federal agencies worked closely with the Dayton, Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Beaumont police departments, and the Central Oklahoma Metro Interdiction Team (COMIT).

 

Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth R. Rabe and Amy M. Smith are representing the United States in this case.

 

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

# # #

DAYTON – Garry Weatherbie, 65, of Franklin, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography after being convicted of prior sex offenses.

 

According to court documents, on Feb. 6, 2019, Weatherbie possessed more than 600 images of child sexual abuse on his tablet.

 

At the time, Weatherbie was on parole after being released from the Chillicothe Correctional Institution, where he served an eight-year sentence for pandering sexual material involving a minor. Weatherbie was previously convicted in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.

 

A federal complaint affidavit details that investigators took Weatherbie into custody in February 2019 on allegations of sexual assault. While searching the defendant’s residence, they discovered the child pornography on his tablet.

 

Weatherbie pleaded guilty to the federal charge in February 2020.

 

“This case is a reminder that possessing child pornography is not a victimless crime,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “Even if you do not create the child pornography, you can face significant time in federal prison.”

 

“Today’s significant sentencing removes from the community a repeat child predator, who shockingly continued his predatory behavior while on parole for similar crimes,” said Vance Callender, HSI special agent in charge for Michigan and Ohio. “There is no place in our society for those who prey on children. HSI and its partners will continue to aggressively target those who exploit children.”

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Vance Callender, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Franklin, Ohio Police Chief Russ Whitman announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt is representing the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Mount Vernon couple pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to accepting federal mortgage assistance in Ohio while living in another state and renting the Ohio property to a tenant.

 

Christopher Lee Horn, 58, and Sondra Horn, 57, both of Richville, Minn., pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program.

 

Part of the relief programs funds targeted aid to families in states hit hard by the 2008 economic and housing market downturn. The program provided state housing finance agencies funding to develop locally tailored foreclosure prevention solutions. In Ohio, the housing finance agency created “Save the Dream Ohio,” a statewide program focused on unemployed and underemployed homeowners at risk of mortgage loan default or foreclosure.

 

According to court documents, the Horns admitted to receiving more than $14,000 in Save the Dream Ohio mortgage assistance funds to which they were not entitled.

 

In September 2014, the couple received more than $2,800 in rescue payment assistance and was approved to receive 18 monthly mortgage assistance payments of $692 each for their property at 18 Marion Street in Mount Vernon.

 

Also in September 2014, Christopher and Sondra Horn negotiated to rent their Marion Street residence to a tenant for $655 per month. In later months, the amount increased. The couple requested the tenant pay his monthly rent in cash or personal check to a third party, who then deposited the money into a joint credit union account controlled by the Horns.

 

Each pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit theft of government property, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

 

“Today the defendants join 388 defendants convicted of crimes the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief (SIGTARP) investigated,” said Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero. “Christopher and Sondra Horn knowingly defrauded a TARP program that helps unemployed homeowners stay in their primary home. The Special Inspector General commends the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio for standing with SIGTARP to combat rescue fraud.”

 

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero, Troubled Asset Relief Program; announced the plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Sheila G. Lafferty is representing the United States in this case.

 

# # #

DAYTON – Juwan Chino Dillard, of Dublin, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 270 months in prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.

 

According to court documents, Dillard participated in a drug trafficking organization that used residences and storage units in Dublin and Columbus to maintain a fentanyl distribution conspiracy.

 

In November 2018, investigators searched the properties and discovered 59 grams of fentanyl, a hydraulic press commonly used by drug traffickers to press kilogram quantities of narcotics, kilogram press plates and molds, models of Gucci and Louis Vuitton brand emblems for pressing into the narcotics and a written ledger indicated prices per kilogram of different narcotics.

 

Several bags of bulk cash were discovered in the storage facility on Old Avery Road in Dublin.

 

The court determined that the conspiracy was responsible for more than eight kilograms of fentanyl. In addition, law enforcement authorities seized more than $360,000 in this case.  

 

Dillard pleaded guilty in the narcotics conspiracy in July 2019.

 

David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed on Aug. 18 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Dwight K. Keller is representing the United States in this case.

 

 

# # #