Middle District of Pennsylvania

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Stull, age 46, of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Stull possessed with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, over 500 grams of cocaine, and a quantity of marihuana on September 12, 2024, in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.  The indictment also alleges that on the same date, Stull possessed multiple firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking offenses, and that he possessed one firearm with an obliterated serial number.

The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Verbitsky, age 37, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for a drug trafficking offense.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on April 4, 2024, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Verbitsky distributed 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), the Kingston Police Department, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is imprisonment for forty years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 6, 2024, United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Mugabe Baker, age 37, an illegal alien residing in Sullivan County, New York, to 12 months’ imprisonment for fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer.  Judge Mariani also ordered Baker to serve one year on supervised release after the conclusion of his prison sentence.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on September 18, 2022, a National Park Service Law Enforcement Officer observed Baker speeding in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Rather than pulling over, Baker sped away from the Officer. Baker’s vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour and he nearly missed hitting two pedestrians while traveling through villages in New Jersey and New York. The responding Officer eventually terminated pursuit and Baker was later identified as the offending driver through investigation.   

The matter was investigated by the National Park Service with assistance provided by the Kingston, Pennsylvania Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.           

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roland Bennett Rhodes, III, age 54, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted on November 5, 2024, by a federal grand jury for both receipt of and possession of child pornography.  

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Rhodes with receipt of and possession of child pornography depicting minors under the age of 12 years, engaging in sexually explicit conduct on October 24, 2024, in Luzerne County.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tatum Wilson is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Yoel Weiss, age 42, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged in an indictment with 41 combined counts of wire fraud, false statements to the Small Business Administration, identity theft, unlawful monetary transactions, and witness tampering.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Weiss owned and operated multiple corporate entities in Pennsylvania and New York.  Weiss allegedly filed at least seven fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds through the Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  Weiss was charged with seven counts of wire fraud, and seven count of making false statements to the United States Small Business Administration, for the fraudulent applications.  Weiss also is charged with three counts of aggravated identity theft, for using stolen identities to file three applications.

The applications allegedly submitted by Weiss were filed on behalf of corporate entities that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore false dates of business establishment, false employee headcount information, and fabricated gross revenues, costs of goods sold, and lost rental income. Weiss allegedly obtained in excess of approximately $850,000 in EIDL funds through filing the fraudulent applications, which he spent on unapproved personal expenses.  Weiss is charged with 23 counts of making unlawful monetary transactions with the proceeds of his fraud.

Weiss is further charged with threatening and intimidating a witness in an attempt to influence and prevent the witness’s testimony before a federal grand jury.

“The American tax system is designed to provide vital government services to our people. It is not a slush fund for thieves and fraudsters,” said Amy MacNeely, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office.

The EIDL program, funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.  EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligation.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

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

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for the most serious charges are 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  The aggravated identity theft offense carries a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment that is to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that two brothers from Bronx, New York, Elijah Javier Rodriguez, age 26, and Javier Justin Rodriguez, age 29, were indicted by a grand jury on November 5, 2024, on charges of possession of firearms by prohibited persons.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that both Elijah and Javier Rodriguez did knowingly possess firearms as a prohibited person who had been convicted of a felony offense, on June 29, 2024, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

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

 The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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WILLIAMSPORT- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Bressi, age 52, of Danville, Pennsylvania, was convicted on November 4, 2024, on charges related to a multi-year conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogues following a six-day jury trial before Chief U.S District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bressi was convicted on charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, carfentanil and 3-methylfentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute acetyl fentanyl.  Bressi used his business, Shiva Science and Technology, in East Buffalo Township from 2015 through 2019, to make various fentanyl analogues that he would then sell to his distributors in Philadelphia, PA and the Cleveland, OH areas.  Although the Shiva business purported to be engaged in cutting edge technology, a search warrant executed in 2019 showed that it was in fact a front company designed to conceal a fentanyl manufacturing operation.  Over the course of the conspiracy, Bressi manufactured hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues, the equivalent of millions of individual doses.

Bressi was detained pending sentencing, which will occur at a later date not yet specified by the court. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey W. MacArthur, Jeffery St. John, and Alisan V. Martin are prosecuting the case.

