Eastern District of Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Eugene Johnson, 54, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh for committing an armed bank robbery in North Philadelphia.

In January 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges including armed bank robbery and using, carrying and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges arose from an incident in February 2021, when Johnson entered the Citizens Bank branch at Germantown Avenue and Broad Street in the Nicetown section of the city armed with a loaded Glock semi-automatic handgun and stood in line to wait for a teller. When the defendant approached the victim teller, he placed two $20 bills in the teller window tray and stated, “I need change, I need ones,” and the teller handed Johnson forty $1.00 dollar bills. Johnson then shoved a plastic bag through the teller window slot and stated, “Give me everything, give me everything, give me everything!,” and “I got a gun,” while putting his right hand down by his right hip. The teller, fearing for her life, filled the bag with money and gave it to the defendant. Johnson then walked away from the teller counter and entered the vestibule at the front entrance of the bank, while the teller activated the bank’s alarm system. Upon activation, Johnson became trapped in the man-trap security system doors and was locked inside. The defendant then fired several rounds from his semi-automatic handgun into the glass door of the front entrance in an effort to escape before he was arrested by a responding officer.

“This defendant terrified and threatened the lives of bank employees who were just attempting to do their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “And when he became detained in the bank’s security system, he lashed out and recklessly fired his weapon – an action which could have resulted in injuries or death. This case demonstrates why our All Hands On Deck initiative is so important: we are investigating and prosecuting the most dangerous criminals to get them off the streets and behind bars.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney José R. Arteaga.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced today that former U.S. Congressman Michael “Ozzie” Myers, 79, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to deprive voters of civil rights, bribery, obstruction of justice, falsification of voting records, and conspiring to illegally vote in a federal election for orchestrating schemes to fraudulently stuff the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Pennsylvania elections.

39th Ward, 36th Division

Specifically, Myers admitted in court to bribing the Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia, Domenick J. Demuro, in a fraudulent scheme over several years. Demuro, who was charged separately and pleaded guilty in May 2020, was responsible for overseeing the entire election process and all voter activities of his Division in accord with federal and state election laws.

The voting machines at each polling station, including in the 39th Ward, 36th Division, generate records in the form of a printed receipt documenting the use of each voting machine. This printed receipt, also known as the “results receipt,” shows the vote totals, and the Judge of Elections and other Election Board Officials at each polling place attest to the accuracy of machine results.

Myers admitted to bribing Demuro to illegally add votes for certain candidates of their mutual political party in primary elections. Some of these candidates were individuals running for judicial office whose campaigns had hired Myers, and others were candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices that Myers favored for a variety of reasons. Myers would solicit payments from his clients in the form of cash or checks as “consulting fees,” and then use portions of these funds to pay Demuro and others to tamper with election results.

After receiving payments ranging from between $300 to $5,000 per election from Myers, Demuro would add fraudulent votes on the voting machine – also known as “ringing up” votes – for Myers’ clients and preferred candidates, thereby diluting the value of ballots cast by actual voters. At Myers’ direction, Demuro would add these fraudulent votes to the totals during Election Day, and then would later falsely certify that the voting machine results were accurate. Myers is also accused of directing Demuro to lie to investigators about the circumstances of the bribes and the ballot-stuffing scheme.

39th Ward, 2nd Division

Myers also admitted to conspiring to commit election fraud with a former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 2nd Division in South Philadelphia, Marie Beren. Beren, who was charged separately and pleaded guilty in October 2021, was the de facto Judge of Elections and effectively ran the polling places in her division by installing close associates to serve as members of the Board of Elections. Myers admitted that he gave Beren directions to add votes to candidates supported by him, including candidates for judicial office whose campaigns actually hired Myers, and other candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices preferred by Myers for a variety of reasons.

Myers acknowledged in court that on almost every Election Day, Myers transported Beren to the polling station to open the polls. During the drive to the polling station, Myers would advise Beren which candidates he was supporting so that Beren knew which candidates should be receiving fraudulent votes. Inside the polling place and while the polls were open, Beren would advise actual in-person voters to support Myers’ candidates and also cast fraudulent votes in support of Myers’ preferred candidates on behalf of voters she knew would not or did not physically appear at the polls.

During Election Day itself, Myers conferred with Beren via cell phone while she was at the polling station about the number of votes cast for his preferred candidates. Beren would report to Myers how many “legit votes,” meaning actual voters, had appeared at the polls and cast ballots. If actual voter turnout was high, Beren would add fewer fraudulent votes in support of Myers’ preferred candidates. From time to time, Myers would instruct Beren to shift her efforts from one of his preferred candidates to another. Specifically, Myers would instruct Beren “to throw support” behind another candidate during Election Day if he concluded that his first choice was comfortably ahead.

Beren and her accomplices from the Board of Elections would then falsify the polling books and the List of Voters and Party Enrollment for the 39th Ward, 2nd Division, by recording the names, party affiliation, and order of appearances for voters who had not physically appeared at the polling station to cast his or her ballot in the election. Beren took pains to ensure that the number of ballots cast on the machines was a reflection of the number of voters signed into the polling books and the List of Voters. After the polls closed on Election Day, Beren and her associates would falsely certify the results.

“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If even one vote has been illegally cast or if the integrity of just one election official is compromised, it diminishes faith in process,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Votes are not things to be purchased and democracy is not for sale. If you are a political consultant, election official, or work with the polling places in any way, I urge you to do your job honestly and faithfully. That is what the public deserves and what the federal government will enforce.”

“One thing you can say about Ozzie Myers: his values have long been out of whack,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Decades ago, he valued a fake sheikh’s bribes more than the ethical obligations of his elected federal office. This time around, he valued his clients’ money and his own whims more than the integrity of multiple elections and the will of Philadelphia voters. Free and fair elections are critical to the health of our democracy, which is why protecting the legitimacy of the electoral process at every level is such a priority for the FBI.”

“The guilty plea entered today is a satisfying culmination of tireless work by our Pennsylvania State Troopers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice.  It is imperative the citizens of this Commonwealth have faith in a fair voting process.  We will remain committed to prioritizing these investigations and working with our federal partners to fully investigate and prosecute anyone who attempts to impede or alter the election process.”  Captain James Cuttitta, Director, Special Investigations Division, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric L. Gibson and Richard P. Barrett with assistance from Richard C. Pilger, Director of Elections Crimes Branch, Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, U.S. Department of Justice.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Michael Goldner, 51, of Malvern, PA, was convicted today at trial of tax evasion and failing to file tax returns, charges arising from his scheme to use his cash and his employer’s business bank accounts to hide his actual income and therefore avoid paying his legitimate tax obligations.

In June 2021, the defendant was charged by Indictment, and a Superseding Indictment was filed in November 2021 charging the defendant with one count of tax evasion and two counts of failure to file personal income tax returns. Evidence presented at trial showed that for the tax years 2013 through 2017, Goldner reported more than $4 million in income and $1.8 million in tax due, of which he paid less than $100,000. Further, from 2016 to 2020, the defendant evaded the payment of these outstanding taxes while earning a substantial income. Instead of depositing his paychecks into a personal bank account, he cashed the checks and used his employer’s business accounts to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal expenses, including rent, a second home, groceries, private school and dance lessons for his child, country club dues, and restitution from a prior fraud conviction for which he was on federal probation. For the years 2016 and 2017, the defendant filed tax returns that failed to report this additional income from his employer. For tax years 2018 and 2019, the defendant failed to file a return altogether.

“The American tax system provides government services critical to our people,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Every time someone cheats the tax system, the burden of providing vital services increases on taxpayers who pay their fair share. As a professional accountant, this defendant knew what his obligations were and willfully chose to ignore them, even while he was on federal probation for a previous fraud conviction. The jury’s verdict has sent a clear message that tax cheats will not be tolerated.”

“Mr. Goldner went through great lengths to not pay taxes, including hiding money from the IRS,” said Yury Kruty, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “In all the steps he took to hide his money, he failed to account for the hallmark expertise IRS Special Agents possess when it comes to following the money. Mr. Goldner thought he could fly under the radar, but the verdict returned today shows how futile his efforts were.”

“‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’ really shouldn’t be a fraudster’s mantra,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “But Michael Goldner apparently thought he’d give it a whirl. Hopefully, this second federal conviction will be more impactful than his first. To put it plainly: if you keep defrauding the government and cheating honest taxpayers, the FBI and our partners are going to keep locking you up.”

The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Ignall and Department of Justice Trial Attorney for the Criminal Division’s Tax Section Jack Morgan.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that four individuals from Reading, PA, were convicted at trial of offenses including conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion of a minor; various violent crimes in aid of racketeering offenses including kidnapping and assaults with dangerous weapons; sex trafficking including of minors; and firearms offenses; all arising from their membership and association in a violent gang called “The Sevens,” which took control and operated out of a 50-room boarding house on South 4th Street in the City of Reading. 

The individuals convicted at trial are:

• Shaquile Newson, 29;
• Alexander Malave, 31;
• Karvarise Person, 33;
• James Goode, 47.

In January 2020, fourteen defendants were charged by Superseding Indictment in connection with this case. The charges stemmed from a years’ long investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Reading Police Department into a racketeering conspiracy operating out of the boarding house as far back as December 2017 until roughly March 2019. Evidence presented at trial showed that multiple acts of violence in furtherance of the criminal enterprise were carried out as well as numerous acts involving the sex trafficking and attempted sex trafficking of women and minors.   Victims were raped, shot, assaulted with batons, stabbed with a knife, and hit with a hammer. A minor was forced to have a sexual encounter with a gun held to her head.  Sexually explicit photographs of a minor were also used to advertise the gang’s sex trafficking business. All fourteen people originally indicted have now been convicted of charges related to this case.

“The Sevens gang was a vicious and depraved group of sadistic thugs who clearly had no reservations about using and destroying human beings for their own greed,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Thanks to the hard work of the trial team and investigators, we have stopped this violence and the Sevens will no longer menace the streets of Reading. Our Office is committed to working with all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to rid our District of the scourge of human trafficking and the trauma that it inflicts.”

“The defendants in this case committed truly heinous acts, treating living, breathing human beings like commodities for their own greed and profit.  With this verdict, we hope the victims traumatized by The Sevens gang receive a measure of justice key to their healing,” said Homeland Security Investigations, Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker. “This investigation took years to conduct and the single-minded commitment of HSI special agents, Reading Police Department detectives and officers, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  HSI is grateful to our partners and will continue with our dedication to dismantle human trafficking operations and connect victims with services they need.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Reading Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sherri A. Stephan and Justin Ashenfelter.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anthony Jones, 38, of Wilmington, DE, was sentenced to 21 years in prison, 10 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $15,160 in restitution to his victims by United States District Court Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro for his role in a sex trafficking ring that victimized vulnerable children and young women throughout the mid-Atlantic.

In April 2019, following a two-week trial, the defendant was found guilty of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and three counts of sex trafficking of minors by force, fraud, and coercion.

The evidence at trial showed that Anthony Jones helped manage the sex trafficking enterprise led by co-defendant Dkyle Bridges. The multi-year sex trafficking conspiracy preyed on teenage girls and young women looking for a home and support. Once lured into the trafficking circle, the victims were compelled to engage in commercial sex acts in southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and elsewhere, for the co-defendants’ financial benefit. Co-defendant Bridges used violent and coercive tactics to force the victims to remain in his sex trafficking operation – including pouring water on them to keep them awake, choking them, and assaulting them. Defendant Anthony Jones, and his co-defendant and brother Kristian Jones, helped Bridges run the ring by handling logistics including providing security, collecting money, and reserving hotel rooms.

The investigation began in November 2016, when a Tinicum Township police officer stopped a vehicle that had recently left a hotel known to be frequented by individuals engaged in prostitution. The driver admitted to the officer that he had just met a prostitute at the hotel and had arranged the “date” through a website called Backpage.com. Law enforcement went to the room that the customer had visited, and discovered Kristian Jones, two minor girls, condoms, and cell phones containing communications with Bridges about the sex trafficking conspiracy.  The room had been rented by Anthony Jones.  

