Middle District of Pennsylvania

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 10, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Jeremy Anderson, age 28, of West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Anderson pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking on April 3, 2024. Anderson was the target of a DEA investigation during which he sold heroin and fentanyl on three occasions. Agents obtained a federal search warrant, and on July 15, 2021, searched Anderson’s West Hazleton residence, vehicle, and a storage unit. The search resulted in the seizure of 10 grams of fentanyl; a loaded Ruger 9 mm pistol; and $28,457. Anderson was interviewed by agents and admitted selling “pre-packaged bundles” of narcotics to a “short list of customers.”

This case was jointly investigated by the DEA and the Hazleton Police Department.   Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted 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 and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid 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.

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 Garfet Todd Patton, age 60, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, was indicted on September 10, 2024, by a federal grand jury on distribution and possession of child pornography charges.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Patton with three counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography depicting minors engaging in sexual activity.  The offenses took place in Luzerne County between June and September 2024.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 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 combined maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is eighty 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 Bryant Wilson, age 54, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary Canaan, in Waymart, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury with voluntary manslaughter.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges that on or about November 28, 2021, Wilson killed an inmate with a prison-made weapon “upon a sudden quarrel and heat of passion.” The indictment also alleges that Wilson unlawfully possessed a weapon, a seven-inch piece of metal sharpened to a point, commonly known as a “shank.”

The charges stem from a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Moreno is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the crimes charged in the Indictment is twenty 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 Anthony Evans, age 28, a federal inmate, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury with possessing contraband in prison.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on or about July 15, 2024, while an inmate at the Federal Correction Institution Allenwood (FCI Allenwood), in Union County, Pennsylvania, Evans possessed a six-inch piece of metal sharpened to a point with a cloth handle commonly referred to as a “shank.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson 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 on September 5, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Antoine Montgomery, age 34, of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, to a term of 108 months’ imprisonment for trafficking of fentanyl.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Montgomery pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking on February 23, 2022. Montgomery was arrested during the DEA’s Operation Overdrive which targeted drug trafficking, firearms and violent crimes in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas. Agents conducted surveillance in the area of Beaumont Street, Wilkes Barre when they observed Montgomery and his co-defendant Jamal Jenkins conduct numerous illegal drug transactions. As a result of further investigation, a federal search warrant was served on a residence and parked vehicle controlled by Montgomery and Jenkins on January 4, 2023. Agents seized 300 grams of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, together with crack cocaine and cocaine.

Judge Mannion previously sentenced Jenkins to 36 months’ imprisonment, and in this case also ordered Montgomery to serve a term of 4 years of supervised release following release from custody. 

This case was jointly investigated by the DEA and the Pennsylvania State Police.   Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted 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 and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid 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.

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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HARRISBURG – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading his personal and employment taxes.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brandon Aumiller, of Milroy, owned an insurance sales business. For tax years 2007, and 2009 through 2011, Aumiller filed personal income tax returns reporting that he owed taxes, but did not pay them. He also filed employment tax returns for his business reporting that it owed taxes for the third quarter of 2013 and the first two quarters of 2014, but did not pay those taxes either.

When the IRS sought to collect the taxes Aumiller admitted he owed, Aumiller engaged in a multi-year scheme to thwart the IRS’ efforts by concealing his assets in nominee bank accounts, structuring multiple real estate deals to conceal the transactions from the IRS, and submitting false financial disclosure forms to the IRS that did not fully disclose his bank accounts and his real estate assets.

In total, Aumiller caused a tax loss to the IRS of $478,270.

“Taxpayers thinking about committing tax evasion should stop and consider the consequences,” stated Amy MacNeely, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Field Office.  “Those consequences include possible incarceration, being branded a convicted felon for the rest of their lives, and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest.  Mr. Aumiller’s conviction and sentencing ensures that he will face those consequences, while reinforcing our commitment to identify and prosecute those who evade their taxes.”

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner ordered Aumiller to serve 3 years of supervised release and to pay approximately $180,000 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Matthew L. Cofer of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur of the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.

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HARRISBURG – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading his personal and employment taxes.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brandon Aumiller, of Milroy, owned an insurance sales business. For tax years 2007, and 2009 through 2011, Aumiller filed personal income tax returns reporting that he owed taxes, but did not pay them. He also filed employment tax returns for his business reporting that it owed taxes for the third quarter of 2013 and the first two quarters of 2014, but did not pay those taxes either.

When the IRS sought to collect the taxes Aumiller admitted he owed, Aumiller engaged in a multi-year scheme to thwart the IRS’ efforts by concealing his assets in nominee bank accounts, structuring multiple real estate deals to conceal the transactions from the IRS, and submitting false financial disclosure forms to the IRS that did not fully disclose his bank accounts and his real estate assets.

In total, Aumiller caused a tax loss to the IRS of $478,270.

“Taxpayers thinking about committing tax evasion should stop and consider the consequences,” stated Amy MacNeely, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Field Office.  “Those consequences include possible incarceration, being branded a convicted felon for the rest of their lives, and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest.  Mr. Aumiller’s conviction and sentencing ensures that he will face those consequences, while reinforcing our commitment to identify and prosecute those who evade their taxes.”

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner ordered Aumiller to serve 3 years of supervised release and to pay approximately $180,000 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Matthew L. Cofer of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur of the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Delvin Hutchinson, age 33, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted of three counts of making false statements in connection with the purchase of six firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer following a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hutchinson purchased six firearms in three separate transactions at Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter, in Stroudsburg, within a 19-day period in March 2019.  When investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later interviewed Hutchinson, he was in possession of none of the firearms and claimed that some of the firearms had been stolen.  Testimony presented at trial showed that Hutchinson’s story regarding the theft was false and that he had “straw purchased” the firearms for one or more other individuals.  In connection with the purchase of the firearms, Hutchinson completed federal forms in which he falsely stated that he was purchasing the firearms for himself, when in fact he was purchasing the firearms for one or more other individuals.  Hutchinson was convicted of three counts of providing false information to Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter regarding the purchase of the firearms.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bensalem Police Department also participated in the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Sarah R. Lloyd 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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for each of the offenses is ten years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ulises Perez-Herrera, age 35, a Citizen of Mexico, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Perez-Herrera was previously removed from the United States on June 15, 2019, through Hidalgo, Texas. It is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States on July 27, 2024, in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 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 K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty upon conviction for the charged offense is 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, 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. 

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice, Tax Division announced that Jill Moran, age 55, of Conyngham, Pennsylvania, appeared in federal district court today and pleaded guilty to a three-count criminal information charging her with failing to pay individual income taxes for calendar years 2016, 2017, and 2018, in connection with substantial legal fees she earned as the owner and operator of The Powell Law Group, P.C., a Luzerne County-based law firm, and as a member of the Trust Advisory Committee for the mass tort litigation described below.  Moran was released on an unsecured bond while awaiting her sentencing.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Moran did not pay individual income taxes for tax year 2016 on approximately $1,215,000 she received, and also did not pay individual income taxes for substantial income that she received in tax years 2017 and 2018.