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

Bressi faces a maximum lifetime term of imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William S. Welsh, age 28, of State College, Pennsylvania, was indicted on November 5, 2024, by a federal grand jury on charges of production and possession of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on January 15, 2023, Welsh employed a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.  The indictment also alleges that from December 29, 2021 through April 4, 2024, Welsh possessed images depicting minors, including minors under the age of 12, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Connie Bott, age 74, of Hershey, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before United States District Court judge Jennifer P. Wilson on October 31, 2024, to a charge of filing a false federal income tax return. Bott remains free on her own recognizance.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bott was employed by Autohaus Lancaster, a car dealership and service center in Lancaster, PA.  Bott was the bookkeeper and controller for the business.  In 2019, the owners of the dealership suspected that Bott was potentially embezzling money from them. When interviewed Bott admitted to stealing money from her employer and, consequently, to making false declarations under penalty of perjury when she filed her federal income tax returns (mailed in Dauphin County, within the Middle District of Pennsylvania) in which she did not report the income she realized from the thefts. US Attorney Karam said the Internal Revenue Service calculated the unreported income as $76,472.74 over 4 years from 2016 through 2019, and additional income tax owed by Bott for that period to be to be $16,825. The unreported income for the sole count of the Information for tax year 2017 is $30,456.68, and the unreported tax for that count is $7,246.

The following federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation:  Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Manheim Township Police Department, and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe prosecuted the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is three years of imprisonment, a maximum term of supervised release of one year following imprisonment, and a $100,000 fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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SCRANTON - United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Luzerne County for the November 5 general election.

The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day.  Our District Election Officers will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. AUSA/DEO Michael Consiglio can be reached by the public at the Harrisburg Office number: 717-221-4482; AUSA/DEO James Buchanan can be reached at the Scranton Office number: 570-348-2800; and AUSA/DEO Geoffrey MacArthur can be reached at the Williamsport Office number: 570-326-1935.

Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.

Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.

More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.

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

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eric C. Haggins Jr., age 39, of Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 7, 2024, by a federal grand jury for failure to register as a sex offender, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between April 2022 and July 2024, Haggins knowingly failed to register and update a registration as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).  It alleges Haggins was required to register under SORNA because of prior convictions for Rape in the Second Degree and Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the state of Maryland.  The indictment also alleges that Haggins possessed cocaine, and marijuana with the intent to distribute, possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessed a firearm while he was prohibited from doing to because of his previous convictions.

This case was investigated by United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement 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 enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kadeem Weldon, age 31, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender upon relocating to Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that from December 2022 and continuing to at least September 9, 2024, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), upon relocating to central Pennsylvania, Weldon failed to register his address in Pennsylvania as required by SORNA.   

This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Keith Demetrius Anderson, age 53, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for Interference with Commerce by Robbery, and with Use of a Firearm during a Violent Crime.   

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on or about January 9, 2024, Anderson entered the Vape It Smoke Shop in Dauphin County, pointed a handgun at a store employee, directed the employee to provide the money from the drawer, and obtained approximately $300.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Swatara Township Police Department, and the Harrisburg City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Kevin Jones, aka “Hat,” age 40, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, was sentenced on October 23, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 180 months’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Jones was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl after a four-day jury trial before Judge Mannion in June 2024. Jones was one of fifteen individuals indicted in February 2023 for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in Northeastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere.  Jones and his co-conspirators obtained pills containing fentanyl via the mail from co-conspirators in Arizona.  Jones and his co-conspirators then distributed the pills in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and other locations in Northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as other states.

At trial, the Government presented testimony from six of Jones’s co-conspirators.  Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service also testified. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Gerard T. Donahue prosecuted the case.

To date, thirteen co-defendants have pleaded guilty.  Some are still awaiting sentencing.

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

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Bruce Darby, age 46, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 22, 2024, to life in prison by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons offenses. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Darby was convicted by a jury after a trial which Judge Conner presided over in January 2024.  Judge Conner referred to the evidence presented at that trial when he sentenced him. The trial evidence included an extensive investigation of Darby and his drug trafficking crew by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Darby brought in oxycodone pills from New York City and reselling them in the Chambersburg area from 2018 to 2019. Darby continued to sell drugs while he was incarcerated in York County Prison.  The jury heard evidence that police monitored Darby’s telephone calls, during which Darby described himself as “the biggest pill dealer in Chambersburg.”  Darby was also convicted of delivering fentanyl laced pills that killed one of his customers in August of 2019. 

Judge Conner noted that Darby’s criminal history was one of the worst he had seen in 23-years on the bench. Darby’s criminal history also involved multiple criminal convictions for assaulting prison guards.

“This career drug trafficker who prioritized profits over people’s safety will never have another opportunity to inflict harm,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “I am thankful for the collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, which led to a life sentence for someone who ignored numerous prior opportunities to reform his conduct.”

Co-defendant Malik Bonds was also convicted of drug trafficking at the same trial. On June 17, 2024, Judge Conner sentenced Bonds to 156 months in prison.