Bridges and Kristian Jones were also convicted after trial for their roles in this sex trafficking conspiracy and both were sentenced last year. Bridges was sentenced to 35 years in prison; and Kristian Jones was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

“Anthony Jones and his coconspirators used the bodies of children for their own financial benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This sentence of 21 years and the decades-long sentences handed down to his codefendants reflect the seriousness with which the federal justice system will treat defendants convicted of sex trafficking offenses. We will continue to work collectively to investigate and prosecute these destructive crimes committed against some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”

“Anthony Jones and his co-defendants sexually exploited women and girls for profit, across multiple years and state lines,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “All have now been brought to justice and received lengthy prison sentences, which we hope will bring their victims some comfort. The FBI and our partners are working every day to shut down these predatory sex traffickers who see vulnerable human beings as little more than walking dollar signs. If you’re being victimized, or know of someone being trafficked, please reach out to us at 215-418-4000 or tips.fbi.gov. You can do so anonymously if you like.”

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

The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia with assistance from the Tinicum Township Police Department; Newark, Delaware Police Department; Delaware State Police; Delaware River Bay Authority; and Philadelphia Police Department; and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza and Department of Justice Trial Attorney with the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) Jessica L. Urban.

A Delaware man was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for trafficking minor and young adult victims throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

Anthony Jones, 38, of Wilmington, Delaware, was convicted by a federal jury in April 2019 following a 14-day trial. Jones was found guilty of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors by force, fraud or coercion, and of sex trafficking three minors by force, fraud or coercion. According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, Jones and his codefendants – Dkyle Bridges and Kristian Jones – ran a prostitution enterprise in which girls and young women were sex trafficked throughout southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and elsewhere. Bridges was the violent ringleader who used force and threats to cause the victims to engage in commercial sex acts. Kristian and Anthony Jones helped Bridges run the ring, including by providing security and reserving hotel rooms. The investigation began in November 2016 when local police rescued minors who had been advertised for prostitution on Backpage.com, and subsequent investigation uncovered additional victims.

Jones was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,160 in restitution to the victims.

Bridges was sentenced in March 2021 to 35 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $53,000 in restitution to the victims. Kristian Jones was sentenced in June 2021 to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $15,160 in restitution to the victims.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case with substantial assistance from the Tinicum Township Police Department; Newark Police Department; Delaware State Police; Philadelphia Police Department; Delaware River & Bay Authority and Wilmington Police Department.

Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Priya T. De Souza of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Tyleel Scott-Harper, 25, of Chester, PA, was sentenced to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Chief Judge Juan R. Sanchez for narcotics and firearms offenses in furtherance of the activities of the violent street gang, Third Bone, that sold large amounts of crack, cocaine, and heroin in downtown Chester, PA.

In October 2019, 22 individuals including the defendant were arrested and charged in parallel indictments with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. These 22 defendants were members of rival drug trafficking groups operating next to each other in territories occupying the west side of Chester.  The two rival groups were the “3rd Bone” (or “3BM”) and the “William Penn” (“the Pen” or “Ject Boyz”).

Scott-Harper and 12 of his “3rd Bone” co-conspirators were charged in a 70-count Indictment alleging conspiracy to distribute crack, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin (one count); distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (57 counts); unlawful use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug felony (five counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (three counts); felon in possession of a firearm (two counts); and aiding and abetting. As a member of 3rd Bone, Scott-Harper infused a dangerous drug into the community of Chester, and used violence and threats of violence to control the group’s territory and enforce drug debts. For his part, in August 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of crack cocaine, use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

“The defendant and his co-conspirators in 3rd Bone, together with the defendants in the William Penn gang, terrorized the Chester community for years with their drug dealing and associated violence,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Scott-Harper dealt dangerous narcotics and illegally possessed weapons to further his drug-dealing business, and for that he will now spend nearly a decade in prison. Thanks to the efforts of investigators at the FBI and DEA, the 3rd Bone and William Penn drug operations have been permanently shut down, making the streets safer and improving the quality of life for the Chester community.”

“Tyleel Scott-Harper and his 3rd Bone crew used threats and violence to maintain control of their territory, as they steadily poisoned the city of Chester by dealing dangerous drugs,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to freeing our communities from the clutches of violent drug gangs, which have zero regard for the incredible damage they do to people’s lives and quality of life.”

"Chester is a community that has been disproportionately affected by the drug trade," said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. "That Scott-Harper was in a gang that engaged in the sale of multiple dangerous street drugs and used firearms to protect and further their drug-trafficking activities adversely impacted the overall quality of life for the citizens of Chester."

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. It is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Chester Police Department Narcotics Unit, with assistance from the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, the Delaware County Drug Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Task Force, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, the Chester Township Police Department, the Ridley Township Police Department, and the Sharon Hill Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meaghan Flannery and Matthew Newcomer.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Mitchell Spivack, 62, of Collegeville, PA, was charged by Information with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and healthcare fraud. These charges are the result of a joint investigation between the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

As alleged in the Information, Spivack owned Verree Pharmacy located in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia and was the pharmacist in charge. Verree operated as a small neighborhood pharmacy for more than thirty years. During that time in business, Spivack and his coconspirators allegedly cultivated Verree’s reputation as an “easy fill” and “no questions asked” pharmacy for oxycodone and other dangerous and addictive opioid drugs. By 2016, Verree was the largest purchaser of oxycodone among retail pharmacies in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Spivack and his coconspirators filled prescriptions for wholesale quantities of high-dose oxycodone despite obvious alterations to the prescriptions and other red flags indicating that the drugs were not for a legitimate medical purpose. In addition, Spivack and other employees of Veree submitted entirely fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs for prescription drugs not dispensed. These drugs were designated in patient profiles as “BBDF” which was an acronym for “Bill But Don’t Fill.” From 2013 through 2019, Medicare and other insurers paid over $450,000 for these bogus claims.

“Pharmacies and pharmacists engage in the deepest violation of the community’s trust when they exploit their access to opioids and other controlled substances and illegally dispense the drugs for their own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “It is even more disturbing when pharmacists take advantage of their position of trust by fraudulently billing Medicare and other federal health care programs for bogus prescription drugs. Our Office will use every resource it has to pursue and hold these individuals accountable. I am grateful for the support and investigative teamwork that the DEA, HHS-OIG, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office provided in this important matter.”

“We know that nearly 80% of those who use heroin first started with misusing a prescription opioid,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “The defendant is charged with filling prescriptions outside of medical standards for the highly addictive drug oxycodone. Diversion of these drugs perpetuates the existing opioid crisis that killed 5,438 Pennsylvanians last year. Pharmacies and medical professionals have a responsibility under the law to dispense these drugs only when appropriate. Our office is committed to continuing to work with our federal partners to hold medical professionals like Mitchell Spivack accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, a special assessment and an order of restitution.

If the public has any information regarding Verree Pharmacy or any other health care fraud allegation, individuals should contact the HHS-OIG hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil suit against Spivack, his company, and employees alleging healthcare fraud and violations of the Controlled Substances Act. The criminal case was investigated by the Philadelphia Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, HHS-OIG, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation. The criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney M. Beth Leahy and Special Assistant United States Attorney Linda Montag, who was specially designated by the AG. The civil case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony D. Scicchitano.  

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Brian David Cortes, a/k/a “Bambi”, 36, of Allentown, PA, was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison, and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl for the distribution of the dangerous narcotic fentanyl.

In February 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing heroin and fentanyl. The charges stemmed from a 2021 investigation into drug-trafficking activities occurring at the defendant’s barbershop on Tilghman Street and his garage on North 4th Street, both in Allentown. Law enforcement conducted multiple controlled buys of fentanyl from the defendant and other individuals during the investigation and in June 2021 executed numerous search warrants at residences and the two businesses, leading to the seizure of over 1,000 grams of fentanyl and $100,000.

“Fentanyl is one of the deadliest narcotics flooding the streets of our country, and this defendant made sure there was a steady supply of it right here in eastern Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Cortes operated two successful, legitimate businesses, but that wasn’t enough.  So he let his greed corrupt those enterprises, turning them into drug trafficking locations. Our Office is doing everything it can to uncover and disrupt these dangerous operations.”

"Illicit fentanyl is a dangerous street drug that has had a devastating and deadly impact across the Commonwealth and the nation at large," said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  "That Cortes distributed significant amounts of fentanyl out of his legitimate businesses is all the more troubling." 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing "Illicit fentanyl is a dangerous street drug that has had a devastating and deadly impact across the Commonwealth and the nation at large," said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division.  "That Cortes distributed significant amounts of fentanyl out of his legitimate businesses is all the more troubling." all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Allentown Residence Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles J. Volkert, Jr.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Daniel Castelli, 68, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised release by United States District Court Senior Judge R. Barclay Surrick for racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

In January 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment stemming from his involvement in criminal activity with and for the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra, also known as the LCN, the mafia, and the mob. The Philadelphia LCN is one of a number of LCN organized crime families based in various cities throughout the United States. The goal of the LCN in Philadelphia and elsewhere is to make money through the commission of various crimes, including illegal gambling, loansharking, drug trafficking, and extortion.

According to court documents, and the defendant’s guilty plea, Castelli was an associate of the LCN who worked with LCN members and other associates to commit crimes such as drug trafficking, extortion, and loansharking. The defendant pled guilty to his involvement with the LCN for that conduct as well as for an effort in 2016 to obtain a kilogram of cocaine, intended for later resale, on behalf of other LCN members and associates.

“Even though the Philadelphia mob has been weakened over the decades due in large part to persistent law enforcement, the organization and its criminal activities are still very much a problem and are damaging the communities in which it operates,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting anyone who is committing serious federal crimes like these, and we will not rest until the mob is nothing but a bad memory.”  

“The Philadelphia LCN is committed to criminality, it seems, with Daniel Castelli admitting he took part,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He helped the organization make money through all manner of illegal activity, including drug dealing, posing a clear danger to the community. The FBI will continue to target those engaged in organized crime, as we work every day to make Philadelphia safer.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including its Philadelphia Field Division and Atlantic City Resident Agency, as part of a long-running investigation, with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Ortiz and Justin Ashenfelter, and Trial Attorneys Alexander Gottfried and Brendan Woods of the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Organized Crime and Gang Section.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Jason Weigand, 51, of Sinking Springs, PA, was convicted at trial on thirty counts involving multiple charges of fraud, money laundering and identity theft arising from his elaborate scheme to steal money from his own financial advisory clients.

In October 2017, the defendant was charged by Indictment, which was then superseded several times. Further, while the defendant was out on bail awaiting trial, he committed additional fraud crimes, which resulted in a second indictment. Weigand was ultimately charged with thirty counts involving multiple counts each of wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, interstate transportation of stolen property, unauthorized access to a computer, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and committing offenses while on bail.

During the nearly 15 years that he served as an investment advisor and proclaimed himself a knowledgeable and reputable source of investment advice, the defendant repeatedly stole money from his clients and went to great lengths to cover up his thefts. Weigand laundered the stolen funds by passing them through a variety of bank accounts, and he even hacked into one client’s email account and accessed emails between the client and another investment advisor.

“Weigand has proven himself to be serial fraudster with no respect for the law or the fiduciary obligations of a financial advisor, and today a jury agreed,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Rather than serving his clients, he served himself. Prosecuting financial fraud, and thereby safeguarding innocent investors who stand to lose everything, will always be a priority for this Office.”

“With today’s guilty verdict, Jason Weigand’s victims may finally find some closure on their abuse at the hands of this serial fraudster,” said Postal Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division Damon Wood.  “Mr. Wiegand was dishonest in his dealing with them, and not surprisingly, that dishonesty extended through trial.  Fortunately, a jury saw through his dishonesty and found him guilty of fraud. Postal Inspectors, picking up the work of investigators from the Pennsylvania State Department of Banking and Securities, along with prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office, saw this investigation through seven years of delays, a pandemic, continued criminal conduct by the defendant, and a nearly three-week trial.  I applaud the tireless efforts of the investigators and prosecutors on this case.”

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Department of Banking and Securities, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Shapiro and Christopher J. Mannion.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Bruce Minor, 46, of Philadelphia, PA, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney in connection with his scheme to embezzle money from his former employer, the Philadelphia Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).

In April 2022, the defendant was charged in a one-count Criminal Information with theft of government funds stemming from his theft of $487,000 in Veterans Affairs travel reimbursement funds, which he helped administer as part of his official duties as an travel clerk. In order to perpetrate the theft, Minor created fraudulent travel reimbursement claims in the names of at least three other VAMC employees and then diverted the fraudulently obtained funds into bank accounts he controlled. According to court documents, in an email to VAMC management, the defendant admitted to stealing approximately $13,000 in travel funds, though subsequent investigation showed that he stole upwards of $487,000 between December 2015 and September 2019.