In total, Moran caused a tax loss to the IRS of between $250,000 and $550,000. 

Below is a detailed statement of facts that accompanied the guilty plea.  In 2009, Moran became the Managing Director and President of the Powell Law Group, when the founder and owner of the firm, Robert J. Powell, was suspended from the practice of law and ultimately disbarred.  Moran and Powell agreed, however, that she would collect 10% and he would collect 90% of any future fees the firm earned after the payment of expenses. Specifically, The Powell Law Group represented thousands of plaintiffs in a mass tort litigation that settled for approximately $5.15 billion in 2015, from which the firm was expected to receive approximately $120 million in attorneys’ fees.

Prior to the attorneys’ fees disbursement, The Powell Law Group and its co-counsel used those future legal fees as collateral to obtain a series of loans totaling over $125 million.  In 2014 and 2015, Moran received two disbursements of $500,000 each from those loan proceeds.  Moreover, Moran received approximately $215,000 for her work on the Trust Advisory Committee.

In June 2016, most of the attorneys’ fees were finally disbursed and the loans were repaid.  Nevertheless, Moran did not pay taxes on both the $1,000,000 she received in attorney’s fees that year, and the $215,000 she received for her work on the Trust Advisory Committee.  Likewise, in both 2017 and 2018, Moran received substantial income, but nonetheless did not pay taxes on it.

On August 14, 2024, Robert Powell pleaded guilty to evading taxes on the millions of dollars in income he received in legal fees from the mass tort litigation.  Powell awaits sentencing. 

"Running a business is not a license to avoid paying taxes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Denise Leuenberger.  “Moran’s misconduct by not reporting her income cheated all Americans, since we all pay our fair share for the government services and protections that we enjoy."

The cases were investigated by the Scranton office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.  Senior Litigation Counsel Phillip J. Caraballo, Tax Division Trial Attorney Alexandra Fleszar, and Criminal Division Chief Bruce D. Brandler are prosecuting the cases.

The maximum penalty under federal law is one year in prison for each failure to pay count, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine and restitution. 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.

Statement of Facts

Defendant Jill Moran is an attorney and a resident of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  Jill Moran is the owner and operator of The Powell Law Group, P.C. (“Powell Law Group”), and has been since on or about August 31, 2009.  The Powell Law Group is a law firm located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in or about December 2002.  Prior to August 31, 2009, Robert J. Powell was the founder and owner of the Powell Law Group.  In or about August 2009, Robert J. Powell’s license to practice law was suspended by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Robert J. Powell subsequently was disbarred from the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in or about January 2015.

Prior to Robert J. Powell’s suspension from the practice of law, he owned 90% of the shares, and Jill Moran owned 10% of the shares of the Powell Law Group.  On or about August 31, 2009, Robert J. Powell relinquished his directorship of the Powell Law Group, and Jill Moran became the Managing Director and President of the Powell Law Group.  Robert J. Powell also surrendered his shares in the Powell Law Group, leaving Jill Moran the sole shareholder.

Beginning prior to Robert J. Powell’s suspension from the practice of law, the Powell Law Group served as counsel for approximately 4,300 plaintiffs in a mass tort litigation (the “Mass Tort Litigation”).  On or about September 15, 2009, Robert J. Powell and Jill Moran entered a Memorandum of Understanding whereby they agreed that any future attorneys’ fees from the Mass Tort Litigation would first be applied to pay the Powell Law Group’s expenses, with 90% of the remaining fees disbursed to Robert J. Powell, and 10% of the remaining fees disbursed to Jill Moran.  In or about April 2014, the Mass Tort Litigation settled for approximately $5.15 billion.  Of that settlement, the Powell Law Group expected to receive attorneys’ fees in excess of approximately $120 million.

In or about May 2014, the Powell Law Group and two co-counsel law firms entered a loan agreement with Financing Company #1.  Pursuant to that loan agreement, Financing Company #1 agreed to loan approximately $100 million to the Powell Law Group and the two co-counsel law firms.  The loan was collateralized by the anticipated attorneys’ fees from the Mass Tort Litigation.  In or about June 2014, Jill Moran received $500,000 of those loan proceeds.

In or about May 2015, the Powell Law Group and the two co-counsel law firms refinanced the loan agreement with Financing Company #1, by entering an agreement with Financing Company #2.  Pursuant to that agreement, Financing Company #2 agreed to repay Financing Company #1, and to distribute an additional approximate $7.6 million to the Powell Law Group and the two co-counsel law firms.  The funds distributed by Financing Company #2 were collateralized by the anticipated attorneys’ fees from the Mass Tort Litigation.  In or about December 2015, Jill Moran received another $500,000 of the refinancing proceeds.

Between in or about February and June 2016, the trustee overseeing the Mass Tort Litigation (the “Tort Trustee”) repaid Financing Company #2 in full, by distributing approximately $125,849,595.59 in attorneys’ fees due to the Powell Law Group.  In 2016, as a member of the Trust Advisory Committee for the Mass Tort Litigation’s trust, Jill Moran received approximately $215,000 for services rendered to the Trust Advisory Committee.

On or about April 18, 2017, Jill Moran willfully failed to pay taxes for tax year 2016, on the $1,000,000 she received from the Mass Tort Litigation, and on the $215,000 she received for services rendered to the Trust Advisory Committee.

In tax year 2017, Jill Moran received a substantial income and was required to pay federal income taxes.  However, on or about April 17, 2018, Jill Moran willfully failed to pay taxes on personal income earned in tax year 2017.

In tax year 2018, Jill Moran received a substantial income and was required to pay federal income taxes.  However, on or about April 15, 2019, Jill Moran willfully failed to pay taxes on personal income earned in tax year 2018.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Onassis Alexander Tejeda-Arias, age 31, of the Dominican Republic, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 28, 2024, 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-Zamora was previously removed from the United States on October 16, 2016, through Alexandria, Louisiana. It is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States on October 6, 2022, in Dauphin 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 20 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 Vincent Minervini, age 49, of Reedsville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024, to filing a false tax return in 2018.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from 2014 through 2018, Minervini, operated various companies that he either owned on his own or controlled through a partnership. These businesses included VM Holdings, LLC; Supreme Star Property Management, LLC; Boomer Builders LLC; Debt Free Partnerships, LP; Boomer Ranches DS, LLC; and VMJH Holdings, LLC.

Minervini filed personal and business tax returns in each of these years. Minervini made it appear that his businesses were incurring expenses, which were deducted from his businesses’ taxable income, by moving money from one of his companies to another and labeling such payments “Management Services,” “Management Fees,” “Operating Expenses,” “Operating Budget,” and “Transfers.” For example, in 2016, VMJH Holdings and Boomer Ranches made $134,500 worth of transfers to Boomer Builders that were labeled “Operating Budget” and “Operating Expenses,” but Boomer Builders did not declare any of these transfers as gross receipts on its own tax return. Minervini’s actions therefore reduced the amount of income that was subject to taxation by the IRS. 