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Franklin County Drug Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smulktis and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Consiglio are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kyle Eugene Gordon, age 36, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on October 23, 2024 by a federal grand jury on escape charges.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on October 7, 2024, Gordon escaped from custody of the Capital Pavilion Residential Reentry Center in Dauphin County, where he was confined. Following the escape, he was apprehended on October 15, 2024.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher J. Cordes, age 29, of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, attempted receipt of and possession of child pornography, and animal crushing.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that while employed as a Tamaqua Police Officer for the Tamaqua Police Department, Cordes communicated with at least one minor victim on a social media platform, whom he attempted to solicit for child pornography. Additionally, Cordes is alleged to have used at least one social media platform to attempt to receive child pornography. Cordes is also alleged to have created and then sent images to at least one minor victim, and others, depicting himself engaged in sexual activity with animals. When Cordes was arrested, he was in possession of child pornography.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury indicted Nicholas Silva-Shaffer, age 29, of Dauphin County, for Hobbs Act robbery.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on or about September 16, 2024, Shaffer approached an employee of a Rite Aid store in Dauphin County.  Shaffer stated that he had a gun and demanded and obtained money from the store employee.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalties under federal law for the charge against Shaffer is 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons indicted are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON - United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced today that Criminal Division Chief Bruce D. Brandler, Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) Michael Consiglio, Geoffrey MacArthur, and James Buchanan will lead the efforts of this Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.

Criminal Chief Brandler has been appointed to oversee and lead the District’s Election Day Program.  AUSAs Consiglio, Buchanan, and MacArthur will serve as the District Election Officers (DEO) for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in our Harrisburg, Scranton, and Williamsport Offices. In that capacity, they are responsible for overseeing the handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of any kind to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of any kind. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of any kind directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).   

 “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy, said U.S. Attorney Karam.  “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”

In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, our DEOs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. AUSA/DEO Consiglio can be reached by the public at the Harrisburg Office number: 717-221-4482; AUSA/DEO Buchanan can be reached at the Scranton Office number: 570-348-2800; and AUSA/DEO MacArthur can be reached at the Williamsport Office number: 570-326-1935.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 215-418-4000.

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

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

###

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony C. Donnora, Sr., age 79, of Forkston Township, Pennsylvania, was indicted on October 15, 2024, by a federal grand jury and charged with drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Donnora with the distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, maintaining a drug involved premises, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.  The alleged offenses occurred in Wyoming County between August 6, 2021 through February 27, 2024.

The charges stem from a joint investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations– Scranton Office, ATF, the Wyoming County District Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Tunkhannock Borough Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brayan Garcia-Vazquez, age 24, of Havelock, North Carolina, was indicted on October 16, 2024, by a federal grand jury on one count of production of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Garcia-Vazquez took video of himself engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor victim on April 5, 2023, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is thirty years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Horsfield, age 50, formerly of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced August 23, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to serve a term of 25 years’ imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release for producing images containing the sexual exploitation of a child.  

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between November 2022 and August 2023, Horsfield acquired, created, and distributed child pornography—some of which Horsfield personally created with minor victims. Law enforcement discovered the abuse while investigating a report of inappropriate contact between a minor and another individual, finding communications between Horsfield and the individual on the individual’s phone that included videos depicting Horsfield engaging in the sexual exploitation of a minor. Subsequent investigation determined that Horsfield possessed 2,125 images and 218 videos of child pornography on his phone.

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

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, Stroudsburg Area Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Varley prosecuted the case.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ester N. Mbaya, age 43, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to charges of health care fraud and bank fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Mbaya was president of Cool Waters, LLC, a home health care agency.  Mbaya submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims seeking compensation for services that were not provided or inflated claims. Mbaya submitted these fraudulent claims from January 2018 to June 2020, and obtained in excess of $1 million as a result of the fraud.

Mbaya also submitted falsified records to four financial institutions to obtain loans and lines of credit. The falsified records included altered bank statements which made it appear she had more money on deposit than she did. She also submitted falsified pay checks to obtain loans.

“The diligent work of law enforcement collaborators uncovered a criminal scheme that diverted money from in-need Pennsylvanians who could have benefitted from the Medicaid program,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “Our office is proud to work with partners who share the mission of making sure Medicaid dollars pay for care and services that enhance quality of life, rather than line the pockets of bad actors.”

“Medical providers must strictly follow the law when billing Medicaid for services,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate inaccurate billings submitted to federally funded health care programs.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Sherwood and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio are prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Doris Santana, age 53, of Thompsontown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on October 11, 2024, to a three-count criminal information charging her with social security fraud and theft of public money related to her theft of social security and federal housing funds.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 2008 and December 2021, Santana was a participant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), which provided rental assistance to eligible recipients. Between May 2018 and September 2024, Santana also received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). In April 2011, Santana married Individual 1. However, Santana concealed the marriage from the SSA and HUD. Santana’s marriage to, cohabitation with, and receipt of income from, Individual 1 rendered Santana ineligible to receive SSI and Housing Choice Voucher Program funds.