“Injured veterans – and all Americans – deserve public employees who do their jobs honestly, without gaming the system to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “While the VA was focused on providing high-quality care and programs to the men and women who served our country, the defendant selfishly took advantage of his position to perpetrate this fraud scheme and cheat the taxpayers who fund these services.”

“Today’s guilty plea should send a message to those who would use their position to steal taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “This greed wastes precious funds that could otherwise be used to provide care and benefits to our nation’s veterans. The VA OIG appreciates the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office throughout this investigation and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold wrongdoers accountable.”

The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Antoine Jordan-Harris, 22, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Karen S. Marston for his participation in a robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store during a period of civil unrest in Philadelphia.

In April 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The charges arose from an incident in the early morning hours of October 27, 2020, when the defendant—armed with a baseball bat and a handgun—entered a 7-Eleven on North Broad Street. Moments later, and without provocation, the defendant lifted his bat and proceeded to strike and break a television and multiple displays throughout the store. With the baseball bat in his left hand, the defendant approached the checkout counter and removed a handgun from his hoodie pocket. The defendant raised the handgun at the cashier who ducked behind the counter for cover. Then, the defendant reached over the counter, pointed the handgun at the cashier, and demanded the money from the store register. The defendant continued to point the handgun at the cashier and began to count down from 10 while the cashier struggled to empty the registers. After receiving the money, the defendant fled from the store.

“The defendant was so determined to rob this store that he came prepared to terrify and intimidate with two different weapons,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “His complete disregard for other people and for the law is appalling. Hopefully others will learn from the example set by this case -- if you rob a store in Philadelphia with a firearm, you are going to face serious federal prison time as a result. Our Office is committed to being ‘All Hands On Deck’ working with our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice.”

“As a result of this sentencing, Philadelphia is a safer place for our citizens,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This incredibly violent crime is exactly what ATF, and our law enforcement partners are committed to investigating. We will continue to identify the most violent offenders and see they are held accountable for their heinous acts.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roberta Benjamin and Lauren Stram.

Two New Jersey men have pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for their roles in falsifying vehicle titles as part of a long-running odometer roll-back scheme.

According to court documents, Felix Granowski, 58, of Matawan, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Granowski owned a used car dealership based in New Jersey. Today, Alec Morgunov, 34, of Manalapan, also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in connection with his work at Granowski’s dealership.

As part of their plea agreements, Granowski and Morgunov admitted that between 2012 and 2016, they engaged in a scheme to sell high-mileage, used vehicles with false, low-mileage readings entered on the vehicles’ odometers and titles. According to court filings, the defendants purchased high-mileage vehicles from individuals, arranged to alter the vehicles’ odometers to reflect false, lower mileage readings, and then obtained motor vehicle titles reflecting those false, lower mileages. Granowski and Morgunov then used the fraudulent title documentation and artificially lower odometer readings to sell the vehicles, including at an auction located in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. By deceiving purchasers into believing the vehicles had fewer miles than they actually had, defendants sold the vehicles at inflated prices, resulting in consumers paying more for the vehicles than they would have paid had they known the true mileages.

“When individuals misrepresent the mileage on used cars, they deceive consumers into paying more money for those cars while also hiding vital information that can impact vehicle safety and repair costs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are committed to protecting consumers by prosecuting individuals who engage in this type of fraud.” 

“We’re proud of our collaboration with the Department of Justice to investigate odometer fraud,” said Deputy Administrator Dr. Steven Cliff of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “Our top priority is keeping people safe on the road. Anyone who thinks they’ve been a victim of odometer fraud, needs to contact their state enforcement office. They can also visit our website, NHTSA.gov, for helpful information on how to detect a vehicle that may have had its odometer rolled back.”

In pleading guilty, Granowski and Morgunov admitted that they were part of a scheme that caused at least 118 cars to be sold with rolled-back odometers and falsified titles, resulting in consumer losses of at least $674,606.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, respectively. Granowski and Morgunov each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy to commit securities fraud charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The NHTSA Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Natalie N. Sanders and Ryan E. Norman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Rue of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecutors for the case.

NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually. Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s odometer fraud hotline at (800) 424-9393 or (202) 366-4761. More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website at https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/odometer-fraud and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811284.pdf.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Rosezanna Czwalina, 70, of, of Morton, PA, was sentenced to one year in prison, one year supervised release, and was ordered to pay $112,846 restitution by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond for committing tax fraud.

In June 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to five counts of filing materially false tax returns in connection with her efforts to avoid paying her duly owed tax obligations. Czwalina, who had been the elected tax collector and treasurer for Ridley Township, Delaware County, PA from 2009 until her resignation in 2021, was authorized to retain, as a supplement to her income, fees paid for tax certifications and generation of duplicate tax bills.  However, the defendant failed to report those retained fees as income on her federal income tax returns for the years 2014 through 2018.

“The American tax system provides government services critical to our people,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Every time someone cheats the tax system, the burden of providing vital services increases on taxpayers who pay their fair share. As an elected official responsible for collecting taxes and managing public money, this defendant knew what her obligations were and willfully chose to ignore them.”

“As the township’s own tax collector, Czwalina well knew the importance of tax revenue to the proper functioning of government,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “And yet, for years, she knowingly shorted the federal system and its taxpayers by failing to report her true income. Elected officials must be held to the highest of ethical standards and when their actions cross into criminality, the FBI and our partners won’t hesitate to investigate and hold them properly accountable.”           

“Honest taxpayers are fed up with the likes of Czwalina, who knowingly disregarded her legal duty to pay her fair share of taxes year after year,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty.  “It is our hope that the sentence she received would deter would-be tax cheats.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K.T. Newton.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Paul Robinson, 32, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison, and six years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter for distributing narcotics as part of the Hilltop Drug Trafficking Group (DTG), an organization responsible for putting large amounts heroin and other narcotics including crack cocaine, oxycodone and fentanyl on the streets of West, Southwest, and Northwest Philadelphia, and Upper Darby between 2013 and 2018.

In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to multiple felony narcotics charges including distribution of controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances near a school, stemming from his role in the Hilltop organization. The DTG operated seven days a week from approximately 9:00 am until midnight as a phone order/delivery service, through which customers called a cell phone number belonging to the leaders of the organization, including Robinson, to place orders for illegal narcotics. The customers were then redirected to “runners,” who would meet the customers on the street, often entering the customers’ vehicles, to deliver the narcotics in exchange for payment. Hilltop was a violent group that often defended its territory and narcotics with firearms, and through distribution of narcotics is responsible for multiple overdose deaths.

“This case is an excellent example of all levels of law enforcement collaborating to dismantle a dangerous drug trafficking operation putting deadly narcotics on streets all across Philadelphia and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This defendant directly threatened the safety of children by conducting the business of drug dealing adjacent to schools and playgrounds, actions for which he will now spend the better part of two decades behind bars.”

The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Philadelphia Police department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell and Everett Witherell.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Christopher Gehris, 47, Phoenixville, PA, was sentenced today to one year and two months in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay over $94,000 in restitution by United States District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg for embezzling that amount from the Phoenixville Area School District (PASD).

In February 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to embezzlement from a program receiving federal funding and admitted that he stole approximately $94,613 from the PASD. In 2006, the defendant was hired as a controller for the PASD’s Business Office and later promoted to business manager. In 2018, he was appointed to serve as the Director of Finance. From 2013 until 2019, Gehris cashed checks made payable to himself and to “cash,” received checks and direct deposits into his personal checking account for “start-up money” for student activities, stole cash from school programs, and obtained gift cards for personal expenditures – all in furtherance of his embezzlement scheme. He also admitted that he hid his thefts by altering receipts and falsifying reports submitted to the Board of School Directors.

“The defendant stole nearly $100,000 from a public school district, money, some of which was specifically allocated for student activities meant to enhance their educational experience,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Criminals that embezzle public money from schools are ripping off hundreds of students while also ripping off all taxpayers who fund them.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Phoenixville Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terri A. Marinari.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Resean Lewis, 25, and William McIntyre, 27, both of Philadelphia, PA, were arrested and charged by Indictment with attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in connection with a shooting that occurred earlier this year when they attempted to rob a convenience store in Northeast Philadelphia. Both defendants made their initial appearances in federal court on these charges today and were detained pending trial.

The Indictment alleges that on February 1, 2022, the defendants entered the Big A Market corner store on Torresdale Avenue in the Wissinoming section of the city just before 4:00 a.m., and attempted to rob the business. Lewis went behind the counter armed with what appeared to be a Tec9 style firearm and announced a robbery. McIntyre followed just behind Lewis, armed with a pistol that he pulled from his waistband. The store manager happened to have his dog with him in the store at the time. When the dog realized that Lewis had come back to the employee area, it jumped up and distracted Lewis, giving the store clerk a chance to draw a weapon that the store keeps for protection. The clerk then shot Lewis multiple times.  McIntyre, who was standing right behind Lewis, immediately returned fire and struck the store clerk multiple times.

“When I announced the All Hands On Deck initiative over one year ago, I vowed that we would do all we could to stop the violent crime ravaging our city and support the Philadelphia Police Department in its work,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “I also put criminals on notice that we were doubling down on our efforts to identify, arrest and charge them in the federal system for their crimes. The indictments of these defendants show that we have kept our word to focus on getting the most violent individuals off the street and behind bars.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Arnell Moore, 18, of Philadelphia, PA was charged by Indictment with carjacking and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in the City of Philadelphia earlier this year.

Court documents allege that on the night of March 18, 2022, the defendant and at least two accomplices called in a food delivery order to an abandoned residential property in Northeast Philadelphia, and then carjacked the unsuspecting delivery driver at gunpoint when he arrived. The police recovered the stolen vehicle a few days later, and a subsequent search of Moore’s bedroom led to the recovery of the phone used to make the delivery order as well as a loaded semi-automatic firearm, which is alleged to have been used during the carjacking.

“The charges announced today against this defendant exemplify the type of rapid results we have promised to deliver through the Carjacking Task Force and the ‘All Hands On Deck’ initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “As alleged, Moore and his accomplices set up an innocent delivery driver and stole his vehicle, which he relies on for his livelihood. Enough is enough – if you commit a serious violent crime like an armed carjacking in our city, you can expect the feds to show up on your doorstep.”

“ATF is standing true to our decree by holding violent offenders accountable,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Our mission is to combat violent firearm crimes, and this is exactly the type  of case our task force is set out to investigate.  If you commit a carjacking, you will be investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department, the ATF, FBI and our local, state, and federal partners.”

The swift action to investigate and federally charge these defendants is the result of the newly formed Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, which is comprised of members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Unit; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Philadelphia Police Department. The goal of the task force is to stem the wave of armed carjackings and violent crimes through investigative and enforcement techniques meant to identify and refer for federal prosecution all who terrorize innocent victims through commission of these offenses within Philadelphia and surrounding areas.

If convicted on all charges, the defendant faces a mandatory seven years in prison with a maximum possible sentence of life.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew T. Newcomer.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anthony Francis Nero, 48, of Norristown, PA, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston for sending threatening communications and cyberstalking in connection with a shooting at the offices of the Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters last year.

In January 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted to sending an electronic message over the Internet in January 2021 to the Montgomery County Democratic Party (MCDP) that threatened “random acts of violence” and stated “you should probably beef up security.” Later that month, MCDP officials discovered that the front window to MCDP’s office, located in Norristown, PA, had been shot through three times by a firearm. Ballistics tests by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau confirmed that two spent rounds recovered from the MCDP’s office were fired by Nero’s .45 caliber pistol.

“In the midst of a politically tumultuous time in our Nation, Anthony Nero sent a threatening communication and then followed up on his threats with a violent act that could have resulted in catastrophic injury, or worse,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “I want to thank our partners in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and all agencies at the federal, state and local levels for their dedicated work on this case.”

“I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in prosecuting this defendant for terroristic threats against the Montgomery County Democratic Committee. There is no place for this kind of criminal behavior in our democracy, and our law enforcement will continue to stand together to make sure that those who act in this way are brought to justice,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. 

