Middle District of Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jaydeepsinh Jayas, age 42, a citizen of India, was indicted by a federal grand jury for making a false statement in a passport application, applying for, and attempting to procure evidence of United States citizenship, and making a false claim to United States citizenship.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on or about November 10, 2023, Jayas applied for a passport in Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.  In the passport application, Jayas attested that he was a United States citizen.  As proof, Jayas submitted a delayed Pennsylvania birth certificate that he received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania upon the submission of a falsified affidavit in which it was claimed that he was delivered in Bradford County, Pennsylvania by a midwife.  Jayas, however, was born in and is a citizen of India.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service, Philadelphia Resident Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the indicted offenses is 23 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release after 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 charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Kevin Jones, aka “Hat,” age 39, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl after a four-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the jury found Jones guilty of having conspired to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl during the course of the conspiracy. Jones was one of fifteen individuals indicted in February 2023 for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in Northeastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere.  Jones and his co-conspirators obtained pills containing fentanyl via the mail from co-conspirators in Arizona.  Jones and his co-conspirators then distributed the pills in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and other locations in Northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as other states.

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

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

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

Jones faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Christopher J. Miller, age 36, formerly of Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 28, 2024, by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley to 149 months of imprisonment, following his convictions of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unlawful monetary transactions.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Miller filed approximately 50 fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), for Economic Injury and Disaster Loans (EIDLs), and for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.  Some of the applications submitted by Miller were filed on behalf of corporate entities under his control that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore false addresses, false IRS-issued Employee Identification Numbers, false dates of business establishment and operation, false employee headcount information, and fabricated gross income, gross receipts and payroll obligation information.  The applications also included forged IRS income tax returns, and federal employment tax documents.  Miller failed to disclose in the applications that he was previously convicted of a felony.

Miller also filed fraudulent applications on behalf of himself and numerous family members, friends and associates.  In exchange, he received cash kickbacks from those individuals.  Through his scheme, Miller and his associates secured over $2.1 million in pandemic stimulus funds.  Instead of using his funds on business expenses, as intended, Miller used them to purchase automobiles, vacations, and real estate, among other personal expenses.

In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Munley labeled Miller’s criminal activities a “devious, extensive, and elaborate scheme to swindle the United States government,” and highlighted how, after the FBI executed a search warrant at his residence, Miller and his wife fled to South Carolina, where he lived under an assumed name until being apprehended.  In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, Judge Munley also sentenced Miller to five years of supervised release, following his term of imprisonment, and to pay full restitution.

The PPP and EIDL programs, both funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, were 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.  EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligation.  The PUA program was created by the 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.

In addition to Miller, the United States prosecuted Robert Reynolds, also of Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, for obtaining fraudulent PUA benefits with Miller.  Reynolds pleaded guilty to wire fraud and awaits sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and by the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Marsh, age 29, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Marsh previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.  As part of his guilty plea, Marsh admitted that on August 30, 2020, he participated in an armed home-invasion robbery in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania.  During that robbery, Marsh, along with his co-conspirators Joushton Rodriguez and Solomon Rodriguez, entered the victims’ home and robbed the victims of a lockbox containing drug proceeds.  All three perpetrators were masked and Joushton Rodriguez was armed with a homemade AR-15 style machinegun. The ringleader of the conspiracy, Steven Wong, along with four remaining co-conspirators, are still awaiting sentencing. 

The charges stem from an investigation involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Mahanoy City Police Department, the Schuylkill Haven Police Department, the Pottsville Police Department, the Shillington Police Department, the Reading Police Department, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James Buchanan, Jenny Roberts, and Sarah Lloyd.

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.

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Williams, III, aka “Dilly,” age 45, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 26, 2024, to 147 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for drug trafficking and firearms charges.        

On April 20, 2023, following a jury trial, Williams was convicted of two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession or a stolen firearm.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on March 29, 2018, and April 18, 2018, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Williams in a commercial parking lot adjacent to Stroudsburg High School property. On May 3, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’s residence and recovered multiple firearms, over 600 grams of cocaine, drug packing materials and over $21,000 in U.S. currency. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stroud Area Regional Police Department, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.