As alleged by the government, over the relevant time period, Santana’s conduct resulted in a total loss of $145,397.30 from the SSA and HUD. 

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.

The total maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is up to 25 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Darnell Henry, age 42, of Bronx, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Henry with attempted sexual exploitation of child who had not obtained the age of 18-years-old, between May 9, 2024 and May 25, 2024, in Adams County. The indictment further charges Henry with enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity between May 9, 2024 and June 2, 2024.

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, the New York City Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty upon conviction for the charged offense is life imprisonment, a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, a statutory assessment, and a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Sterling Crumblin, age 34, of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 10, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 10 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Crumblin was sentenced for his possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Crumblin received the ten-year mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking over 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Crumblin previously entered a guilty plea where he admitted that on November 15, 2021, Pennsylvania State Police conducted a traffic stop on Crumblin’s vehicle while he was driving through Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Troopers secured a search warrant for Crumblin’s vehicle and ultimately discovered more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and a stolen handgun.

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

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Dukes is prosecuting the case.

# # #

HARRISBURG –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mark A. Woods, age 32, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 7, 2024, to 176 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for drug offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Woods was sentenced for trafficking crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in York. Previously, Woods entered a guilty plea where he admitted that on July 30, 2019, the York City Police Department caught him with drugs he was going to traffic. Police also found that he had a gun. When imposing sentence, Judge Conner pointed to the fact that Woods had a gun on this occasion, that Woods’ extensive criminal history including drugs and guns, and that previous prison sentences failed to deter him. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

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

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Craig Smith, age 53, of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 8, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 10 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Smith was sentenced for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking ring operated out of a home in Windsor, Pennsylvania. Smith received the ten-year mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking over 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Smith had previously entered a guilty plea where he admitted that on May 6, 2020, he tried to acquire over 600 grams of methamphetamine from a drug dealer in Philadelphia. Police arrested him and found a gun. Smith was charged with conspiracy to traffic meth with Kimberly Forney, Cody Mitzel, Christa Tabor, and Sheridan Lee Boothe.

All the other co-defendants have pled guilty to their roles in methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Kimberly Forney was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Cody Mitzel was sentenced to approximately 36 months in prison. Sheridan Lee Boothe was sentenced to 100 months in prison. Christa Tabor pled guilty to conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and is awaiting sentencing.

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

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

# # #

HARRISBURG –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Scott Douglas Moyer, age 49, of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 7, 2024, to 10 years in prison by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for drug offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Moyer was sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine from his home between October 2020 and February 2021. Previously, Moyer entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking charges where he admitted that on multiple occasions he distributed methamphetamine, which led police to search his Union Township home on February 1, 2021.  Police found close to kilogram of methamphetamine and 17 firearms at his home.

When imposing sentence, Judge Conner noted the significant amount of drugs distributed and seized, as well as the presence of weapons at his home. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

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

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Harry Brown, age 43, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and Richard Clink, age 50, of Minersville, Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury for depriving the civil rights of another under the color of law and for making false reports.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on or about February 2, 2022, while acting under the color of law, Brown and Clink, aiding and abetting each other, did deprive an arrestee of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer.  This use of unreasonable force led to bodily injury of the arrestee. The indictment further alleges that both Brown and Clink falsified, covered up, and made false entries into police reports documenting the arrest and their use of force during that arrest.

“Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect the public, but as alleged in this case, these officers violated the constitutional rights of an individual and then attempted to cover up their actions,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. "FBI Philadelphia and our partners will continue to ensure the civil rights of all our citizens are protected, and that those who commit crimes will be held accountable."