“Anthony Nero first used words as his weapon, sending threatening messages to frighten people whose views he didn’t agree with,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He then escalated exponentially when he loaded his gun, drove to the MCDP office, and fired off those rounds. No one should have to fear becoming the victim of physical violence at the hands of an angry stranger. That’s why sending threatening communications is a crime, and why the FBI and our partners take threats so seriously as we work to protect and serve everyone in our communities.”    

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Norristown Police Department, Montgomery County Detective Bureau, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Josh Davison, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen A. McLaughlin

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Robert Fryer, 40, of Perkasie, PA, was sentenced today to 14 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $3,364,622 in restitution to the USGA and forfeit the $1,150,000 in profits he amassed by United States District Judge Michael M. Baylson for participating in a conspiracy to steal and sell more than $3.3 million worth of U.S. Open Golf tournament tickets from Fryer’s former employer, the United States Golf Association (“USGA”).

In October 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty and admitted that he sold the tickets for roughly $1.2 million to two different Philadelphia-area ticket brokers, Jeremi Michael Conaway, 46, of West Chester, PA (who owns and operates Eagle Eye Ticketing Management) and James Bell, 70, of Glen Mills, PA (who owns and operates Sherry’s Theater Ticket Agency), both of whom were previously sentenced to prison for their roles in the conspiracy.

Beginning in 2013 in connection with the U.S. Open held at the Merion Golf Club, while working for the USGA in their admissions office, Fryer realized that he could exploit a weakness in the USGA’s ticket tracking protocol and steal tickets to the U.S. Open without the knowledge of the USGA. Rather than notify his employer of this flaw, Fryer admitted that he stole thousands of U.S. Open tickets in connection with the U.S. Open at Merion and arranged to sell the stolen tickets to Conaway, who at the time worked for another ticket brokerage in the area. Fryer continued to steal and sell tickets to Conaway for every subsequent U.S. Open through 2019, and he would have stolen tickets to the 2020 U.S. Open except it was held without fans that year due to the pandemic. Further, in connection with the 2017 U.S. Open, the defendant also sold stolen U.S. Open tickets to Bell, who operated another local area ticket brokerage. All told, Fryer admitted to stealing more than $3 million worth of U.S. Open tickets and selling them for approximately $1.2 million to his two co-conspirators, who themselves sold the tickets for a profit.

“This defendant stole revenue from an American institution and legitimate business that pays taxes, employs many, supports a non-profit organization, and brings excitement and income to our district with U.S. Open events at courses like the Merion Golf Club,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Criminals that conduct ticket schemes like this prey on the excitement surrounding big events; fans should remember that any item with a low price that seems ‘too good to be true’ should be cause for caution and concern.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.

PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Andrew Berkowitz, 62, of Huntington Valley, PA was sentenced to 20 years in prison, five years supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and almost $4 million in restitution by United States District Judge Paul Diamond for running a prescription “pill mill” from his medical practice which he operated in Philadelphia under the name ‘A+ Pain Management.’ Judge Diamond also ordered that the defendant shall forfeit fraud proceeds of approximately $3.4 million and four real properties.

In January 2020, Berkowitz pleaded guilty to 19 counts of health care fraud, and 23 counts of distributing oxycodone outside the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, charges for which he was indicted in June 2019. The defendant fraudulently billed insurers for medically unnecessary physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and prescription drugs, and for treatments not provided at all. Regardless of their complaint, at every visit patients received a “goodie bag” which was a tote bag filled with prescription drugs for which Berkowitz submitted pharmacy claims through his company, Bucks Philadelphia Medical Care Group. The “goodie bags” typically included a combination of drugs including topical analgesics such as Relyyt and/or Lidocaine; muscle relaxers such as Chloroxazon and/or Cyclobenzaprine; anti-inflammatories such as Celecoxib and/or Nalfon; and Schedule IV controlled substances such as Tramadol for pain; and/or Eszopiclone and Quazepam for insomnia and anxiety. The defendant obtained payments from insurers of more than $4,000 for each bag by falsely asserting that the drugs were for the benefit of the patient when, in reality, Berkowitz was the real beneficiary.

As part of the fraud scheme, Berkowitz also prescribed oxycodone to “pill-seeking” patients in exchange for their tacit approval that he would submit excessive claims to the patient’s insurer for the “goodie bag” and other medically unnecessary services. From 2015 through 2018, Berkowitz obtained more than an estimated $4 million in fraudulent proceeds from his scheme.

The defendant is also subject to a civil judgement in which he is obligated to pay approximately $1.8 million as a result of civil False Claims Act liability for false claims submitted to Medicare, and subject to a permanent prohibition on Berkowitz ever prescribing, distributing or dispensing controlled substances ever again.

“Doctors who dare engage in healthcare fraud and drug diversion, two drivers of the opioid epidemic ravaging our communities, should heed this sentence as a warning that they will be held responsible, criminally and financially,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Our office will continue to root out healthcare fraud and drug diversion in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in all its forms.”

“Doctors are supposed to treat illness, not feed it,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Andrew Berkowitz prescribed patients unnecessary pills and handed out opioids to addicts. He then made millions by billing Medicare and other insurance programs for these drugs and for treatments that never happened. Health care fraud is costly on many levels, whether it’s the unlawful diversion of Medicare funds, medication, or both. That’s why these cases are a priority for the FBI and our partners on the Health Care Fraud Task Force.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Philadelphia Police Department; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Office of Inspector General; and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. The criminal charges are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney M. Beth Leahy. The related civil investigation, litigation, and resolution are being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony D. Scicchitano and Sarah Grieb.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anthony Lucidonio, Sr., 84, of Philadelphia, PA, and Nicholas Lucidonio, 56, of New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before United States District Court Judge Gerald McHugh to charges related to their conspiracy to defraud the United States for the purpose of impeding, impairing, or obstructing the Internal Revenue Service in the assessment and collection of employment taxes.  The defendants, who were indicted in July 2020, are owners of Tony Luke’s, a cheesesteak and sandwich restaurant located in South Philadelphia. In pleading guilty, the defendants admitted to participating in a tax fraud scheme to evade payroll taxes between 2006 and 2016.

According to evidence summarized at today’s hearing, the defendants paid a significant number of their employees and partially “off-the-books.” To avoid withholding and paying over to the IRS employment taxes of the “off-the-books” amount, defendants gave their employees paychecks that reflected a portion of the employees’ hourly wages with the required taxes withheld. However, the wages the defendants paid and reported in this fashion represented only a portion of the true hours the employees worked. The Lucidonios then directed their employees to endorse their paychecks and give them back to the defendants and their restaurant managers. In exchange for return of the endorsed payroll checks, defendants provided their employees envelopes containing cash. This process allowed the defendants to understate the hours each employee worked. The scheme caused Tony Luke’s accountant to substantially understate the wages paid to the employees, and subsequently, the payroll taxes due to the United States.

According to a plea memorandum filed with the court, the government intends to prove at the defendants’ sentencing hearing that the government lost between $550,000 and $1.5 million as a result of the defendants’ scheme.

“This tax fraud scheme victimized honest taxpayers in two ways: first, by hiding the restaurant’s revenue from the IRS and second, by avoiding employee payroll taxes,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Tony Luke’s is an iconic brand in our region, but that is no excuse or explanation for the fraud these defendants perpetrated. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these types of crimes.”

“While they successfully misled their accountant, they could not do the same when it came to the IRS,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Cases like this underscore the expertise IRS Special Agents possess and their ability to track down unreported wages paid to employees. Today, Anthony Lucidonio Sr. and Nicholas Lucidonio have taken a step in the right direction by admitting their guilt and accepting responsibility for their actions.”

The case was investigated by the Criminal Investigative Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney John N. Kane of the Tax Division of the Department of Justice, and Assistant United States Attorney Richard P. Barrett.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Vaugh Simon, 29, of Pearland, TX, was sentenced today to one year and three months in prison, and was ordered to pay a total of more than $1.9 million restitution, including more than $1.7 million to Cisco Systems Inc., by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for operating a sophisticated warranty claim scheme which targeted multiple tech companies. Simon was also ordered to separately forfeit more than $178,000 in criminal proceeds that he earned through his fraud.

In June 2020, the defendant pleaded guilty to 22 counts of mail fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, two counts of filing a false tax return, and one count of tax evasion. Simon’s conviction stems from a complex scheme he perpetrated with several co-schemers in order to defraud Cisco, Sony Electronics, The Neat Company, Canon USA, APC by Schneider Electric, iRobot Corporation, and Skullcandy, Inc., out of various electronics and expensive computer hardware, by submitting to these manufacturers hundreds of false warranty claims seeking the advance replacement of more than $4 million worth of products. While not every false claim was successful, more than 200 of the claims did deceive the manufacturers, and Simon successfully induced them to ship more than $1.9 million worth of merchandise to him, most of which he sold via the internet or to computer equipment resellers.

The fraud scheme involved the registration of false domain names and the creation of false e-mail addresses, which were used to submit the false warranty claims under false identities. Simon typically obtained legitimate serial numbers for items that he did not own and then contacted the manufacturers, using the false identities and the false email addresses he had created, and claimed to be the owner of computer hardware or other electronic items that were supposedly broken and supposedly covered by warranties. The defendant knew how to explain the supposed problem in such a way that the items in question could not be fixed through trouble shooting and would instead require replacement. Simon promised to return the supposedly broken items as soon as he received the advance replacements, and he gave false addresses to which the replacement warranty items could be shipped. Simon then sold most of the replacement items at a deep discount and never returned any of the supposedly broken items, because he never owned them in the first place.

The primary victim of Simon’s fraud was Cisco. With respect to Cisco, between November 2014 and June 2017, Simon and two co-schemers submitted 284 false warranty claims using false identities for products they did not own. Of these, 209 successfully deceived Cisco into shipping Cisco hardware worth more than $1.7 million, all of which Simon and his co-schemers sold. Simon’s scheme was uncovered through the work of Cisco’s internal investigation team, which identified the suspected fraud and contacted the FBI, which then began a joint criminal investigation with the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID).

In addition, the IRS-CID determined that Simon had filed false tax returns in 2014 and 2016, and also criminally evaded the payment of income taxes for 2015, during which time he earned over $400,000 through his fraud yet failed to declare that income to the IRS. Simon is the second person sentenced as part of this investigation: Justin David May, 32, of Wilmington, DE, was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison in June 2021.

“Warranties are designed to make consumers whole by replacing faulty products, not to be exploited by scammers looking to turn an illegal profit,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Warranty fraud is not a victimless crime, rather, companies which support employment for thousands of workers stand to lose millions of dollars, which was the case here. The defendant's scheme caused real harm, and for that he will now spend time behind bars. I would like to thank the FBI and IRS for their dedication and partnership in this matter.”

“Simon not only stole from these companies, but he also stole from the American public and the IRS,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “The loss of his liberty, along with restitution is the price he now has to pay.”

“Vaughn Simon took advantage of these companies’ warranty programs to score nearly $2 million in free merchandise,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “That’s not ‘gaming the system’ — that’s blatant, out-and-out fraud. To anyone else engaged in a scheme like this, know that the FBI will work to shut you down and hold you accountable for your actions.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Guy Menard Charles, 51, of Naples, FL, was convicted after trial of 23 counts of fraud and identity theft for filing false federal income tax returns as part of a scheme to fraudulently reduce taxes and inflate the tax refund amounts claimed on tax returns he prepared for his clients.

The defendant owned and operated Menard Tax Services in Florida. A co-conspirator, based in Philadelphia, recruited clients for the business and purchased personal identifying information for dependents, which Menard used on a number of the clients’ federal tax returns. In addition to the false dependent information, the defendant also included on various returns false income, education credits, and federal fuel tax credits. As a result of the tax returns with false information being filed, the U.S. Treasury issued tax refunds to the taxpayers to which they were not entitled. The defendant and his co-conspirator split the preparation fee for their services.

“Our nation’s taxing system relies upon tax preparers to apply our tax laws honestly in order to help clients accurately report income and pay their fair share of federal taxes, not bend or ignore the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Williams.  “The defendant manipulated his clients’ tax filings at the expense of honest taxpayers who take seriously their legal obligation to file complete and accurate federal income taxes each year.”

“Fraudsters like Guy Menard Charles give honest tax return preparers a bad name”, said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Guy Menard Charles had a duty to his clients to prepare tax returns that comply with the law and are complete and accurate. Evidence presented during this trial showed that he failed to do so.  The guilty verdict returned by the jury is another reminder that there is no tolerance for such criminal conduct.”