In addition, Minervini made payments from his companies to himself without reporting such transfers as income in his personal tax returns. For instance, in 2017, VM Holdings transferred approximately $809,648.22 to Minervini’s personal bank account, and Minervini deducted this amount as an expense on VM Holdings’ tax return, but he did not declare it as income on any other return, personal or business.

As a result of these actions, Minervini underreported approximately $2,102,512 in income.

Minervini submitted his tax returns to the IRS under penalty of perjury. As part of his guilty plea, Minervini admitted that the tax returns for 2014 to 2018 contained knowingly false information.

Minervini also admitted and accepted responsibility for $266,618 in unpaid taxes, which was the full amount of unpaid taxes for 2014 to 2018. He also agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in that amount prior to the date of sentencing. The IRS will also assess penalties and interest on Minervini’s back taxes following the completion of the criminal case.

The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for filing a false tax return 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.

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Lawrence Malachefski, age 39, of Wilkes-Barre, PA, was sentenced on August 26, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 30 months’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release for wire fraud.

According to the United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from approximately March 2023 to May 2023, while serving as the financial Controller of a Wilkes-Barre based Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) business, Malachefski embezzled over $1.5 million from his employer, converting the funds to his own personal use and then spending the money primarily on online sports betting websites.  At his sentencing, Malachefski was also ordered to pay $1,586,557.45 in restitution to the victim-company.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kevin Marrero-Morales, from York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 20, 2024, to 10 years in prison by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for trafficking cocaine. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, a grand jury indicted Marrero-Morales and others for their role in conspiracy to smuggle kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico into York.  Marrero-Morales pled guilty and admitted to his participation in the conspiracy, which included smuggling 30 kilograms of cocaine in one shipment. Marrero-Morales was sentenced to the mandatory minimum sentence of 10-years in prison.

Also charged in the case are Juan Escalera-Carrasquillo, age 25, Daniel Velez-Olivero, age 37, Gerald J. Calcano, age 31, Takquasha C. Beatty, age 29, Reynaldo Vargas Seda, age 23, Kevin Marrero-Morales, age 29, and Jorge Angel Rivera-Ortiz, age 24. The indictment alleged as part of the conspiracy, drugs and weapons were stored at various locations in York. It was also alleged that Escalera-Carrasquillo, Beatty, and Seda possessed a Glock 9mm pistol, a Smith and Wesson 380 pistol, and Del-Ton AR15 rifle during and in relation to their drug trafficking activities.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the York County Drug Task Force, 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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

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 Marcello Whyte, age 40, of Queens, New York, was sentenced on August 21, 2024, to five years imprisonment for interstate travel in aid of drug trafficking and an additional two years of imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release on his prior federal drug conviction.

According to United States Attorney Gerard Karam, Whyte was convicted in federal court in 2011 for conspiring to distribute between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana and sentenced to serve 70 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release. Approximately five months after his release from federal prison, and while on supervised release, Whyte was stopped on March 18, 2016, by Pennsylvania State Police Troopers on I-81 driving a rented vehicle from New York to Pennsylvania. Troopers recovered approximately 249 grams of cocaine inside the vehicle and Whyte pled guilty to interstate transportation in and of drug trafficking in 2019 and remained free pending sentencing. In July 2020, Whyte was arrested in New York and found to be in possession of a loaded firearm and marijuana. Whyte posted bail for that offense but failed to appear for his federal sentencing. He remained a fugitive for approximately four years, until March 23, 2024, when he was arrested in New York and charged with controlled substance offenses. The New York charges remain pending.

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 Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Behe and Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Brandler.   

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Gilbert-Brown, age 29, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on the charge of possession of a weapon.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Gilbert-Brown with possessing a prohibited object designed to be used as a weapon, commonly known as a “shank.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Special Investigative Services of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is up to five 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 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 Taylon Hamilton, age 30, of Centre County, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges that Hamilton possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distributed methamphetamine on multiple occasions. It is further alleged that Hamilton possessed a Hi-Point Model C9 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number after previously been convicted of a felony offense. 

The charges stem from a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Centre County Drug Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Moreno 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 the crimes charged in the Indictment 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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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jamar McDowell, age 32, of Columbia Cross Roads, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges that on or about May 30, 2024, in Bradford County, McDowell possessed with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, psilocin and marijuana.  It is further alleged that McDowell possessed a Glock 37 .45 caliber handgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

The charges stem from a joint investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Border Enforcement Security Taskforce, the Elmira Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Tatum 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 for the crimes charged in the Indictment 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.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Asiana Christine Williams, age 30, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was convicted on August 13, 2024 for the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death following a 7-day trial before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Williams was a drug dealer residing in Wilkes-Barre in 2020.  On February 15, 2020, Williams sold a quantity of fentanyl to a woman who ingested the fentanyl and died within two hours of the sale.  Williams was also found guilty of another sale of fentanyl that occurred on March 5, 2020, and for maintaining drug-involved premises at 76 Lockhart Street in Wilkes-Barre from December 2018 through May 2020. 

During the seven-day trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony from approximately 24 witnesses, including expert witness testimony from a forensic pathologist, a forensic toxicologist, a medical toxicologist, a forensic cell phone examiner, and an expert in the field of cell site analysis. 

The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Lehman Township Police Department, and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Kyle Moreno.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl.  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.

This case is also 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.

In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute for drug distribution resulting in death is life 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. 

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice, Tax Division announced that Robert J. Powell, age 65, of Palm Beach, Florida, appeared in federal district court today and pled guilty to a one-count criminal information charging him with tax evasion for calendar year 2016, in connection with substantial legal fees he earned while associated with The Powell Law Group, P.C., a Luzerne County-based law firm. Powell was released on an unsecured bond while awaiting his sentencing.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Powell sought to evade a substantial tax that was due and owing the IRS for 2016 by using nominee bank accounts, causing an accountant to file a request for a filing extension that falsely reported zero estimated tax liability for 2016, and making false statements during an IRS audit in 2019.  

 Attached hereto is a detailed statement of facts that accompanied the guilty plea.  Powell’s license to practice law was suspended in 2009 and he was subsequently disbarred in 2015. As a result, in 2009 he relinquished his ownership of The Powell Law Group. He nevertheless retained the right to collect 90% of the remainder of any future fees collected by the firm after the payment of firm expenses. Specifically, The Powell Law Group represented thousands of plaintiffs in a mass tort litigation that settled for approximately $5.15 billion in 2015 and The Powell Law Group was expected to receive approximately $120 million in attorneys’ fees from that settlement. 