The matter was investigated by the Minersville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case with assistance from the Civil Rights Division.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is twenty years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Juan Jose Rodriguez Tejeda, age 22, of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and Angel Luis Carrasco Marinez, age 20, of Carbon County, Pennsylvania, were indicted on October 8, 2024, by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit burglary of U.S. Post Offices, burglary of a U.S. Post Office, and bank fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between May 12, 2024 and August 12, 2024, Rodriguez Tejeda and Carrasco Marinez conspired to burglarize multiple U.S. Post Offices in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the District of New Jersey.  The indictment also alleges that Rodriguez Tejeda and Carrasco Marinez burglarized a U.S. Post Office in Cornwall, Pennsylvania.  The indictment further alleges that Rodriguez Tejeda altered checks stolen from the burglaries in order to deposit them into his own bank account.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Investigation Service (USPIS).  Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for burglary of a U.S. Post Office is 5 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  The maximum penalty under federal law for bank fraud is 30 years imprisonment, a term supervised release, and a fine.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Steven Stambaugh, age 61, of York, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a 31-count indictment with wire and mail fraud, as well as witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Stambaugh with twenty-six counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of tampering with a witness, and one count of obstruction of justice.  It is alleged that from March 19, 2020 to on or about May 18, 2020, Stambaugh devised a scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to obtain money through materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.  The indictment charges that Stambaugh instructed his employees to file and collect unemployment compensation benefits with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic, while at the same time directing and requiring his employees to continue working for Stambaugh Law, P.C.  In furtherance of the scheme to defraud, it is alleged that Stambaugh caused the use of interstate wire communications, as well as the delivery of mail matter via interstate mail deliveries.

The indictment further alleges that beginning in April 2021 through November 2022, Stambaugh attempted to intimidate and corruptly persuade a government witness to offer false testimony before a federal grand jury and to lie to federal law enforcement officers, and also attempted to obstruct justice while serving as a judicial officer for the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for York County.

“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge, Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

"As alleged, the defendant orchestrated a scheme that defrauded the Commonwealth of unemployment benefits designed to provide relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and to further this fraud, sought to mislead federal investigators," said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. "The FBI will continue to work alongside partners to protect the integrity of these programs, investigate allegations of fraud, and bring those who engage in these schemes to justice."

The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Harrisburg. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Sean Camoni are prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for mail/wire fraud and witness tampering is 20 years of imprisonment.  The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice is 10 years of imprisonment.  A term of supervised release follows any term of imprisonment and a fine.   A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations.  All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Elvis Alfonso Lopez-Perez, age 31, of Mexico, was indicted on October 2, 2024, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Lopez-Perez was previously removed from the United States on February 1, 2013. It is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States on May 28, 2024, in Cumberland County, without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country.

This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Akilees Kadeem Hobson, age 26, of Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, and Armand Kierran Hobson, age 27 of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in August and September 2024, Akilees Hobson distributed cocaine and fentanyl over a dozen times in Luzerne County. The indictment further alleges that on September 12, 2024, Armand Hobson assisted Akilees with the distribution of fentanyl.  It is also alleged that on September 25, 2024, Akilees Hobson possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and Armand Hobson possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana.  

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Naquann Simmons, age 30, of New York, New York, Eva Kelly Smith, age 31, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Eugene David Deininger, age 50, of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on September 22, 2022, Simmons and Kelly went to a gun store in Wilkes-Barre Township, Luzerne County and provided false information on an application where two firearms were obtained.  The indictment further alleges that on that same date Simmons possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. It is further alleged that on August 15, 2023, Simmons and Deininger went to a gun store in Plains Township, Luzerne County and provided false information on an application for two firearms. 

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is lifetime imprisonment for Simmons and 10 years imprisonment for Smith and Deininger, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ivan Nicholas Baez, age 45, of Kunkletown, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of sexual abuse of children.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on multiple occasions Baez produced images of child pornography. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Wendell Freeman, age 30, of Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and ammunition charges.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in September 2024, Freeman distributed cocaine on multiple occasions in Luzerne County.  The indictment further alleges that on September 25, 2024, Freeman possessed fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana for purposes of distribution.  The indictment also alleges that Freeman possessed multiple rounds of various ammunition when he was prohibited by a prior felony conviction from possessing ammunition.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rasaan Gourrier, age 29, an inmate at the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institution, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon in prison.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on August 7, 2024, Gourrier was discovered to be in possession of a homemade plexiglass weapon, known as a “shank.”

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).  Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for possessing a weapon in prison is 5 years imprisonment, a term of supervision following release, and a fine.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rhonda Rochelle Canidate, age 48, of Greensboro, North Carolina, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to a two-count criminal information charging her with wire fraud and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to embezzle funds from her employer between 2021 and 2022. 

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between March 2021 and July 2022, Canidate was employed as an accounting specialist at Henry Molded Products Company (“Henry Molded”) in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Between October 2021 and June 2022, Canidate entered false payment entries for former Henry Molded employees into Henry Molded’s third-party payroll software, causing the software to issue direct deposit payments from Henry Molded’s bank account to bank accounts controlled by Canidate in the name of the former employees. This fraud not only financially injured Henry Molded; it also harmed the former employees by creating an overpayment for tax purposes.

Canidate caused a loss of $532,050 and has agreed to pay restitution in accordance with a schedule to be determined by the Court. 