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Ignall and Christopher Mannion.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that two separate investigative teams working in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania were honored for their exemplary service to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by recovering millions of dollars in healthcare fraud matters.

The first team, comprised of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scicchitano, Landon Y. Jones III, and Rebecca Melley, received the 2022 Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) Award for “Excellence in Promoting Quality, Safety, and Value” for their investigation and resolution with several companies concerning alleged generic drug price fixing.

The second team, comprised of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Frey, Matt Howatt, Civil Division Chief Gregory David, Auditor Dawn Wiggins, Investigator Frank O’Connor, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crutchlow, received a 2022 HHS-OIG Honor Award for “Advancing Excellence and Innovation in recognition of outstanding teamwork and excellence for investigations, recoveries, and cost savings identified through P-Stim investigations.” 

Generic Drug Price Fixing Investigations

This family of investigations into generic drug prix fixing led to three generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, Taro Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Sandoz Inc., and Apotex Corporation, paying a total of $447.2 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act (“FCA”) arising from conspiracies to fix the price of various generic drugs. These conspiracies allegedly resulted in higher drug prices for federal health care programs and beneficiaries. 

Between 2013 and 2015, all three companies allegedly paid and received compensation prohibited by the Anti-Kickback Statute through arrangements on price, supply, and allocation of customers with other pharmaceutical manufacturers for certain generic drugs manufactured by the companies. Taro Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., headquartered in New York, paid $213.2 million to the government to settle these claims. The Taro drugs allegedly implicated in this scheme address a wide variety of health conditions, and include etodolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat pain and arthritis, and nystatin-triamcinolone cream and ointment, a combination of an antifungal medicine and steroid used to treat certain kinds of skin infections.  Sandoz Inc., headquartered in New Jersey, paid a settlement of $185 million. The Sandoz drugs at issue include benazepril HCTZ, used to treat hypertension, and clobetasol, a corticosteroid used to treat skin conditions.  Apotex Corporation, headquartered in Florida, paid a $49 million settlement in connection with its sale of pravastatin, a drug used to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. 

P-Stim Investigations

Through a proactive data analysis, this team helped uncover a scheme of improper billings involving electro-acupuncture devices, branded among other names as P-Stim and Stivax. These devices are applied with an adhesive and insertion of a limited number of needles; they do not involve surgery, anesthesia, or take place in an operating room. Federal healthcare programs do not reimburse at all for them, but the devices were marketed and billed as reimbursable as surgically implanted neuro-stimulators. This team led the national Department of Justice effort to apply analytics to healthcare claims data to identify providers who inappropriately billed federal healthcare programs for P-Stim devices, and to investigate and hold accountable responsible marketers and distributors. This effort resulted in several resolutions with responsible parties and coordination with dozens of other U.S. Attorney’s Offices as to other provider investigations for a total recovery of over $25 million. 

“Proactive efforts, relationship-building with other DOJ components and government agencies, and data analytics were the foundation for the excellent results of these two investigative teams,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “We thank the Inspector General for recognizing their work and we thank the HHS OIG case agents who made these results possible.”

“Congratulations and thank you to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “These awards recognize the outstanding teamwork and support provided by the DOJ-EDPA Civil Division’s attorneys, support staff, and analysts which resulted in the recovery of millions of dollars in HHS health care funds. HHS-OIG looks forward to continued collaboration with our Civil Division partners, as we work together, to protect the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs from financial harm.”

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Laye Sekou Camara, a/k/a “K-1,” a/k/a “Dragon Master,” 43, of Mays Landing, NJ,was arrested and charged by Criminal Complaint and subsequent Indictment on the charge of use of an immigration document obtained by fraud. 

In 1997, after a civil war and years of political upheaval, Charles Taylor was elected president of the West African nation of Liberia. In 1999, Liberia’s second civil war began. Primarily, two rebel groups, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), waged war against Taylor’s government. LURD’s stated objective was to remove Taylor from the presidency of Liberia. Liberia’s second civil war, much like its first, was characterized by brutality, war crimes, and atrocities, many of which were perpetrated by LURD rebels. Furthermore, in waging its war against Taylor’s government, LURD recruited and used child soldiers. According to the Indictment, Camara was a LURD general.

The Indictment alleges that in June 2011, Camara submitted an application for a non-immigrant visa to the United States. In that application Camara falsely contended, among other things, that he: 1) was not a member of a tribe; 2) had never served in or been a member of a rebel group or insurgent organization; and 3) had never committed, ordered, incited, assisted or otherwise participated in political killings or other acts of violence. Camara’s application was approved and he was issued a non-immigrant visa which he used to enter the United States.

The Indictment further alleges that in June 2012, United States immigration authorities reviewed an application that Camara submitted for a United States immigrant visa. In this application, Camara falsely contended, among other things, that he: 1) was not seeking and had not sought a visa, entry into the United States, or any immigration benefit by fraud or misrepresentation; and 2) had never engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers. Camara’s application was approved and he was issued an immigrant visa which he used to enter the United States. Upon his entering and being admitted to the United States pursuant to his immigrant visa, Camara became entitled to, and did, receive a Green Card, evidencing his authorized permanent residence in the United States.

Finally, as alleged in the Indictment, in June 2017, in seeking a Pennsylvania state identification card, Camara presented his fraudulently obtained Green Card to PennDOT officials as evidence of his immigration status, that is, his lawful permanent residence in the United States.

“As alleged in the Indictment, this defendant attempted to evade accountability for his horrific involvement in Liberia’s brutual civil wars by fraudulently obtaining U.S. immigration documents,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Due to the hard work and perseverance of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, he can no longer run and hide from justice.”

“HSI is committed to upholding the law, both within the United States and abroad,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia Field Office. “The defendant in this case, Mr. Camara, is alleged to have served as a high-ranking general for a rebel group that fought in the Second Liberian Civil War, all the while employing tactics of unimaginable brutality, including the recruitment of child soldiers. This indictment alleges Mr. Camara then attempted to shield his violent past when he came to the United States by failing to disclose his affiliation with the rebel group.  Investigations like this one are a chief priority of the No Safe Haven mission, and HSI will continue to work tirelessly to investigate those who attempt to evade justice for crimes they committed overseas. We will not allow the United States to be a safe haven for those attempting to hide from their past.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linwood C. Wright, Jr. and Kelly M. Harrell, with assistance from Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour and Historian Christopher Hayden from the United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division’s, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.

Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to call the HSI tip line at: 1-866-DHS-2423 (1-866-347-2423). Callers may remain anonymous.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Michael George, 31, of Broomall, PA, was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $4,790 in both forfeiture and restitution by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for committing four bank robberies over the course of about a week in March 2020.

In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery in connection with three incidents at banks in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and one on the Main Line in Montgomery County, PA. George admitted to robbing the TD Bank on East Butler Street in Philadelphia on March 7, 2020; the Wells Fargo Bank on Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia on March 16, 2020; the WSFS Bank on Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia on March 16, 2020; and the PNC Bank on Youngsford Road in Gladwyne on March 17, 2020. During each robbery, George threatened a bank employee with death for failure to comply with his demand for money; he stole a total of nearly $4,800 from the banks.

“This defendant terrified and threatened the lives of bank employees who were just doing their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “He is clearly a danger to the community – not stopping at one robbery but escalating to four in a matter of days. This case demonstrates why our All Hands On Deck initiative is so important: we are investigating and prosecuting the most violent criminals to get them off the streets and behind bars.”

“Michael George was a crime spree unto himself, responsible for four bank robberies in 10 days," said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. "He threatened the bank employees he victimized, making them fear for their lives. It was imperative to get him off the street quickly before anyone was physically harmed. This sentence nips his burgeoning bank robbery career in the bud and holds him accountable for his bad actions. The FBI and our partners are committed to making our communities safer by bringing these violent offenders to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lower Merion Police Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Mark Manigault, 44, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to seven years in prison, and three years of supervised release by Senior United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick after having been found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

In February 2020, the defendant, a four-time convicted felon and repeat parole violator, was convicted after trial of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges stemmed from an incident in September 2016 during which Manigault possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition while loitering on a street in West Philadelphia with another armed man. Investigating Philadelphia Police officers found two firearms hidden in the wheel well of a parked car nearby. Using surveillance footage from the bar and from a private residence down the street, officers determined that Manigault and the other individual possessed the firearms and had placed them in the wheel wells.

“Prosecuting, deterring and preventing violent crime in Philadelphia are top priorities of this Office and our ‘All Hands On Deck’ initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Illegal gun possession poses a serious threat to public safety because it often leads to violence; therefore, we are committed to working with the Philadelphia Police Department and our law enforcement partners to combat this threat.”

“ATF will always investigate violent criminals found in illegal possession of firearms,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Working with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will do everything within our power to reduce violent crime in Philadelphia by holding violent offenders accountable for continually disregarding the law.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Kristian Reyes, 35, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested today by federal agents and charged by criminal complaint with firearms and drug offenses in connection with an incident earlier this year, during which a Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) officer was shot while executing a warrant for the arrest of the defendant.

The defendant is charged with using a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. According to the publicly filed complaint, Reyes was the subject of an active arrest warrant for state probation and parole violations. On February 11, 2022, Philadelphia Police SWAT Officers went to arrest the defendant at a property on the 100 block of West Lehigh Avenue in the Fairhill section of the city. After announcing themselves and receiving no response, officers breached the front door and went up a narrow stairwell to attempt to enter the third-floor apartment. The officers once again announced themselves as they made their way up the stairs. While they waited for equipment to gain access to the apartment, the leader of the SWAT entry team heard multiple popping sounds from inside the apartment and then felt a stinging sensation in his chest. When he looked down, he realized he had been shot.

The PPD SWAT officer was rushed to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Law enforcement officers later determined that the ceramic plate in the SWAT officer’s ballistics vest prevented more serious injury and likely saved his life.

Ultimately, the defendant was apprehended after attempting to escape by jumping from a third-floor window onto the roof, with a gun in his hand. Investigators recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from the roof. Ballistics comparison later confirmed that the gun was used in the shooting. Investigators also obtained a search warrant for the third-floor apartment and recovered fired cartridge casings, nearly 100 additional rounds of ammunition, and an enormous inventory of alleged narcotics including over 3,500 fentanyl pills, heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and nearly $3,000 cash.

“As we have said many times since launching the All Hands On Deck initiative, our Office and our federal partners are doing everything we can to support the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecute cases federally when appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Here, as alleged in the complaint, the defendant brazenly and recklessly fired a weapon through a wall at law enforcement officers in the middle of the day in busy neighborhood; an offense that certainly meets the criteria for federal prosecution. We are committed to bringing the full might of the federal justice system to this battle against criminals in our city.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison with a thirty-five year mandatory minimum sentence.

The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Martin.

This case is part of the DEA’s new initiative, Operation Overdrive, aimed at combatting the rising rates of drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths plauguing American communities. Operation Overdrive, which launched February 1, 2022, uses a data-driven, intelligence-led approach to identify and dismantle criminal drug networks operating in areas with the highest rates of violence and overdoses. DEA, working in partnership with its fellow federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, has mapped the threats and initiated enforcement operations against those networks in 34 locations across 23 states.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Ronald DeWitt Vines, 50, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond for an armed robbery he and his accomplices, who were two of his sons, attempted to carry out in Bucks County in late 2017.

In August 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges of attempted armed bank robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with his attempt to commit the armed robbery of the PNC Bank branch on Buck Road in Holland, PA, in November 2017. To execute the robbery, Vines’ son, Elijah Vines (who was previously sentenced to five years and one month in prison), placed a handgun against the side of a bank employee’s head, forcing her to open the bank door as she arrived for work that morning. A second bank employee screamed when she realized the bank was being robbed. Vines and his accomplices, sons Elijah and Solomon Vines, quickly fled the bank in a getaway vehicle before being stopped by Northampton Township Police Officers responding to a 911 call. A search by officers of the getaway vehicle uncovered one loaded semi-automatic handgun, one loaded rifle, and two body armor vests.

“This defendant terrified and threatened the lives of bank employees who were just attempting to do their jobs, and he convinced his sons – young men with their whole lives ahead of them – to help him pull it off,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “The simple fact is that this family is a danger to the community. This case demonstrates why our All Hands On Deck initiative is so important: we are investigating and prosecuting the most violent criminals to get them off the streets and behind bars.”