Prior to the attorneys’ fees disbursement, The Powell Law Group and its co-counsel used those future legal fees as collateral to obtain a series of loans totaling over $125 million.  Instead of depositing the loan proceeds into the Powell Law Group's bank accounts and using them to pay firm expenses, Powell instead directed the loans to nominee bank accounts that were under his control.  He then used the loan proceeds for his personal debts and expenses, as well as his and his former law partner’s personal benefit.

In June 2016, most of the attorneys’ fees were finally disbursed and the loans were repaid.  Nevertheless, Powell did not file a personal income tax return and pay taxes on the receipt of the fees in that year.  After the initial disbursement and through October 2019, an additional $12 million in attorneys’ fees was distributed and The Powell Law Group’s share continued to be directed into nominee bank accounts that Powell controlled.  Powell personally received an additional $3.6 million of the fees during that time.

Indeed for the full period of tax years 2010 through 2022, Powell did not file income tax returns for those years despite receiving and spending other personal income. Rather he willfully attempted to evade taxes due and owing by him to the United States. 

In 2019, when the IRS commenced an audit of his tax liabilities, Powell made false statements to the interviewing revenue agents to conceal his income and expenditures for tax years 2014 through 2016. Namely, Powell falsely stated that his only source of funds were loan advances, that he and his spouse did not have signature authority or control over other bank accounts, and that he had no ownership in any corporations.

Ultimately, as alleged by the government, over the relevant time period Powell received millions in income resulting in substantial taxes that were due but not paid to the United States.

In the plea agreement filed with the Court, Powell agreed to pay full restitution to the IRS in an amount to be determined by the Court at a later date.

“For over a decade Robert Powell failed to file personal income tax returns and executed a sophisticated scheme to evade paying substantial taxes that were due and owing the IRS from massive legal fees his firm earned, said U.S. Attorney Karam. “The brazenness of his conduct included using nominee bank accounts, reporting zero estimated tax liability for the years in question, and repeatedly lying to IRS auditors attempting to unravel the scheme. I want to thank all the IRS agents, prosecutors, and support staff for their hard work that will allow justice to be finally served in this important case.”

“Federal income tax compliance should be equally shared among all Americans,” said Denise Leuenberger, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office.  “Defrauding the government with an elaborate scheme to underreport taxable income is unlawful.  Mr. Powell’s plea today serves as an important reminder that IRS-CI is committed to bringing to justice those who evade their federal income tax responsibilities.”

The Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Tax Division, Stuart M. Goldberg, said, “Powell engaged in a lengthy scheme to hide his income and not pay taxes.  And when audited by the IRS, rather than step up, acknowledge his illegal conduct, and pay what he owed, he chose to double down and lie to the revenue agents who interviewed him.” 

The case was investigated by the Scranton office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.  Senior Litigation Counsel Phillip J. Caraballo, Tax Division Trial Attorney Alexandra Fleszar, and Criminal Division Chief Bruce D. Brandler are prosecuting the case.

 The maximum penalty under federal law is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine and restitution. 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.

# # #

Statement of Facts

 Defendant Robert J. Powell was an attorney, businessman, and investor.  Robert J. Powell was a resident of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, until in or about 2009, when he relocated to Palm Beach County, Florida.

Until on or about August 31, 2009, Robert J. Powell was the founder and owner of The Powell Law Group, P.C. (“Powell Law Group”), a law firm located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in or about December 2002.  In or about August 2009, Robert J. Powell’s license to practice law was suspended by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Robert J. Powell subsequently was disbarred from the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in or about January 2015.

Prior to Robert J. Powell’s suspension from the practice of law, he owned 90% of the shares of the Powell Law Group.  The remaining 10% of shares were owned by his partner, attorney Jill Moran.  On or about August 31, 2009, Robert J. Powell relinquished his directorship of the Powell Law Group, and Jill Moran became the Managing Director and President of the Powell Law Group.  Robert J. Powell also surrendered his shares in the Powell Law Group, leaving Jill Moran the sole shareholder.

Beginning prior to Robert J. Powell’s suspension from the practice of law and incarceration, the Powell Law Group served as counsel for approximately 4,300 plaintiffs in a mass tort litigation (the “Mass Tort Litigation”).  On or about September 15, 2009, Robert J. Powell and Jill Moran entered a Memorandum of Understanding whereby they agreed that any future attorneys’ fees from the Mass Tort Litigation would first be applied to pay the Powell Law Group’s expenses, with 90% of the remaining fees disbursed to Robert J. Powell, and 10% of the remaining fees disbursed to Jill Moran.  In or about April 2014, the Mass Tort Litigation settled for approximately $5.15 billion.  Of that settlement, the Powell Law Group expected to receive attorneys’ fees in excess of approximately $120 million.

In or about May 2014, the Powell Law Group and two co-counsel law firms entered a loan agreement with Financing Company #1.  Pursuant to that loan agreement, Financing Company #1 agreed to loan approximately $100 million to the Powell Law Group and the two co-counsel law firms.  The loan was collateralized by the anticipated attorneys’ fees from the Mass Tort Litigation.  As Robert J. Powell had relinquished his ownership of the Powell Law Group, he provided Jill Moran the loan agreement with Financing Company #1, to sign on behalf of the Powell Law Group.

Pursuant to the loan agreement with Financing Company #1, and after the payment of fees and expenses, the Powell Law Group and the two co-counsel law firms were each designated to receive approximately $33 million in loan proceeds.  Of the $33 million in loan proceeds designated for the Powell Law Group, approximately $9 million was sent by Financing Company #1 to three financial institution creditors holding outstanding debt-related judgments against Robert J. Powell, the Powell Law Group, and Jill Moran.  The remaining Powell Law Group loan proceeds of approximately $24 million were deposited into an account held in the name of Company #1.

Robert J. Powell arranged for the Powell Law Group’s loan proceeds to be held in Company #1’s bank account, instead of transferring those funds to the Powell Law Group’s bank accounts.  Robert J. Powell had the ability to request distributions of the Powell Law Group loan proceeds held in Company #1’s bank account.  Robert J. Powell used funds from the Powell Law Group loan proceeds held in Company #1’s bank account for his own personal expenses and investments, including to pay down personal debts accrued by Robert J. Powell.

In or about May 2015, the Powell Law Group and the two co-counsel law firms refinanced the loan agreement with Financing Company #1, by entering an agreement with Financing Company #2.  Pursuant to that agreement, Financing Company #2 agreed to repay Financing Company #1, and to distribute an additional approximate $7.6 million to the Powell Law Group and the two co-counsel law firms.  The funds distributed by Financing Company #2 were collateralized by the anticipated attorneys’ fees from the Mass Tort Litigation.  As Robert J. Powell had relinquished his ownership of the Powell Law Group, he provided Jill Moran with the agreement with Financing Company #2, to sign on behalf of the Powell Law Group.