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.

The maximum combined penalty under federal law for these offenses is 30 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Timothy Albert Brewin, age 54, of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for firearms offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Brewin with possessing approximately 40 firearms as a prohibited person and possessing two sawed-off shotguns that were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record in violation of the National Firearms Act. 

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the charges against Brewin is 25 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons indicted are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nathaniel Sean Deleon, age 20, of Tulare, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of distribution of child pornography.  

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on November 24 and 25, 2023, Deleon distributed child pornography in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources".

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 20 years, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bruce Neil Kresin, age 51, of Binghamton, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender upon relocating to Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that from July 2024 and continuing to at least August 27, 2024, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), upon relocating to Lackawanna County, PA, Kresin failed to register his address in Pennsylvania as required by SORNA.     

This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS).  Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Omoyoma Christopher Okoro, age 50, was sentenced on September 19, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 100 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $22,565,929.18 in restitution.

In September 2023, Okoro was found guilty of all charges against him following a five-day jury trial. Okoro was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, mail fraud affecting a financial institution, and bank fraud. In addition, Okoro was charged with two counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of mail fraud affecting a financial institution, and one count of bank fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Okoro, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Nigerian origin, resided in Nigeria before moving to the United States around 2013. Between 2006 and 2010, Okoro conspired with others to defraud attorneys located in the United States through what became known as the “attorney collection scheme.” Through this scheme, attorneys in the United States were contacted by a prospective “client” in a foreign country who purported to be in need in legal representation. The client would typically claim to be owed money from someone in the United States resulting from a business transaction, settlement from a dispute, or an accident. If the attorney responded to the initial inquiry, the attorney would then be told that the other party had agreed to settle the matter and was prepared to make a payment. Soon after that, the attorney would receive a counterfeit “official check” supposedly issued by a U.S. bank in the mail. The attorney was directed by the client to deposit the check into his or her law firm escrow account, keep a portion of the funds as payment for services, and wire the balance to a foreign bank account, typically located in an East Asian country. Once the funds reached the foreign bank account, they were immediately withdrawn by a member of the conspiracy, generally before the attorney victim realized that he or she had been defrauded. The attorney and the attorney’s bank would then be left responsible for the loss once they realized that the official check was counterfeit.

The evidence at trial showed Okoro communicating with numerous other members of the conspiracy, including individuals responsible for furnishing the financial accounts in East Asia used to receive victim funds, as well as individuals who appeared to be in contact with attorney victims. On numerous occasions, Okoro was either the sender or recipient of emails confirming that an attorney victim had wired funds to a foreign bank account. In addition, evidence at trial showed funds flowing back to Okoro from coconspirators located in the area of Toronto, Canada, where several key members of the conspiracy resided.

In total, it is believed that over $23 million in fraudulent proceeds were actually obtained through the attorney collection scheme, and over $80 million in attempted fraud occurred. Okoro represents the latest defendant to be prosecuted in this district for his role in the attorney collection scheme. Prior defendants include Emmanuel Ekhator and Yvette Mathurin, previously residents of Canada and Nigeria, and Kingsley Osagie of Nigeria. For more information, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/nigerian-national-sentenced-100-months-involvement-scheme-defraud-lawyers-out-millions. They also include Henry Okpalefe, previously a resident of Toronto, Canada and Nigeria. For more information, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/canadian-man-sentenced-18-years-imprisonment-multi-million-dollar-fraud-targeting-us. 

           The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma, Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams, and Shaunik R. Panse, previously a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, prosecuted the case. This case and other prior cases related to the attorney collection scheme were previously handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christy Fawcett, Kim Douglas Daniel, Chelsea Schinnour, and Paul J. Miovas, Jr.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that William Graves, Jr., age 50, of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with false personation of an officer or employee of the United States. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that on multiple occasions in 2022 and 2023, Graves falsely represented himself to be a deputy U.S. Marshal.  The information alleges that during a traffic stop conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police, Graves displayed a U.S. Marshals badge and identification and stated that he worked with the U.S. Marshals.  The information also alleges that Graves falsely told other individuals that he was engaged in locating and apprehending fugitives.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is three years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John H. Johnson and his wife, Paula Z. Johnson, both age 62, of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, were sentenced on September 17, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, for committing fraud. John Johnson received a sentence of 97 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Paula Johnson received a sentence of three years of probation, including six months of home detention with location monitoring, and was ordered to immediately pay $249,301.36 in restitution, fines, and assessments.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in 2016, John H. Johnson, a physician with specialized training in anesthesiology, entered into an agreement with other individuals to defraud health insurance programs by billing them illegally for expensive tests known as “urine drug tests.” One of the individuals that Johnson conspired with was Rodney L. Yentzer, who pleaded guilty for his role in related offenses in March 2022 and is awaiting sentencing. Johnson and Yentzer carried out this agreement through a couple different groups of pain management practices located throughout central Pennsylvania, known as Lighthouse Medical and Pain Medicine of York (“PMY”). Yentzer, who had no medical training, acquired PMY in 2014 at the suggestion of John H. Johnson, with whom Yentzer was business partners. PMY absorbed Lighthouse Medical in 2017, and PMY closed permanently in November 2019 after law enforcement agents executed search warrants at its various locations. 