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

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Emmanuel Batista, age 32, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 1, 2024, to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E Mannion, for drug trafficking charges.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Batista owned and operated DMB Dumpster and Construction Company, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  Between November 2022 and January 2023, Batista used this company as a front for his drug distribution.  Law enforcement made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from a subordinate drug dealer working for Batista.  Batista also made large amounts of methamphetamine available for purchase during this time.  Batista used a vacant property that he was allegedly remodeling as a stash house for his drugs. He also would pay some of his employees in drugs.  In a three-month period, Batista was responsible for distributing over 400 grams of fentanyl.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts and Senior Deputy Attorney General Michelle Hardik prosecuted the case.

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

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Victorious Minter, age 28, of Scranton, PA, was sentenced today to 100 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for a firearms offense.

According to United States Attorney Karam, on January 5, 2022, Minter possessed a loaded Glock 22 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 24 rounds in an extended magazine, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.  Minter was found guilty after a four-day trial in February of 2024.  During trial, evidence showed that Minter had waived the gun at another driver on the North Scranton Expressway during a road rage incident.  After the other driver called 911, officers with the Scranton Police Department spotted Minter’s car and conducted a traffic stop. During that stop, the loaded pistol was discovered stuffed in the front passenger seat next to Minter’s girlfriend.  Minter’s two-year-old child was also in the backseat of the car.

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Scranton Police Department, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney James 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.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that that Evan R. Wechsler, age 46, and a resident of Bethesda, Maryland, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for bank fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Wechsler was the leader of a check kiting scheme from 2016 to 2017. During this period of time, Wechsler wrote, signed, and deposited hundreds of worthless checks between accounts at different banks that he controlled. These accounts included personal accounts and business accounts in the names of affiliated companies that he ran.

Branch Banking & Trust (BB&T, now known as Truist) sustained a loss of nearly $6.3 million due to Wechsler’s fraud. During the check kiting scheme, Wechsler typically sent a large wire transfer each week from his BB&T account and also wrote checks from BB&T to an account at another bank. Then, over the course of a given week, Wechsler wrote numerous checks from that account to other accounts, including the one at BB&T. These worthless checks were then used to fund the outgoing transfers from BB&T at the beginning of the following week. Over time, the value of the fraudulent checks that Wechsler wrote continued to grow, from over $100,000 in early 2016 to nearly $700,000 in mid-2017.

In May 2017, Wechsler’s BB&T business checking account received over $118 million in fraudulent credits and had over $95 million in fraudulent debits. By conducting this scheme, Wechsler was able to inflate his businesses’ outward financial condition and receive what was, in effect, an interest free loan from the banks that he utilized for the check kiting scheme.

Wechsler was not ordered to pay restitution because he had paid BB&T back for the losses that it incurred prior to his sentencing hearing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Catherine Latoski, age 53, formerly of Exeter, Pennsylvania and currently a resident of Davenport, Florida, was sentenced by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 48 months of imprisonment for committing wire fraud by embezzling nearly $2 million from her former employer.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Latoski was the Director of Accounting Services for a Scranton-based for-profit educational institution.  Beginning in November 2016, through her termination in June 2021, Latoski charged nearly $2 million in personal expenses on corporate credit cards issued by her former employer, spending the funds on vacations, Disney timeshares and cruises, personal utility bills and shopping expenses, her child’s college tuition, and to fund her and her family members’ personal businesses selling health and beauty products for Jordan Essentials.  Latoski then used her accounting position to facilitate having her former employer pay off the credit card charges, including by creating false entries in the company’s books and records to conceal the expenses.

In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, Judge Mannion also ordered Latoski to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment.  Judge Mannion also ordered Latoski to pay $1,843,741.22 in restitution, and to forfeit five Disney timeshares that she purchased with the proceeds of her fraud, and placed in the names of her family members.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Armando Lara-Contreras, age 33, a Citizen of Mexico, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Lara-Contreras was previously removed from the United States on February 24, 2016, through Brownsville, Tx, 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 April 29, 2024, Lara-Contreras was encountered in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. 