“Imagine the terror of that bank employee when the gun was put to her head,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Make no mistake, this was a violent crime, and the fact that Vines and his sons fled empty-handed doesn’t lessen the severity of their actions one bit. Fortunately, local police officers quickly saw and stopped the family’s getaway car before they could try again somewhere else. The FBI is gratified Vines is finally being held accountable for this shameful scheme in which he involved his own children.”

The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Northampton Township Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney José R. Arteaga.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Gongda Xue, 52, formerly a resident of Allschwil, Switzerland, a legal permanent resident of Switzerland and citizen of China, was convicted after trial of charges related to his participation in a conspiracy to steal trade secrets from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) pertaining to biopharmaceutical products under development from January 2010 to January 2016.

During the offense conduct, Gongda Xue worked as a scientist at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (“FMI”) in Switzerland, which is affiliated with Novartis. His sister, Yu Xue, worked as a scientist at GSK in Pennsylvania. Both the defendant and his sister conducted cancer research as part of their employment at these companies.  Their research was sensitive and confidential.  Consequently, GSK and FMI required Yu Xue and Gongda Xue respectively to sign confidentiality agreements as part of their employment.  While the defendant performed basic research for publication in journals, the defendant’s sister performed research relating to GSK’s anti-cancer drugs under development. Evidence presented at trial showed that the defendant knew that GSK’s research could prove incredibly valuable, and that it was proprietary and confidential. 

While working for their respective entities, the defendant and his sister betrayed their employers and shared confidential information for their own personal benefit.  Gongda Xue created Abba Therapeutics AG in Switzerland and Yu Xue and her associates formed Renopharma, Ltd., in China. Both companies intended to develop their own biopharmaceutical anti-cancer products.  Renopharma received direct funding and support from the government of China.  Gongda Xue stole FMI research into anti-cancer products and sent that research to Yu Xue.  Yu Xue, in turn, stole GSK research into anti-cancer products and sent that to Gongda Xue.  Yu Xue also provided hundreds of GSK documents to her associates at Renopharma.  Renopharma then attempted to re-brand GSK products under development as Renopharma products and attempted to sell them for billions of dollars. Renopharma’s own internal projections showed that the company could be worth as much as $10 billion based upon the stolen GSK data. 

Fortunately, in January 2016, the FBI arrested Yu Xue and her Renopharma associates, seized e-mail accounts containing the stolen GSK data, and seized the funds in a Renopharma bank account in order to prevent Renopharma from achieving its goals and monetizing the stolen GSK information.  Gongda Xue was charged in 2018 and extradited from Switzerland to the United States in December 2019. 

Two former GSK employees, Yu Xue and Lucy Xi, have pleaded guilty for their roles in sending GSK trade secrets to Renopharma.  Yu Xue's sister, Tian Xue, pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy for agreeing to launder the substantial ill-gotten gains which Renopharma expected to receive.  One of the directors of Renopharma, Tao Li, also pleaded guilty for his role in conspiring to steal GSK trade secrets.  The other director of Renopharma, Yan Mei, is a fugitive who currently resides in China. 

“This defendant illegally stole trade secrets to benefit companies controlled by himself and his sister, one of which were financed by the Chinese government,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “The lifeblood of companies like GSK is its intellectual property, and when that property is stolen and transferred to a foreign country, it threatens thousands of American jobs and disincentivizes research and development. Such criminal behavior must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“When a company like GSK spends billions on research and development to bring new drugs to market, the theft of valuable trade secrets poses a significant operational threat,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “When those secrets are stolen on behalf of a global adversary, it also endangers the security of our nation and the stability of our economy. The FBI will continue to bring all our investigative resources to bear to hold accountable criminals like Xue and his codefendants who steal intellectual property to benefit themselves and the Government of China. Our relationships with private sector partners like GSK are critical to disrupting such costly activity and bringing those responsible to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Livermore and J. Jeanette Kang.  Extradition assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs.  The U.S. Attorney would also like to thank GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis for their extraordinary cooperation on this important investigation.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Arthur Rowland, a/k/a “Bo,” 41, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted after trial of multiple narcotics offenses, along with his earlier conviction for being a felon-in-possession of a firearm, arising from his participation in a large scale interstate methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.

In December 2018, the defendant was arrested pursuant to an Indictment charging him and four other individuals with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and related charges. Ultimately, a second Superseding Indictment charged Rowland and five others with participating in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that acquired hundreds of pounds of Mexican methamphetamine in Los Angeles, shipped the illegal narcotics back to the Philadelphia area for distribution here, and in turn transferred many thousands of dollars back to the California-based sellers to pay for that methamphetamine. In addition to the drug conspiracy, Rowland was also charged with possessing with intent to distribute about nine pounds of methamphetamine from packages that he had shipped to multiple Philadelphia-area locations, and with possessing two AK-47 style assault type weapons and a semi-automatic handgun while being a felon, and with using those same weapons in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.

“Rowland and his co-conspirators shipped tons of drugs from one end of this country to the other through a large and sophisticated trafficking enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Today’s conviction demonstrates our Office’s commitment to taking down these types of criminal organizations and cutting off the supply of deadly drugs in order to keep our communities safe.”

“Arthur Rowland was part of a conspiracy that saw vast amounts of meth brought into and sold in the Philadelphia area,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “This conviction is a win for the FBI and all of our partners as we work together to get dangerous drugs and criminals off the street. The ultimate goal here is to eliminate the drug trade and concomitant gun violence plaguing so many communities.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Shapiro and Timothy Stengel.

PHILADELPHIA –United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Tammy Simpson, 49, of Pocono Lake, PA, was charged by Indictment with wire fraud and filing false tax returns. These charges stem from the defendant’s employment with Metal Traders, Inc., d/b/a Triad Metals International (“Triad”), where she worked as the Assistant Controller for fourteen years.  

The Indictment alleges that between 2012 and when she was terminated in October 2019, Simpson used her position at Triad to steal company money and use it to pay personal expenses charged to her credit cards and to make payments on personal loans. She allegedly did so by paying her personal credit card bills and loan payments with electronic transfers from the company’s business checking account. The defendant is also alleged to have kept credit cards from employees who had left the company and used them to charge personal expenses including airfare and other entertainment expenses for her family and friends, and to pay her personal tax liabilities and those of other individuals for whom she prepared tax returns. None of these payments or transfers were for legitimate business expenses of her employer. The Indictment further alleges that Simpson failed to report the money stolen from the company as income on her tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2018.

The Indictment seeks forfeiture of $3,199,192.68, which represents the total amount of money Simpson allegedly embezzled from her now former employer.

“This defendant allegedly swindled almost more than three million dollars from her former employer over the better part of a decade,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Instead of doing the right thing and performing her job honestly as the assistant controller for this company, she took advantage of her position and chose the greedy path. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect innocent individuals and businesses from being victimized by financial fraud.”

“Tammy Simpson’s company entrusted her with key accounting duties,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Little did they know their longtime employee would take full advantage of that trust, allegedly diverting and using millions of dollars of the business’s money as her own. The FBI will diligently investigate and hold accountable anyone engaged in such egregious financial fraud.”

“No matter how it’s earned, all income must be reported,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Simpson stands accused of treating Triad’s bank account as her personal bank account, supporting her lifestyle and that of her friends and family. This indictment should reassure those who play by the rules that IRS Criminal Investigation and its law enforcement partners will investigate anyone suspected of similar conduct.” 

If convicted, Simpson faces a maximum possible sentence of 172 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $2,400,000 fine and a $1200 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Criminal Investigation Office of the Internal Revenue Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney MaryTeresa Soltis

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Issac Barrett, 35; Kaleaf Gilbert, 30; Darnell Bell, 31; Terrance Womack, 35; and Jamar Bright, 33; all of Chester, PA, pleaded guilty this week before United States District Court Chief Judge Juan R. Sanchez to charges including conspiracy to distribute crack, cocaine and heroin, as well as related narcotics and gun offenses.

In October 2019, two dozen defendants were arrested pursuant to parallel Indictments of rival drug gangs that operated for years in and around the city of Chester, Delaware County: the “William Penn” drug trafficking group, which controlled the territory surrounding the Chester Housing Authority’s William Penn Homes, and their rivals the “3rd Bone” drug trafficking group, which held power in the area of 3rd and Lamokin Streets. This week, the remaining five William Penn defendants pleaded guilty, wrapping up the years-long investigation and prosecution, and ending this violent drug gang’s reign of terror in the greater Chester community. The defendants will be sentenced in August 2022, when defendants Barrett and Gilbert will face at least 15 years in prison due to the statutory mandatory minimum penalties on their drug and gun convictions.

As established during their plea hearings, defendant Issac Barrett served as the group’s source of supply, ensuring that his co-conspirators had a constant stock of crack, heroin, and cocaine, which his co-conspirators would then sell to their customer base of drug addicts. Co-defendant Kaleaf Gilbert managed a shared “trap phone” or drug phone, which the group, including co-defendants Bell and Womack, used to provide their joint customer base with around-the-clock access to crack and other controlled substances.

Not only did the William Penn defendants poison the Chester community with dangerous narcotics, they also used violence and threats of violence in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes, including against the rival 3rd Bone gang. In February 2019, a dispute between the two gangs came to a head in an exchange of gunfire between Barrett and Gilbert and three 3rd Bone members in the parking lot of a downtown Chester bar, which resulted in the shooting and hospitalization of one of the rival gang members. Subsequent wiretapped calls with  Gilbert’s phone revealed Gilbert attempting to get rid of the gun used in the shooting by throwing it on the roof of an adjacent building, trying to hide his bullet-ridden car, and cavalierly talking about the shooting and potential paralysis of the 3rd Bone member. Texts recovered from Barrett’s phone showed him placing a $15,000 bounty on a rival gang member whom he suspected was responsible for the shooting.

“These defendants and their co-conspirators in the William Penn gang, together with the defendants in 3rd Bone, terrorized the Chester community for years with their drug dealing and associated violence,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Barrett sourced and supplied dangerous narcotics, and Gilbert managed the distribution ‘business’ through a cell phone, a business which eventually led to a violent shooting. Thanks to the efforts of investigators at the FBI and DEA, the 3rd Bone and William Penn drug operations have been permanently shut down, making the streets safer and improving the quality of life for the Chester community.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, working closely the Chester City Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew T. Newcomer and Meaghan A. Flannery.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Tarik Chambers, 20, and Nikeem Leach-Hilton, 22, both of Philadelphia, PA were charged by Indictment with conspiracy, three counts of carjacking, three counts of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and related charges in connection with a spate of armed carjackings in Philadelphia and Delaware County late last year.

The Indictment alleges that in the early morning hours of December 19, 2021, the defendants carjacked two victims at gunpoint in the Lawncrest section of the city. Then, approximately 20 minutes later, the defendants carjacked two more victims at gunpoint in the Germantown section. Finally, the Indictment also alleges that defendants used a privately made “ghost” gun to carjack yet another victim at gunpoint about six hours later in the rear parking lot of a retail store along Baltimore Pike in Springfield Township. The defendants then fled from the police, leading officers from multiple agencies on a high-speed car chase through Delaware County before crashing into the car of another motorist, who suffered severe, life-threatening injuries including broken bones and significant head trauma.

Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney Williams announced that the defendants had been charged by Criminal Complaint with the Delaware County carjacking. This Indictment returned by a federal grand jury now formally charges them with all three carjackings and related offenses.

“The charges announced today against these two defendants exemplify the type of rapid results we have promised to deliver through the Carjacking Task Force and the ‘All Hands On Deck’ initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “These two terrorized no less than six victims in three different neighborhoods across our region in roughly six hours -- actions which are being met with very serious federal charges. Enough is enough – if you commit a serious violent crime in our city, you can expect the feds to show up on your doorstep.”

“ATF’s main objective will always be keeping our citizens safe,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This indictment is indicative of ATF’s continued efforts working with our partners and proudly serving as part of the joint carjacking task force, being led by the Philadelphia Police Department. We will continue working with our local, state, and federal partners in making sure violent individuals are held accountable when they threaten the safety of the community.”

The swift action to investigate and federally charge these defendants is the result of the newly formed Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, which is comprised of members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Unit; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Philadelphia Police Department. The goal of the Taskforce is to stem the wave of armed carjackings and violent crimes through investigative and enforcement techniques meant to identify and refer for federal prosecution all who terrorize innocent victims through commission of these offenses within Philadelphia and surrounding areas.