“Ensuring the integrity of health care programs in this age of rising costs is paramount to our mission,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “We will continue to work with federal, state, and local partners to hold providers accountable for misconduct that exploits the programs.”

“Healthcare fraud is not a victimless crime. In this case, the defendants caused taxpayers' hard-earned dollars to be diverted from patients who needed care, and instead served their own interests,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special in Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI and our partners’ commitment to rooting out fraud and pursuing those who conspire to exploit our healthcare systems for financial gain."

In 2016, Lighthouse Medical, under the direction of John H. Johnson, operated a drug testing laboratory on its own premises. This laboratory had the equipment and capabilities to perform urine drug testing (“UDT”) on site. UDT, when used legitimately, is a method for physicians to test their patients for the presence and specific amounts of various substances. A very high percentage of the patients of Lighthouse Medical (and, subsequently, PMY) were prescribed with opioid medications at each monthly visit. UDT could be used, for instance, to test whether such patients were taking their medications as prescribed or taking illegal recreational drugs in addition to their prescribed medications. Urine drug tests were typically reimbursed at a high rate by Medicare and private insurance programs.

In March 2016, Johnson and Yentzer agreed with the new owners of a rural, 25-bed “Critical Access Hospital” located near the border of Florida and Alabama to “sell” Lighthouse Medical’s UDT laboratory services to the hospital; in exchange, the hospital purchased the exclusive right to bill for payment and collect payment from patients and insurance programs. The hospital agreed to pay Lighthouse Medical a kickback of $900 per test.

As a Critical Access Hospital under federal law, the hospital received very favorable payment from Medicare and private insurance programs, including, for example, for UDT. Thus, even while paying a $900 kickback per test to Lighthouse Medical, the hospital was still able to collect and keep a significant amount of money over and above that amount. The owners of the hospital also used other laboratories like Lighthouse Medical in a similar pass-through manner. As a result, the hospital was able to bill for a number of laboratory tests that far exceeded what would normally be associated with a small facility of its kind, and Lighthouse Medical was paid far more than what it would have typically received for UDT from Medicare and other insurers. For instance, on July 12, 2016, the hospital paid Lighthouse Medical $816,300 for 907 urine drug tests. Approximately one week later, the hospital paid Lighthouse Medical $628,200 for nearly 700 tests.

In total, the owners of the hospital billed others, including private insurers, approximately $1.4 billion for various laboratory testing services that were not medically necessary. The majority of this amount was due to UDT. Lighthouse Medical received $2,341,775 in kickback payments over a four-month time period, with 85% of this amount going to John H. Johnson and the remaining amount going to Rodney L. Yentzer.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, John H. Johnson will also be required to pay over $2.3 million in restitution to defrauded health insurance companies. The restitution order against John H. Johnson is expected to be finalized within the next sixty days.

In addition to pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, John H. Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. His wife, Paula Z. Johnson, who is also a physician from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to the same offense. Together, John H. Johnson and Paula Z. Johnson conspired to evade payments to the U.S. Government that John H. Johnson was required to make for a prior criminal conviction.

In July 2015, John H. Johnson was indicted for various tax offenses in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. In September 2016, John H. Johnson was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with a separate health care fraud scheme. In early 2017, John H. Johnson knew that he was likely going to prison for these offenses, so he approached Rodney L. Yentzer and got Yentzer to agree to place Paula Z. Johnson, who had not practiced medicine in years, on the PMY payroll.

In June 2017, John H. Johnson was sentenced to an 84-month term of imprisonment for the various offenses with which he had been charged. He was also ordered to repay to the U.S. Government over $3 million restitution payments for fraudulent health care billing and unpaid taxes.

Even following his imprisonment, Johnson and Yentzer remained in close contact through phone and in-person visits, with Johnson providing direction to Yentzer. During conversations, Johnson and Yentzer sometimes used coded language to describe sensitive subjects, including the term “toy” to refer to money and the term “toy box” to refer to bank accounts.