Financing Company #2 distributed the additional approximate $7.6 million to a bank account held in the name of Company #1.  Robert J. Powell retained those funds in a bank account held in the name of Company #1, instead of transferring those funds to the Powell Law Group’s bank accounts.

On or about April 8, 2016, the Powell Law Group and the two co-counsel law firms entered a second amendment to the agreement with Financing Company #2.  As Robert J. Powell had relinquished his ownership of the Powell Law Group, he provided Jill Moran with the second amendment, to sign on behalf of the Powell Law Group.  Pursuant to the second amendment, Financing Company #2 distributed an additional $3 million to Company #1’s bank account.  Robert J. Powell used funds from the $3 million for personal obligations and expenses.

Between in or about February and June 2016, the trustee overseeing the Mass Tort Litigation (the “Tort Trustee”) repaid Financing Company #2 in full, by distributing approximately $125,849,595.59 in attorneys’ fees due to the Powell Law Group.  Following the payoff of Financing Company #2, all additional attorneys’ fees due to the Powell Law Group from the Mass Tort Litigation were distributed by the Tort Trustee to a bank account held in the name of a co-counsel law firm.  Between in or about June 2016 to October 2019, the Tort Trustee distributed in excess of approximately $12 million to the co-counsel law firm’s bank account.  Nearly all of those approximate $12 million were in turn transferred to Company #1’s bank account.

Of that approximate $12 million in additional attorneys’ fees distributed by the Tort Trustee, Robert J. Powell personally received in excess of approximately $3.6 million, between in or about June 2016 through August 2019.  Robert J. Powell personally received those funds from Company #1’s bank account, including by requesting that Company #1 transfer funds to a bank account under Robert J. Powell’s control, but held in the name of 656 Hermitage Circle LLC.  Robert J. Powell used the funds held in 656 Hermitage Circle LLC’s bank account for his own personal expenses and investments.

Robert J. Powell failed to file personal income tax returns for tax years 2010 through 2022, despite receiving and spending personal income during those years, and willfully attempted to evade taxes due and owing by him to the United States.  For tax years 2015 through 2019, Robert J. Powell’s accounting professionals filed with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) tax filing extensions that reported zero estimated tax liabilities, on the following dates:

1. a tax filing extension for tax year 2015, filed on or about April 14, 2016;
2. a tax filing extension for tax year 2016, filed on or about April 12, 2017;
3. a tax filing extension for tax year 2017, filed on or about March 17, 2018;
4. a tax filing extension for tax year 2018, filed on or about March 10, 2019; and
5. a tax filing extension for tax year 2019, filed on or about July 9, 2020.

In or about August 2019, the IRS notified Robert J. Powell that he was the subject of an IRS audit.  On or about October 22, 2019, Robert J. Powell was interviewed by IRS revenue agents in the course of the audit.  During that interview, Robert J. Powell made several false statements to the IRS revenue agents, to conceal his income and expenditures during tax years 2014, 2015, and 2016.  Those false statements included:

1. that his only sources of funds were loan advances;
2. that he and his spouse did not have signature authority or control over any other bank accounts; and
3. that he had no ownership in any corporations.

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Frederick G. Guider, age 41, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 7, 2024, by a federal grand jury for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and three firearms offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on October 27, 2023, in Dauphin County, Guider possessed the following controlled substances with the intent to distribute: fentanyl; psilocybin; cocaine; marijuana; and 50 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

Additionally, it is alleged that Guider possessed more than twenty firearms of varying style and caliber in furtherance of his drug trafficking. The firearms listed on the indictment include, among others, 9mm semi-automatic pistols, a 20-gauge short-barreled shotgun, 5.56 caliber semi-automatic rifles, and two machinegun conversion devices. It is further alleged that Guider possessed these firearms and accompanying ammunition in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Lastly, Guider is charged directly for possessing two machineguns.    

This matter was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, Dauphin County Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes 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 a life term 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 Joshua Frisch, age 42, of Frackville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 7, 2024, to time served (six months) and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley for one count of Influencing a Federal Official by Threat.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Frisch previously pled guilty to threatening federal law enforcement officers, namely FBI Agents, with the intent to interfere with those officers in the performance of their official duties.  Frisch further admitted that between November 12, 2022, and November 13, 2022, he posted a series of threatening communications on multiple social media accounts, including Truth Social and X, formerly known as Twitter, which were designed to interfere with federal law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties.    

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case.

# # #

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Morelli, age 55, of Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information on August 6, 2024, with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information charges Morelli with knowingly using a facility of interstate and foreign commerce to attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in prostitution and sexual activity for which any person can be charged under Pennsylvania criminal laws, specifically aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and statutory sexual assault under Pennsylvania criminal laws.

The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin 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 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.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Virgilio Cisneros-Mayo, age 45, of Mexico, was indicted on August 7, 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 Cisneros-Mayo was previously removed from the United States on July 12, 2021 through Brownsville, Texas, and it is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. The indictment also alleges that on June 28, 2024, Cisneros-Mayo was encountered in York County, Pennsylvania.

This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes 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 Ignacio Salcido-Lopez, age 19, of Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between August 4, 2023, and April 29, 2024, in Carbon County, Salcido-Lopez received and distributed multiple images of child pornography.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 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 20 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 Lorenzo Scott, age 51, formerly of Rayville, Louisiana, and an inmate at the United States Penitentiary (USP) at Lewisburg, was sentenced on August 2, 2024, by Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, to 30 years’ imprisonment following his conviction of assault with intent to commit murder and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.  

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Scott was an inmate at USP Lewisburg on March 25, 2015, when he physically assaulted his cellmate and repeatedly struck, stomped, and inflicted blunt force trauma to the cellmate’s head resulting in severe, life- threatening injuries.  A corrections officer at USP Lewisburg, who was conducting rounds at 4:00 a.m., observed Scott stomping on the cellmate’s head as the cellmate lay on the floor of the cell in a puddle of blood. The cellmate died approximately two years and two months after the assault from the injuries inflicted by Scott. 

The indictment in this case originally charged Lorenzo Scott with murder. However, the charge of murder was withdrawn by the government due to existing federal caselaw regarding the “year-and-a-day-rule,” which bars a prosecution for murder in cases in which the victim dies more than a year and a day after the infliction of the wound causing the victim’s death.

During the trial, Scott testified and admitted that he intended to kill his victim, who suffered a traumatic brain injury because of Scott’s attack.

The case was investigated by the FBI-Williamsport Division and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Special Investigations Section (SIS).  Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Kyle A. Moreno prosecuted the case.           

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jared Sebaugh, age 36, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution at Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 1, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to serve 35 months in prison for assaulting another inmate with a dangerous weapon.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Sebaugh, formerly of Olmstead Falls, Ohio, pleaded guilty and admitted to assaulting another inmate with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. The charge stems from an incident in February 2023 in which Sebaugh assaulted another inmate with a prison-made weapon consisting of a combination lock attached to a cloth strap.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

At the time of the incident at FCI Schuylkill, Sebaugh was serving a sentence from the Northern District of Ohio for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. That sentence has since expired.