If convicted on all charges, the defendants face a mandatory 21 years in prison with a maximum possible sentence of life.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Springfield Township Police Department, and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sandra M. Urban.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that James Chandler, 55, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison, and five supervised release by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick for two counts of robbery of a postal worker and one count of kidnapping.

In September 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges in connection with two incidents that occurred on January 11 and February 4, 2021, during which Chandler robbed postal workers using a replica handgun, forcing them into their postal trucks and stealing packages from inside. During the incident in February, Chandler also forced the postal worker to drive him for several blocks in her postal truck before he fled on foot.

“Targeting and violently assaulting employees of the United States Postal Service is a serious federal crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Mail carriers provide an essential service to nearly every citizen and business, oftentimes going above and beyond to execute their duties in challenging circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Chandler terrorized two postal workers at gunpoint, and he will now spend decades behind bars for his actions.”

“Early in 2021, James Chandler terrorized two mail carriers with the United States Postal Service by pointing a gun their faces and robbing them of parcels they were delivering.  With some old fashioned police work, Postal Inspectors and Philadelphia Police detectives quickly identified and arrested Mr. Chandler,” said Damon Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division. “While Inspectors are busy investigating narcotic trafficking, mail fraud schemes, and the theft of mail, few other crimes will mobilize Inspectors and the resources of the Inspection Service more so than violence committed against its employees or its customers.  I want to thank the officers and detectives of the Philadelphia Police Department and the prosecutors at the United States Attorney’s Office for working alongside us in holding Mr. Chandler responsible.” 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Oshana.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Bernard Giddings, 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon following an incident on a state highway last year.

In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges stemmed from an incident that took place in March 2021 on Interstate-76, to which Pennsylvania State Police responded. Following leads developed in the investigation, PSP investigators obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence in Philadelphia. Upon execution of the search warrant, Troopers recovered a loaded semi-automatic firearm and an extended magazine under the bed where the defendant was sleeping. The defendant ultimately admitted to possessing the gun, and forensic testing found his DNA on the weapon as well. PSP investigators later determined that the firearm had been reported stolen out of North Carolina in 2019.

“The crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a serious offense, particularly in Philadelphia where gun violence continues to plague neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Giddings will now spend years in prison for this offense, which means there is one less person illegally carrying a weapon on the streets of our city. Our Office is determined to continue doing everything we can to reduce gun violence in Philadelphia by being ‘All Hands On Deck’ to put criminals like this defendant behind bars.”

“Identifying, investigating, and assisting in the prosecution of the armed gunmen that threaten the safety of the public is ATF’s primary focus,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division.  “ATF is determined to collaborate with our law enforcement partners in our plight to ensure Philadelphia neighborhoods can be free of gun violence.  Thank you to the Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their committed support in our effort to combat violent crime.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Martin Howley.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Steven Pennycooke, 36, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted after trial of a single count of possession of a firearm by a felon arising from a looting incident during the period of civil unrest and mandatory curfew in the City of Philadelphia in Spring 2020.

In June 2020, Philadelphia Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting that two men were seen pushing a looted ATM down a street in West Philadelphia. When the officers approached the block indicated in the call, they observed two men standing in the street less than a half a block away from a looted ATM loaded onto a cart. When the officers got closer to the suspects, they observed the defendant throw something into a vehicle; and one of the officers looked through the vehicle’s window and observed a firearm in the backseat. As a previously convicted felon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2011, Pennycooke was prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.

“The crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a serious offense, particularly in Philadelphia where gun violence has reached record-breaking proportions,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “As the evidence presented at trial showed, the defendant illegally possessed a loaded firearm that fortunately was secured by experienced Philadelphia Police officers who took the defendant into custody without incident. Our Office is determined to continue doing everything we can to reduce gun violence in Philadelphia by being ‘All Hands On Deck’ to support Philadelphia police and get criminals like this defendant off the streets for a long time.”

“Getting guns away from people not allowed to have them is vital as we battle violent crime in Philadelphia,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The FBI and our PPD partners will use every tool at our disposal to take criminals off the street, as we work to make Philadelphia safer. The folks who live, work, or visit here deserve nothing less.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Lastowski and Derek Hines.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Robert Smith, 49, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted today after trial of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm, and one count of possession of contraband in prison stemming from a violent incident in which he was involved while in federal prison.

In December 2020, while the defendant was incarcerated at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, he was involved in a physical altercation with another incarcerated individual in the same unit. Officers separated them and took them both for medical assessment, where it was discovered that the other individual had a wound consistent with being stabbed. Video footage of the fight showed Smith striking the individual with a stabbing motion, then passing an unknown item under a door to another individual, who discarded the item in a trash can. Officers searched the trash can several minutes later and found a seven-inch-long piece of metal fashioned into a knife. 

“One goal of incarceration is to deter future criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “But instead of learning from previous mistakes, this defendant engaged in a violent assault on a fellow inmate. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate this kind of lawless behavior.”

“It’s concerning when inmates serving time for past offenses continue to break the law, particularly with crimes of violence,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Both the federal inmates and BOP personnel at FDC Philadelphia deserve a safe environment in which to live and work, so violent behavior like Robert Smith’s cannot go unpunished. This conviction ensures he will spend even longer behind bars. We hope the extra time sends a message that it’s in his interests to do better going forward.”

The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Diviny and Lauren Stram.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Sherman Artwell, 24, of Camden, NJ was sentenced to ten years and one month in prison, five year of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond for his participation in a violent carjacking in Philadelphia and flight to New Jersey in the stolen vehicle.

In November 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to carjacking and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges arose from an incident that occurred in May 2018 in which the defendant, armed with a shotgun, and a juvenile co-conspirator approached the victim and his friend while the two were talking in the parking lot outside a Dunkin Donuts in Philadelphia. The two forcibly pulled the victim from the driver’s seat, threw him onto the ground, and pointed guns at him. The co-conspirator jumped into the driver’s seat of the victim’s vehicle, and the defendant got into the passenger seat. The two fled to New Jersey, and Camden County Police officers apprehended the juvenile co-defendant after he crashed the vehicle. The defendant was separately identified through video and forensic evidence and apprehended a short time later.

“As we have said many times since launching the #AllHandsOnDeck initiative, our Office and our federal partners are doing everything we can to support the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecute cases federally when appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Here, the defendant participated in a brazen carjacking at gunpoint in the middle of the afternoon in busy neighborhood -- an offense that certainly meets the criteria for federal prosecution. We are committed to bringing the full might of the federal justice system to this battle against the escalating number of carjackings.”

“Imagine the terror of being pulled from your car with a shotgun pointed straight at you,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Sherman Artwell violently accosted an individual living his life, minding his business, just to take that vehicle. The FBI is firmly committed to working with our police partners to address the spate of carjackings that have been plaguing Philadelphia. People shouldn’t have to live in fear every time they get behind the wheel.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Camden County (NJ) Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Parisi and Special Assistant United States Attorney Martin Howley.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Demetrius Wilson, 30, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond for a firearms offense which stemmed from a dramatic and perilous flight from Philadelphia Police.

In September 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In January 2020, Philadelphia police attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle which was being operated by Wilson for a routine traffic violation in a residential neighborhood in the Fairmont-Brewerytown section of Philadelphia. Instead of complying with the traffic stop, Wilson sped away in his vehicle and the officers pursued him. The car chase ended when Wilson crashed into a telephone pole, but even after that accident he continued to flee undeterred; the defendant exited the vehicle and continued to flee on foot. Wilson’s reckless attempt to escape ended when he collided with a Philadelphia police officer and the gun in his possession, a loaded 9mm handgun, flew from his hand.

“The defendant’s actions, both the illegal possession of a firearm and his potentially deadly exploits on the road, presented a serious threat to the safety of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This sentence of years in prison should serve as an example to others who have previously been convicted of felony offenses and are considering carrying firearms that we will use every law enforcement tool at our disposal to find and stop you. If you choose to illegally carry a firearm, you are going to face serious federal charges.”           

“Convicted felons, who illegally possess firearms, will face federal prosecution and the possibility of a lengthy federal prison sentence,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “I want to thank our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for their combined efforts investigating this case.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Martin.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Joseph Whitbeck, 56, of Tamaqua, PA, was sentenced to two years in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine by United States District Court Judge Edward G. Smith for devising a scheme to defraud fellow union members out of rightfully earned overtime compensation.

In November 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to multiple charges of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud. While serving as the Vice President for the Local 274 branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers in the Lehigh Valley area, Whitbeck operated a kickback scheme involving certain letter carriers at the Allentown Post Office. As the Vice President, the defendant filed numerous grievances on behalf of groups of letter carriers, claiming that U.S. Postal Service managers violated overtime rules. Whitbeck then settled these class-action grievances for total lump sums, without designating the specific individuals to whom overtime grievance payments were owed, so that he could select the payees at a later time. Meanwhile, Whitbeck offered to secure extra overtime grievance payouts for some letter carriers who agreed to kick back a portion directly to him, generally in cash. This kickback scheme prevented non-participating letter carriers from receiving overtime grievance funds to which they were entitled. The defendant often made false and misleading statements to convince letter carriers to participate in his scheme; for example, he frequently told letter carriers that he would use the kick-backed funds to assist other letter carriers who were out of work.

The defendant’s covert kickback scheme lasted more than a decade and was uncovered only when a concerned letter carrier raised the issue at a union Executive Board meeting in March 2018.

“Union representatives are supposed to act in the best interest of their members, not swindle them out of rightfully earned pay or urge them to participate in fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “As Vice President of the local branch of Letter Carriers, Whitbeck had a duty to advocate on behalf of all members in the Allentown Post Office in connection with the equitable distribution of overtime grievance settlements. He abused his position and for that he will now spend [months or years] in prison.”

“Mr. Whitbeck used his union position to take financial advantage of the very colleagues he was charged with representing. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General together with the U.S Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will pursue those individuals who would use their positions of public trust within the Postal Service to victimize or steal from others for personal gain,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Spolidoro, Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office-Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service.​

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Murray.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Devron Brown, 50, formerly of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $939,350 restitution by United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney for his involvement in a scheme to unlawfully obtain and misuse loan proceeds offered through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). 

In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to eleven felony counts: two counts of bank fraud and attempted bank fraud, and nine counts of money laundering in connection with fraudulently obtaining approximately $937,500 in PPP loan proceeds by making false representations regarding his alleged construction business, Just Us Construction, Inc. Brown made multiple false characterizations about the business, including the number of employees, the wages paid to them, the payroll taxes paid on those wages, and the intended use of the PPP loan proceeds. Brown then used those PPP loan proceeds for personal and unauthorized purchases, including a new residential property in Florida, a motorcycle, an all-terrain vehicle, a luxury automobile, and diamond jewelry. The defendant also caused a second fraudulent PPP loan application to be submitted for approximately the same amount in early 2021, but that application was denied.

“Paycheck Protection Program funds are intended to help American small-businesses continue paying their employees, even if revenues have dropped dramatically due to the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Thieves who attempt to take these funds are taking advantage of others’ misfortune – ripping them off while also ripping off all taxpayers who fund the program. Here, the defendant fraudulently obtained nearly $1 million in funds that could have helped struggling businesses and individuals, and instead spent the money on indulgences for himself.”

“Cars, diamond rings, a house — Devron Brown must’ve thought he hit the jackpot when he got that PPP money,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “We’re talking about a program created to keep businesses and employees afloat amid a pandemic battering our economy. The FBI simply won’t stand for opportunists thinking they can defraud the federal government, live large, and get away with it. We will continue to aggressively pursue anyone foolish enough to do so.”

“Joseph Whitbeck, former Vice President of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 274, betrayed the trust of the members he served by engaging in a kickback scheme involving the solicitation of cash payments from letter carriers who he assisted in obtaining monetary grievance settlements from the United States Postal Service.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards to investigate union officials who exploit their members for personal benefit,” said Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge, Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn Deal.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Kenneth L. Huggins, Jr., 25, of Coatesville, PA, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for filing a fraudulent application for pandemic unemployment compensation while he was imprisoned on a state drug trafficking sentence, thus making him ineligible to receive those benefits.

On March 27, 2020, the CARES ACT was enacted and created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) program, to provide unemployment benefits to workers who lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic and who were ineligible for other unemployment compensation.