John H. Johnson knew that PMY continued to be highly profitable, in large part owing to its UDT billing. Specifically, PMY billed every patient for two urine drug tests at each visit: one test a presumptive “screen” for the presence of certain substances and the second a definitive test for specific levels of 22 different substances. This testing protocol had been put in place by John H. Johnson when he ran Lighthouse Medical, and he instructed Yentzer to do the same at PMY. Yentzer followed this direction.

From mid-2017 until late 2019, PMY submitted bills just to Medicare for around $10 million in UDT, with well over $4 million being paid out. John H. Johnson, Paula Z. Johnson, and Rodney L. Yentzer devised various other ways to funnel money to the Johnsons so that they could benefit from this wealth without the money being captured for John H. Johnson’s restitution payments. Among other things, Yentzer purchased a car for the Johnsons’ son and leased an Audi Q5 for Paula Z. Johnson, at her request. Yentzer also made $28,000 in contributions to their children’s 529 college savings accounts, paid over $40,000 in legal bills for “asset and estate planning,” made over $40,000 in payments toward personal loans, and covered other large bills, all with the knowledge of both John H. Johnson and Paula Z. Johnson. On a number of occasions, Paula Z. Johnson requested these payments directly from Yentzer or his assistant.

PMY shut down abruptly in November 2019 after search warrants were executed because it was no longer able to retain medical providers to see patients. In January 2020, in a recorded prison call, Yentzer stated to John H. Johnson, that “if there’s anything left, I will make sure Paula gets, uh, a piece.” He added that “whatever’s left” after satisfying certain creditors he would “divvy up.” Yentzer made this statement despite the fact that Paula Z. Johnson had been formally terminated by PMY in November 2019.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON– U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced today that Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, has been designated by the U.S. Department of Justice to receive additional resources to focus on combating domestic gun violence.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.  The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.

“Our office is committed to working closely with our federal and local partners to hold offenders accountable for crimes associated with domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking,” said U.S. Attorney Karam.

“ATF Philadelphia Field Division will work closely with our law enforcement partners in the designated counties to combat firearm violence against intimate partners and children, ensure that perpetrators are held accountable, that the rule of law is upheld, and that survivors are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office.

Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.

The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders.  All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. 

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Anthony Boomer, age 60, of Blakeslee, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to a term of 41 months’ imprisonment for trafficking cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Boomer pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm on February 28, 2024. Boomer was the target of joint investigation conducted by the FBI and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department into drug trafficking occurring in the Monroe County, Pennsylvania area. Boomer sold cocaine to a confidential informant on multiple occasions, which lead investigators to seek a federal search warrant for his Blakeslee residence. Boomer and his codefendant/son Justin Lamont Hardy were found to be in possession of additional cocaine, drug paraphernalia, cash, and multiple firearms.

In addition to serving 41 months in federal prison, Boomer will pay a $200 special assessment and be placed on three years of supervised release upon release from custody. Judge Mariani sentenced Justin Lamont Hardy to 60 months’ incarceration for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking earlier this year.

This case was jointly investigated by the FBI and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.

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

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 16, 2024, United States District Court Judge Karoline Mehalchick sentenced Brian Wilder, age 54, of Jefferson City, Missouri, to 240 months imprisonment followed by 10 years supervised release, on the charge of conspiracy to commit sexual abuse of children. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between December 3, 2022, and December 7, 2022, Wilder participated in an online chat using the Kik application, with Mason Morey, age 27, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania.  Wilder purported to be a young woman during these online conversations and directed Morey to sexually abuse two minor children, ages 3 and 5.  At Wilder’s request and direction, Morey transmitted numerous videos and images of himself sexually abusing the children to Wilder.

On November 20, 2023, Morey was sentenced to 300 months imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for attempted online enticement and sexual exploitation of children.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.

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

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Young, age 43, of Elkland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann to a term of 180 months of imprisonment for the receipt of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Young pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography on March 26, 2024.  Young was previously identified by the FBI in 2022 as participating in a website that engaged in the file sharing of child pornography.  After his arrest in January 2022, Young was placed on supervised release pending trial.  In July 2023, Young was found to have downloaded additional images of child pornography.

This case was by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case.

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

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Disabella, age 35, James Disabella, Jr. age 60, and James Disabella, III, age 36, all of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, were each sentenced by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley to serve 10 years’ imprisonment for their role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of pure methamphetamine in the Hazleton area between August 2022 and December 2022. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the Disabellas each previously pleaded guilty before Judge Munley to distributing over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine.  Throughout the time period of the conspiracy the Disabellas distributed at least 500 grams of pure methamphetamine to other street level distributors and drug addicts.  

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

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.

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