# # #

HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Keane Jackson, age 38, of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for controlled substance and firearms offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Jackson with possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possessing a firearm (.38 caliber Colt DA) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.

The case was investigated by the Dauphin County Criminal Investigations Division 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 Jackson is life 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.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Matthew Ronk, age 50, a resident of Hancock, New York, was charged yesterday by a federal grand jury with attempted online enticement, attempted transfer of obscene materials to a minor, interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, and commission of a sex offense by a registered sex offender.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Ronk used the internet and an electronic device to attempt to persuade a person who he believed to be 13 years old to engage in sexual conduct and traveled from New York to the Middle District of Pennsylvania to do so.  The indictment further alleges that on one occasion, Ronk transmitted obscene material to a person he believed to be 13 years old to further attempt to entice a child to engage in sexual conduct.  It is alleged that at the time of the offenses, Ronk was a registered sex offender.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations—Scranton, the Kingston Police Department, and the Wyoming Area Regional Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. 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 the crimes charged in the Indictment 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.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Colon, age 50, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, was indicted on July 30, 2024, by a federal grand jury on three counts of production of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Colon communicated with multiple minor victims who he enticed into creating images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit activity and then directed them to send those images to him via cellphone.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States 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 thirty years imprisonment as to each count, 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.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Nester, age 54, of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Nester with possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm on June 19, 2024, in Monroe County.   

The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pocono Mountain Regional Police, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan is 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.

This case is also 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 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 Thomas Burton, age 48, a New York City native, was indicted on July 30, 2024, by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon and controlled substance while being an inmate in prison.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Burton was discovered to be in possession of a homemade shank and synthetic marijuana on June 19, 2024.

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 five years imprisonment, three years of supervision, and a fine.  The maximum penalty under federal law for possessing a controlled substance in prison is one year of imprisonment, one year of supervision, 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 Carlos Rodriguez-Cruz, age 33, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 25, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to serve an additional 30 months in prison for assaulting a federal corrections officer.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Rodriguez-Cruz, formerly of Puerto Rico, previously pleaded guilty and admitted to assaulting a corrections officer. The charge stems from an incident on October 6, 2023, in which Rodriguez-Cruz engaged in a physical confrontation with a corrections officer and punched the officer.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

At the time of the incident at FCI Schuylkill, Rodriguez-Cruz was serving a sentence from Puerto Rico for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  That sentence does not expire until March 2027.  The sentence imposed by Judge Munley for the charge of assault on a corrections officer will run consecutively to the sentence from Puerto Rico.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Angela Saar, age 51, of Olyphant, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, was charged on July 25, 2024, in a Criminal Information with wire fraud.

The Criminal Information charges that from November 2018 to June 2022, while employed as the fiscal manager for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania (CAC/NEPA), Saar engaged in a scheme to defraud the CAC/NEPA.  The Criminal Information alleges that Saar diverted fraudulent payments of various kinds from CAC/NEPA bank accounts into her own personal bank accounts for her personal benefit.  Some of the diverted payments involved fraudulent mileage reimbursements, while others involved Saar inflating her bi-weekly paychecks by thousands of dollars.  The total amount of fraudulent diversions as alleged in the criminal information is $411,940.11.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Scranton Resident Office of the Philadelphia Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Luisa Berti prosecuted the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a maximum 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 Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

# # #

SCRANTON, PHILADELPHIA, PITTSBURGH – As part of the Department of Justice’s response to the opioid crisis, the United States Attorneys for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania hosted a virtual training this week to educate Pennsylvania’s state and local correctional facilities on their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide inmates with access to medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). These medications include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.

The July 23, 2024, training was open to all prison and jail staff, and over 100 participants, including wardens, security professionals, and medical staff from across the Commonwealth attended.

The training follows recent federal enforcement actions involving the criminal justice system. In November 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania resolved an ADA matter with the Allegheny County Jail for failure to provide inmates medication to treat OUD. In December 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed a Statement of Interest in a matter against a Delaware County correctional facility to clarify state and local jails’ obligations under the ADA to provide inmates with access to medication to treat OUD. In January 2024, the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, settled a matter with the Uniform Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS) to resolve allegations that UJS courts violated the ADA by preventing individuals under court supervision from taking lawfully prescribed medication to treat OUD. The Department of Justice has also issued public guidance on the ADA’s protections for those with OUD.

Over the course of this enforcement work, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices discovered that correctional facilities across the Commonwealth have questions about their obligations under the ADA when it comes to medications for OUD. To answer these questions and think through solutions, the three offices partnered to host this educational program.

During the webinar, United States Attorneys Gerard Karam, Jacqueline Romero, and Eric Olshan — the senior-most federal law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania — emphasized that individuals with OUD or being treated with medication for OUD are generally considered disabled and protected by the ADA. Under the ADA’s protections, correctional facilities that provide healthcare services must offer treatment with medication for OUD to all individuals in custody for whom such treatment is medically appropriate. Facilities also may not change or discontinue an individual’s medication used to treat OUD, except upon a licensed healthcare provider’s determination that the individual does not require that treatment based on the individual’s current condition. Most importantly, the ADA requires that correctional facilities provide individual assessments and not categorically deny access to OUD medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration that provide life-saving treatment for addiction.

In addition to this legal guidance, the training also featured remarks by Dr. Paul Joudrey of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on the science behind, and importance of, all three medications in the treatment of OUD. Heidi Carroll, Diversion Program Manager for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Division, and Dr. Patti Juliana, Director of the Division of Pharmacologic Therapies at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, addressed recent regulatory changes designed to improve access to methadone in correctional facilities. Dr. Bruce Herdman, Chief of Medical Operations of the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and Anthony Cantillo, Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Corrections, talked about their experiences implementing programs to treat OUD in correctional facilities and the practical lessons they have learned along the way.

“As we continue to vigorously prosecute those who traffic in and profit from drugs like heroin and fentanyl, our mission in fighting this epidemic requires we ensure individuals with OUD have continued access to medically prescribed treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Karam of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “This training presented an opportunity for experts in the field of addiction, representatives from federal agencies, our own civil rights attorneys, and leaders in correctional facilities across the Commonwealth to come together to have questions answered, think through solutions, and initiate a local, state, and federal partnership. Our partnership is forged in the notion that medical treatment for inmates can dramatically reduce opioid overdose deaths.”

“Our offices are dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic with every tool that we have,” said U.S. Attorney Romero of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “That includes enforcing the ADA to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD. This training reminds jails and prisons about their obligations to address the needs of individuals with OUD and comply with the ADA and provided them with additional tools to use to ensure their facilities comply with the law.”

“Each of our districts has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan of the Western District of Pennsylvania. “We rigorously enforce the ADA to ensure that effective OUD treatment will be available to those in correctional facilities across the Commonwealth. As a part of this work, we are happy to offer this training to help jails and prisons learn more about what they must do to address the needs of individuals with OUD and comply with the ADA.”