The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations.  Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty upon conviction for the charged offense is two years imprisonment, one year 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 announced that Jeffrey Poth, age 68, of Drums, Pennsylvania; James Mahon IV, age 64, of Shavertown, Pennsylvania; and Joel Gillick, age 56, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, were charged with various fraud offenses in connection with their former employments at Tammac Holdings Corp.  A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Mahon and Gillick with conspiring to commit bank, wire, and mail fraud, and with several counts of bank fraud and wire fraud.  Poth was charged in an information with conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the charges allege that Poth was the President, Mahon the Vice President, and Gillick an attorney and Compliance Officer of Tammac, a Luzerne County business.  Between 2008 and September 2021, the conspirators suppressed delinquency rates and repossession losses in loan portfolios that were sold and serviced by Tammac to various financial institutions and investors.  The scheme was accomplished by making fake payments on the loans, using Tammac’s own money.  The conspirators allegedly took these steps to avoid triggering recourse obligations under the servicing agreement contracts that would yield significant financial penalties for Tammac.  During the course of the scheme, the conspirators hid the fake payments in Tammac’s accounting records, and concealed the practice from investors and auditors.

The charges also allege that between 2017 and 2021, the conspirators provided false financial information to an investment firm during a due diligence process, and continued to conceal the fake payment practice.  As a result, the investment firm purchased Tammac, and subsequently purchased loan portfolios from Tammac.  Following the acquisition, the conspirators continued to provide false financial information to the investment firm.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Carlo D. Marchioli are prosecuting the case.

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

Indictments 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 Steven Wong, a/k/a “Chino,” age 43, of Shallotte, North Carolina, and Solomon Rodriguez, a/k/a “Solo,” age 34, of Reading, Pennsylvania, were convicted on June 21, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, firearms conspiracy, attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, Hobbs Act Robbery, and two counts of use of firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence following a two-week trial before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Wong was the president of the Schuylkill County chapter of the Infamous Ryders Motorcycle Club, of which Solomon Rodriguez was a member.  Wong used his position to recruit members of the motorcycle club to participate in a series of brutal home-invasion armed robberies in Schuylkill and Berks County in the summer and fall of 2020.  Wong rewarded loyal members involved in the conspiracy with money and free drugs.  During these home invasion robberies, two or three members of the conspiracy would enter the homes of local street-level drug dealers while wearing masks and armed with firearms and knives and rob the victims of drugs and drug proceeds. One of the firearms used was a fully automatic homemade AR-15 style assault rifle. 

During the seven-day trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony from approximately 19 witnesses, including expert witness testimony from an ATF Firearms expert, and an expert in historic cell-site location data analysis.  Both defendants testified on their own behalf.

“This group acted with extreme violence, invading people’s homes with machine guns drawn, and committing crimes that brutalized their victims,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Though our cooperative efforts with the Pennsylvania State police and local police departments, we successfully brought these criminals to justice and ended their trail of crimes, making our communities safer again.”

The charges stem from an investigation involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Mahanoy City Police Department, the Schuylkill Haven Police Department, the Pottsville Police Department, the Shillington Police Department, the Reading Police Department, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys James Buchanan, Jenny Roberts, and Sarah Lloyd 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.

In this case, the maximum penalty 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. 

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Alkayan Khan, age 37, of Ozone Park, New York, was sentenced today to 360 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley for one count of production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Khan previously pleaded guilty to one count of production of visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Khan admitted that on September 28, 2021, he coerced a minor victim to create and then send him photographs of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Khan, a family friend of the minor victim’s family, had used his position of trust within the family to engage in a years’ long pattern of abuse against the minor victim.  Ultimately, the minor victim became pregnant with Khan’s child and Khan coerced the minor victim to falsely report that she had been raped in her middle school’s bathroom by an unknown assailant. The victim, upon being interviewed by detectives from the Pocono Mountain Regional Police, admitted that Khan was her child’s father and that he had coerced her to concoct the story.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.

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

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HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Richard Little, age 49, of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal complaint with threatening a Pennsylvania State Senator and unlawfully possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance.  A preliminary hearing was held today, and Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom found probably cause for both charges.

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 videos on Facebook, including against a County Commissioner.  Among other things, in the videos, Little spoke of a “war” and described “kill zones” while displaying multiple firearms and ammunition in his residence. Little also showed marijuana in one video and admitted to using the controlled substance. Thereafter, on or about June 21, 2024, Little posted on his Facebook threatening remarks against a State Senator.