In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud stemming from this scheme to file false PUA claims. Beginning in July 2020, Huggins abused the emergency benefit program by arranging to have his mother (co-defendant Patrice Hawthorne) and cousin (co-defendant Dashona Lawrence) submit a fraudulent PUA claim on his behalf. At the time, Huggins was an inmate at Chester County Prison in West Chester, PA, and he had been incarcerated there since before the pandemic began. Huggins also attempted to convince his co-defendants to file fraudulent PUA applications for two of his fellow inmates (who were also ineligible for benefits because they were not unemployed as a result of the pandemic) and planned to keep the vast majority of any funds paid to those inmates for himself. In total, Huggins fraudulently obtained nearly $13,000 in PUA benefits.

“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds are intended to help working Americans continue to pay their bills and make ends meet, even when hours and wages have dropped dramatically due to the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Thieves who attempt to take these funds are taking advantage of others’ misfortune – ripping them off while also ripping off all taxpayers who fund the program. Huggins fraudulently obtained thousands of dollars in funds that could have helped struggling individuals.”

“The job losses from COVID-19 were fast and furious in 2020,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “So many people lost their livelihoods and needed help fast. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program was enacted as a safety net, not an ATM for prison inmates seeking easy money. Kenneth Huggins stole thousands of taxpayer dollars to which he knew he wasn’t entitled. Anyone considering doing the same should know this: the FBI is committed to finding and locking up criminals willfully defrauding the federal government.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Hyneef Harvey, 30, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison, and six years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter for distributing narcotics as part of the Hilltop Drug Trafficking Group (DTG), an organization responsible for putting large amounts heroin and other narcotics including crack cocaine, oxycodone and fentanyl on the streets of West, Southwest, and Northwest Philadelphia, and Upper Darby between 2013 and 2018.

In November 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to multiple felony narcotics charges including distribution and intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances near a school, stemming from his role in the Hilltop organization. The DTG operated seven days a week from approximately 9:00 am until midnight as a phone order/delivery service, through which customers called a cell phone number belonging to the leaders of the organization to place orders for illegal narcotics. The customers were then redirected to “runners,” who would meet the customers on the street, often entering the customers’ vehicles, to deliver the narcotics in exchange for payment. Hilltop was a violent group that often defended its territory and narcotics with firearms, and through distribution of narcotics is responsible for multiple overdose deaths.

“This case is an excellent example of all levels of law enforcement collaborating to dismantle a dangerous drug trafficking operation putting deadly narcotics on streets all across Philadelphia and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This defendant directly threatened the safety of children by conducting the business of drug dealing adjacent to schools and playgrounds, actions for which he will now spend years behind bars.”

The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Philadelphia Police department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell and Everett Witherell.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Frances Marie Eddings, 68, of Orlando, FL, and Jude Denis, 54, of Wyncote, PA, were convicted after trial in the Allentown Federal Courthouse of accessing a computer system without authorization for pecuniary gain from a non-profit charity organization.

In September 2019, the defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy, three counts of unauthorized access to a computer, and aiding and abetting, stemming from their scheme to receive a payment of money from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), Denis’ former employer. In support of that scheme, they accessed internal documents obtained via unauthorized access to the computer system of PCF and threatened to release them to the public. Denis was hired by PCF in August 2014 but left her position shortly thereafter.

Evidence presented at trial showed that on several occasions over the course of several days after Denis left her employment, PCF computers were accessed, and documents were downloaded to her laptop and emailed to Eddings. In a series of emails sent by Eddings to PCF, the defendants demanded a payment of $150,000 in lost wages for Denis, as well as a $37,500 payment for Eddings for acting on Denis’ behalf. In those emails, Eddings threatened to release the documents to the public if their demands were not met. When their demands were ultimately not met, Eddings sent a series of emails to the PCF Board, PCF donors, and members of the media, sharing her previous correspondence and attaching the documents.

“Cyber-intrusion is a threat to all types of businesses, including non-profits,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Individuals who take advantage of a company’s vulnerability like these defendants did shows how easily sensitive information can be compromised. However, the defendants didn’t count on how decisively our Office would respond by holding them accountable for their illegal actions.”

“It should go without saying that committing cyber intrusions to settle a score is an incredibly bad idea,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Denis wanted payback from the nonprofit for its perceived unfairness and her friend Eddings was on board to help. Their short-sighted scheme has brought serious consequences, as evidenced by these convictions. The FBI is committed to tracking down and holding accountable cyber criminals, whatever their motivation for willfully breaking the law.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Kehner and Kishan Nair.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Philadelphia Field Division Special Agent in charge Matt Varisco announced federal charges in two separate interstate firearms trafficking cases at a press conference held at Philadelphia ATF Headquarters today. Both cases involve individuals illegally trafficking firearms from states in the southern United States into Philadelphia, a large northeastern city, a fact pattern which is known as the ‘iron pipeline.’ Taken together, both trafficking conspiracies are alleged to be responsible for illegally putting approximately 400 firearms on the streets.

In the first case, captioned United States v. Norman, et al, the following 11 defendants have been charged by Indictment with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and to make a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer:

• Fredrick Norman, 25, of Atlanta, GA;
• Brianna Walker a/k/a “Mars, 23, of Atlanta, GA;
• Charles O’Bannon a/k/a “Chizzy,” 24, of Villa Rica, GA;
• Stephen Norman, 23, of Villa Rica, GA;
• Devin Church a/k/a “Lant,” 24, of Villa Rica, GA;
• Kenneth Burgos a/k/a “Peppito,” 23, of Philadelphia, PA;
• Edwin Burgos a/k/a “Rock,” 29, of Philadelphia, PA;
• Roger Millington, 25, of Philadelphia, PA;
• Ernest Payton, 30, of Philadelphia, PA;
• Roselmy Rodriguez, 22, of Philadelphia, PA; and
• Brianna Reed, 21, of Shippensburg, PA.

Additionally, defendants Edwin Burgos and Kenneth Burgos were each charged with dealing firearms without a license.

In the second case, captioned United States v. Ware, et al, the following three people have been charged by Indictment with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and to make a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer:

• Muhammad Ware a/k/a “Moo,” 26, of Myrtle Beach, SC;
• Haneef Vaughn a/k/a “Neef,” 25, of Philadelphia, PA; and
• Jabreel Vaughn a/k/a “Breely,” 20, of Elkins Park, PA.

Additionally, defendant Muhammad Ware is charged with dealing firearms without a license.

United States v. Norman, et al:

Beginning in October 2020, ATF Special Agents identified multiple firearms which were recovered in the Philadelphia area as having been originally purchased in Georgia. The short time frame between the firearms’ purchase in Georgia and subsequent recovery in Philadelphia (known as a short “time to crime” period) indicated that the weapons may have been trafficked into the city.

According to the Indictment, subsequent investigation showed that over the course of six months, the conspiracy led by defendant Norman allegedly purchased nearly 300 firearms from dealers in and around Atlanta, and transported the firearms to Philadelphia for distribution and sale on the black market in exchange for approximately $116,000.

United States v. Ware, et al:

Beginning in March 2020, ATF Special Agents identified multiple firearms which were recovered in Philadelphia as having been originally purchased in South Carolina. Agents subsequently learned about a number of additional firearms recovered in Philadelphia with short “time to crime” periods that indicated they may have been trafficked into the city, just as in Norman, et al.

According to the Indictment, the recovered firearms were concentrated in a particular area of Philadelphia and were originally purchased near Myrtle Beach, SC. Subsequent investigation showed that defendant Ware had allegedly purchased several of the recovered firearms, and conspired and communicated with defendants Haneef Vaughn and Jabreel Vaughn, and others about the purchase, transportation and sale on the black market of over 100 illegal firearms.

“When I announced the All Hands On Deck initiative in April 2021, I vowed that our Office would do all we could to stop the violence ravaging our city and support the Philadelphia Police Department in its work,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Earlier this year, the Justice Department announced strategies to fight violent crime, including cracking down on firearms trafficking and the ‘iron pipeline’ – the illegal flow of guns sold in mostly southern states, transported up the East Coast, and found at crime scenes in northeastern cities like ours. The two indictments announced today, charging fourteen people with iron pipeline firearms trafficking conspiracies, show that we are aggressively focused on this work.”

“Preventing the illegal use and trafficking of firearms is a central focus of ATF's strategy to combat violent crime and protect our communities,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Illegally purchased firearms often end up in the hands of violent offenders and affect communities near and far.  Ensuring firearms traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice will remain a top priority for our firearms trafficking task force. And this collaborative effort between all of our law enforcement counterparts is a prime example of such.”

In Norman, et al: If convicted of all charges, Edwin Burgos and Kenneth Burgos face a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All other defendants face a statutory maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.

In Ware, et al: If convicted of all charges, defendant Ware faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Defendants Haneef Vaughn and Jabreel Vaughn each face a statutory maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The Norman, et al case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Harrisburg Field Offices, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.

The Ware, et al case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Miller and Special Assistant United States Attorney Martin Howley.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Raji Yusuf, 36, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to one year in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine by United States District Judge Michael Baylson for shining a laser pointer into a Philadelphia Police helicopter while it was airborne and for violating the terms of his supervised release.

In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge of aiming a laser at an aircraft. The charge stemmed from an incident that occurred in June of that year when two Philadelphia police officers were operating a helicopter as part of a regular nightly patrol. At approximately 9:55 p.m., while in flight in the area of the Northeast Philadelphia Airport, their helicopter was struck multiple times with a high intensity green laser. The laser flashes illuminated the cockpit, causing the officers to temporarily see spots in their vision. After regaining normal vision, the officers pinpointed the source of the laser on the ground in the Roosevelt Mall parking lot.  Using the helicopter’s flood light, the officers saw a male wearing a blue shirt and jeans, later identified as the defendant, with the laser pointer. The officers radioed for assistance and Yusuf was taken into local custody by officers on the ground. At the time, Yusuf was on federal supervision for a 2016 conviction for trafficking firearms; accordingly, he was arrested by federal authorities a few days later for violating his supervised release.

“There is a reason that aiming a laser at an aircraft is a federal offense – the consequences for those onboard and anyone in the vicinity could be disastrous,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Let this be a warning to anyone who might consider trying something similar: you could face serious federal prison time as a result.”

“Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft risks the safety of those onboard, as well as people on the ground. If a pilot’s vision is compromised, it could prove disastrous,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Mr. Yusuf made an extraordinarily bad decision — and did so while on federal supervision for his previous offense. This sentence not only holds him appropriately accountable, it shows how seriously we take it when someone uses a laser pointer in such a reckless and risky way.”

“Today’s sentencing shows that there are real consequences for pointing a laser at any aircraft,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Northeastern Region. “DOT-OIG will continue working with our Federal and State law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to vigorously pursue anyone who chooses to compromise the safety of the Nation’s airspace.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Wolfe.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Jamir Foushee, a/k/a “Jamir Young,” 32, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to sentenced to 20 years in prison by United States District Judge Michael M. Baylson for multiple narcotics and firearms offenses. The charges against the defendant stemmed from his unlawful possession of these items while riding in a car stopped by Philadelphia police in the Kensington section of the city.

In June 2021, the defendant was found guilty by a jury of possession with intent to distribute “crack” cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The evidence presented at trial proved that, in April 2019, Foushee was riding as a passenger in his own car when it was stopped for a traffic violation by Philadelphia Police officers. After observing the defendant reach under his seat, officers discovered a handgun under that seat. The defendant then stated to officers that the guns and drugs in the car were his. Police detained Foushee and the driver of the vehicle, searched the car, and found crack cocaine packaged for sale, as well as two additional firearms. At the time of the incident, the defendant was a convicted felon and was not allowed by law to possess a firearm.

“Drug distribution and gun violence are an epidemic in Philadelphia, and the federal government is aggressively prosecuting both; we are ‘All Hands On Deck’ to get dangerous criminals like this defendant off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “As a previously convicted felon, Foushee knew all too well that he is prohibited from possessing a firearm, , and his simultaneous possession of illegal narcotics made him even more dangerous. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case, the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department, for their hard work and dedication.”

“A convicted felon carrying drugs and guns clearly threatens the safety of the community,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “A jury convicted this defendant of federal crimes and with this jail sentence, he will no longer be in a position to harm anyone for quite some time.  Thank you to our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their continued support in combatting violent crime.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David E. Troyer, and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Randall Warden.