The training was coordinated by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Butler, Lauren DeBruicker, and Adam Fischer, civil rights coordinators for the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, respectively.

For more information about the Justice Department’s work to address discrimination against individuals with opioid use disorder, please visit www.ada.gov/topics/opioid-use-disorder. For more information on the ADA, please call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report, or by contacting their local U.S. Attorney’s Office. In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, call 215-861-8555 or email USAPAE.civilrights@usdoj.gov. In the Middle District of Pennsylvania, call 717-614-4911 or email usapam.civil.rights@usdoj.gov. In the Western District of Pennsylvania, call 412-894-7343 or email USAPAW.CivilRights@usdoj.gov.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eduardo Lopez-Zamora, age 34, of Mexico, was indicted 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-Zamora was previously removed from the United States on December 9, 2022, after pleading guilty to charges of illegal reentry in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. It is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States 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 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.

# # #

HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury indicted Richard Little, age 49, of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, for making threats online, including against a state senator, cyberstalking, and being a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on or about June 10, 2024, Little was served with an eviction notice and began posting threatening, harassing, and intimidating videos on Facebook that chiefly targeted an individual with whom Little previously worked.  Little also threatened a County Commissioner and, among other things, spoke of a “war,” described “kill zones,” and displayed firearms and ammunition.

Thereafter, on or about June 21, 2024, Little posted a threat against a Pennsylvania State Senator on his Facebook page. The same date, law enforcement arrested Little and searched his residence.  Law enforcement seized approximately 17 firearms, ammunition, marijuana, illegal mushrooms, an expired Pennsylvania medical-marijuana card, and drug paraphernalia.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for the charges against Little is 30 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.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William Quintana, age 51, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 117 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Quintana previously pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and to the possession of firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense.  As part of his guilty plea, Quintana admitted that on September 29, 2022, within Schuylkill County, he knowingly and intentionally possessed a quantity of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and that in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense, he also possessed firearms, namely a Star 9mm pistol and a .380 caliber Diamondback pistol. 

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Pottsville Police Department, the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force, and the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.

This case is also 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.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Terrell Watson, age 35, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for two drug trafficking offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Watson previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and posses with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine as well as a quantity of fentanyl within Luzerne County between July of 2021 and April of 2022.  Watson further pled guilty distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine in Luzerne County in April of 2022.  

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Kingston Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan 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.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 23, 2024, United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley sentenced Rodney Wilcox, age 56, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, to 151 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years on supervised release for distribution of cocaine and fentanyl.  

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, during the spring of 2023, Wilcox sold cocaine and fentanyl during several controlled purchase operations conducted by law enforcement agents. Wilcox was armed with a handgun during some of these controlled purchases. A search warrant was also served on Wilcox’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of additional narcotics and two firearms. In all, 6.5 grams of pure fentanyl were seized from Wilcox, which is 3,250 doses of potentially fatal fentanyl.

The matter was a joint investigation by the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police. 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.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Christopher Van Johnson, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to 7 consecutive life sentences for his role in the June 25, 2016 murders of three individuals in Mercersburg, Franklin County, one of whom was cooperating with state and federal drug investigators. The sentence was imposed by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, who also sentenced to concurrent 10, 20, and 30-year terms of imprisonment on companion robbery, firearms, and conspiracy charges.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Johnson’s conviction was the result of a seven-year investigation into three murders that occurred on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County. When Pennsylvania State Police officers were called to the scene, they found the bodies of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, Md, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, in a barn on victim Jackson’s property. All were shot. The three victims had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs and had been set on fire. Jackson and Cole were shot once in the head. Chaney was shot twice, once in the back and once in the back of her neck. Wendy Chaney and Brandon Cole were already dead when the police responded to the scene. Phillip Jackson was transported to York Hospital where he died shortly after arrival.

The evidence previously presented at the guilty plea proceeding on November 21, 2019, established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with co-defendants Kevin Coles and Torey White and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operations. Co-defendant Kenyatta Corbett was likewise a heroin trafficker in Hagerstown and areas of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Corbett, Coles, White and co-defendant Devin Dickerson learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Corbett, and co-defendant Jerell Adgebesan who worked for Corbett recruited Johnson, who was a member of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family (BGF), and other members of BGF from Baltimore, to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. Adgebesan knew these individuals from Baltimore. Johnson and the killers were promised that they could take as payment for Chaney’s murder $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. The victims had their hands bound behind their backs with zip-ties. Chaney and Cole were shot execution style and their bodies set on fire. Jackson was shot when he charged Johnson and was likewise set on fire although he was still alive. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Corbett, Coles, White, Dickerson, and others. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms.

The following individuals were charged along with Corbett as a result of the investigation:

• Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment;
• Torey White, age 32, Waynesboro, PA, was convicted by a federal jury in May of 2023 of three counts of first-degree murder and his case is on appeal;
• Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment;
• Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment;
• Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
• Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
• Kenyatta Corbett, age 41, Hagerstown and Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment;
• Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment;
• Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing;
• Kevin Coles, age 36, of New York, NY and Hagerstown, Maryland, was found guilty in April 2022 of multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking, and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences;
• Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown, Md, indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial, recently pled guilty before Judge Conner and is awaiting sentencing;
• Joshua Davis, age 30, pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders and was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment.

The following federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation: Drug Enforcement Administration Harrisburg Resident Office; Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg; Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H; Franklin County Drug Task Force; Franklin County Adult Probation; Pennsylvania State Probation and Parole; Hagerstown Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division; Drug Enforcement Administration, Hagerstown Resident Office; Washington County Narcotics Task Force; Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office, Strike Force Group 1; Maryland State Police Homicide Unit; Baltimore Police Department Narcotics, Fugitive And Homicide Units; Baltimore County Police Department Narcotics and Gang Unit; Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Management Unit, Quantico, VA; US Marshal’s Service Harrisburg, PA and Phoenix, AZ; Franklin County District Attorney’s Office; United States Attorney’s Office, District Of Maryland; and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Judy Fernandez, Manager of Analytic Services at LexisNexis Special Services, Inc., (LNSSI) provided expert assistance to investigators and the prosecutors in the areas of analysis, support, and the rendering of her expert opinion.

Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Consiglio 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.

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.

This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identified as “Retribution for Welsh Run”. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that James G. Miller, Jr., age 53, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with wire fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Miller and his coconspirators fraudulently obtained in excess of $1,500,000 by filing fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, Lost Wage Assistance (LWA) payments, and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The PUA, LWA, and PPP applications allegedly submitted by Miller and his confederates were filed in the names of victims of identity theft, and bore false representations. For instance, the PUA applications contained false information about the identity theft victims’ demographics, employment statuses, and availability to work. Likewise, the PPP applications were filed on behalf of fabricated businesses, and bore false financial information and forged federal tax documentation.

The PUA program was created by the March 2020 CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits. The LWA program was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, pursuant to the President’s authority under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. LWA payments were designed to supplement unemployment payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PPP program, funded by the CARES Act, was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.

Today, James G. Miller, Jr. is being held accountable for stealing over $1.5 million from three different COVID relief funds,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “Congress set these funds aside to help people and businesses survive the pandemic of 2020 and 2021, not for Mr. Miller and his coconspirators’ personal profit. The Postal Inspection Service has a long history investigating fraud schemes and will continue to do so to protect the American people. I want to thank the special agents of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General for partnering with us on this investigation. I also want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office in Scranton, PA for supporting the investigation and 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.

"The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General, Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D, said, "Exploiting pandemic relief programs for personal enrichment is unconscionable. DHS OIG will continue to prioritize these investigations, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will hold these individuals accountable for their actions."

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalties under federal law for the charge of wire fraud is 20 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.

Informations 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 Wei Fu, age 38, of Northampton County, PA, was indicted on a charge of distribution of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Fu distributed child pornography on January 8, 2024 and January 9, 2024.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-RAC Allentown and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. 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 For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

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

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 20 years, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Justis Shea, age 31, of Glen Lyon, PA, was indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possession of that firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that from on or about May 1, 2024, to on or about July 2, 2024, Shea possessed a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.  The indictment further alleges that Shea possessed that firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Ashley Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

This case is being 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.

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

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Renan Tineo, age 22, of Hazleton, New Jersey, was indicted by a federal grand jury for firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Tineo with possessing a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order.  The indictment further alleges that the firearm possessed by Tineo, a .38 caliber Charter Arms revolver, also had an obliterated serial number.

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States 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.]

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 15 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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 Thomas West, age 44, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for sending an interstate communication containing a threat.  West had been in custody for over 5 months and was sentenced to time-served and a 1-year term of supervised release.  

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, West previously admitted that on February 9, 2024, he sent a series of emails to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) threatening to kill and injure employees of OPM and their relatives.  In one email, West threatened to show up at an OPM office “with an A.R. 15 assault rifle that’s been converted to fully automatic.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Protective Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case. 

# # #

.

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Felix Trepanowski, age 23, of Clinton County, PA, was indicted on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Trepanowski received child pornography on December 31, 2022 and April 27, 2024 and possessed child pornography on May 21, 2024. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-RAC Williamsport and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. 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.

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

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 20 years, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Donte Lucas, age 27, and Jania Aceituno, age 26, both of Dravosburg, Pennsylvania, were indicted on July 10, 2024, on charges of wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Lucas, Aceituno, and their coconspirators used stolen identities and DEA registration numbers of healthcare providers to order fraudulent prescription medications at various pharmacies. The indictment further alleges that Lucas, Aceituno, and their coconspirators obtained and distributed those prescription medications, including the controlled substance Promethazine with Codeine—commonly known as “Lean” on the street.

“Fraudulently obtaining controlled prescription drugs violates FDA requirements which exist to ensure that the drugs are safe and used under the supervision of licensed medical practitioners,” said Special Agent in Charge George Scavdis, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to thoroughly investigate those who endanger public health by undermining the integrity of the U.S. supply chain for these tightly controlled drugs.”

The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the wire fraud conspiracy offense is 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 today that Amanda Marie Correa, 29, Robert Andrew Barnes, 24, Christine Deann DiCarlo, 50, Shaqare Jaymont Blackwell, 23, Shakur Serafin Brownstein, 27, Dylan Wilson Small, 35, and Samual Jordan, 42, were charged by a federal grand jury in a Superseding Indictment which includes (1) conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death and serious bodily injury; (2) two counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury; (3) two counts of brandishing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; (4) kidnapping; and (5) aggravated identity theft.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment notes that this group of individuals that law enforcement has dubbed the “Fentanyl Robbery Gang (F.R.G.),” some of whom were affiliated with New York gangs, trafficked drugs and guns.  Additionally, they used dating websites to connect with individuals interested in hiring prostitutes. Members and associates of the F.R.G. would arrange to come to the victim’s location with the intent to rob the victim of firearms, cash, cellular telephones, identification documents, debit and credit cards, drugs, and other items of value.

The victim would be offered narcotics (usually purported cocaine), though unbeknownst to the victim, the narcotics contained fentanyl. If the victim refused the drugs, members of and associates of the F.R.G. would administer fentanyl-laced narcotics to the victim by forcibly or  surreptitiously introducing it into the victim’s body. This was done to incapacitate victims as to steal firearms, cash, cellular telephones, identification documents, debit and credit cards, drugs, and other items of value. If a victim was not incapacitated, or not incapacitated quickly enough, members of the F.R.G. would instead change course and simply commit home-invasion robberies where they would be let into the victim’s home by other members and associates and then steal items of value at gunpoint or through other violent means, including threats, beatings, and aggravated assault.

The superseding indictment alleges that four individuals have died as the result of overdosing on fentanyl. Three deaths occurred in Berks and Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and one death in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The seven individuals named in the superseding indictment are all in custody. This is an on-going investigation and law enforcement are attempting to identify and arrest additional members and associates of F.R.G. and to identify and locate victims. Victims and others who may have information concerning F.R.G. are requested to contact the FBI at 570-344-2404.

The charges were the result of a joint investigation by the FBI; Pennsylvania State Police, the United States Marshals Service – Scranton office; the District Attorney Offices of Pike, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, and Berks Counties in Pennsylvania; the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office; and various state and local law enforcement agencies.  Assistant United States Attorneys Todd K. Hinkley and Luisa Honora Berti 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.

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 on July 10, 2024, Earnest Fry, 49, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner following his conviction for odometer tampering and forging vehicle titles.  Judge Conner also ordered Fry to pay victims more than $47,000 in restitution, $700 in assessments, and to serve three years on supervised release following his term of imprisonment.  Fry previously pleaded guilty to the offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, just months after Fry was released from state prison for burglary and theft offenses in October 2018, and while he was on parole, he devised a scheme to purchase used cars, alter the cars’ true mileages by replacing or resetting their odometers, and then sell the vehicles online to unsuspecting customers who paid inflated prices for vehicles they might not otherwise have bought.  In addition, Fry altered or forged the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania titles to multiple vehicles that he sold by causing the titles to reflect false, lower mileages. Fry altered the odometers on at least 55 used cars that he sold and rolled back more than five million miles on the vehicles.  In some cases, Fry caused the odometers to be rolled back by nearly 200,000 miles.  Fry’s offenses not only caused victims to pay far more for the cars than they were worth, but created the risk that buyers would incur additional losses due to likely increased maintenance costs, excessive insurance premiums, and other unanticipated expenses.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually and has established a special hotline to handle odometer fraud complaints. Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call (800) 424-9393, or email odometerfraud@dot.gov.

More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website, https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/odometer-fraud.

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