That same date, law enforcement arrested Little and searched his residence.  Inside, law enforcement seized several items, including approximately 17 firearms, ammunition, marijuana, illegal mushrooms, 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 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Charges 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 Danny Sing, age 61, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment, and Mark Holmes, age 67, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for commercial bribery and tax fraud offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Danny Sing pleaded guilty to conspiring with other individuals to failing to withhold and remit approximately $1,360,000 in federal employment taxes to the IRS.  Global Staffing Services, Inc. leased temporary employees to companies in Pennsylvania and New York.  Sing and his coconspirators paid Global Staffing Services, Inc. employees in cash, paid themselves in cash, and cashed all checks received from Global Staffing Services, Inc.’s clients, to conceal the income and wages from the IRS.  Sing also pleaded guilty to providing in excess of approximately $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks to managers and supervisors at Global Staffing Services, Inc.’s client, to obtain business for Global Staffing Services, Inc.  In total, Sing and his coconspirators obtained over $16,500,000 from a Pennsylvania food services company for their staffing companies.  The criminal activities occurred between 2013 and 2020.  Sing further failed to file personal tax returns and pay federal income tax for years 2014 through 2020, despite spending over $1 million at local casinos during that time period.  This resulted in over $390,000 in tax losses to the IRS.

Mark Holmes pleaded guilty to accepting, as the General Manager of a Pennsylvania food services company, approximately $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks from the owners and operators of Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing, another staffing company, in exchange for hiring their employees.  The two temporary staffing companies, in turn, received approximately $7,800,000 from Holmes’s employer.  Holmes also pleaded guilty to failing to remit approximately $135,000 in employment taxes to the IRS that were owed by Encore Staffing Solutions LLC, another temporary staffing company that he owned and operated.  Encore Staffing Solutions LLC leased temporary employees to manufacturing businesses throughout Pennsylvania.  The criminal activities occurred between 2014 and 2020.

Five other individuals were previously prosecuted in this investigation:

1. Madeline Nieves, age 49, of Plains, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to a tax fraud conspiracy.  Nieves conspired with other individuals to defraud the IRS, from 2018 to 2020, in connection with staffing company Encore Staffing Solutions LLC, which she owned and operated with Holmes.  Nieves failed to report Encore Staffing Solutions LLC employee wages to the IRS, resulting in approximately $67,000 in employment taxes owed, but never paid, by Encore to the IRS.  Nieves also failed to report her own personal income from Encore Staffing Solutions LLC to the IRS.  Nieves was sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment.
2. Nari Lam, age 31, of Wilmington, Delaware, pleaded guilty to failing to remit employment taxes to the IRS.  From 2016 through 2020, Nari Lam, as the owner of temporary staffing company Penns Independent Staffing, failed to pay approximately $300,000 in employment taxes owed by Penns Independent Staffing to the IRS.  Nari Lam was sentenced to three years of probation.
3. Den Lam, age 49, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged in an information alleging that he conspired with other individuals to evade federal income taxes for approximately $1,600,000 in wages paid by Global Staffing Services, Inc. to its employees.  Den Lam also was charged with failing to withhold and remit approximately $1,360,000 in federal employment taxes owed, but never paid, by Global Staffing Services, Inc. to the IRS.
4. Jason R. Bonnewell, age 41, of North Abington Township, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to accepting, as a supervisor of the Pennsylvania food services company, approximately $150,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing, in exchange for hiring their employees.  The two temporary staffing companies, in turn, received approximately $13,000,000 from Bonnewell’s employer.  Bonnewell also pleaded guilty to failing to disclose cash income on his personal tax returns.  Bonnewell awaits sentencing.
5. Jose L. Ortiz, age 48, of Drums, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit honest services fraud.  From 2014 to 2021, Ortiz was a manager and director at a Pennsylvania food services company who, along with his coconspirators accepted cash bribes and other things of value from other coconspirators who owned and operated Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing.  In exchange for the kickbacks, Ortiz and his coconspirators entered contracts with and hired the temporary employees of the two staffing companies, paying them over $18,000,000, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks.  Ortiz received approximately $200,000 of those cash kickbacks.

The cases were investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division.  The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner sentenced Kyle Jaden Morales, age 21, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to 230 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for robberies of businesses engaged in interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Morales previously pleaded guilty to these offenses, which involved Morales’ robberies of McDonald’s restaurants, Sheetz convenience stores, and United Bank in March 2022 during a 12-day crime spree in the states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. As part of these robberies, Morales pointed a handgun at employees and took money by means of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury. Judge Conner also ordered Morales to pay $5,094 in restitution to the McDonald’s Corporation, Sheetz, Inc., and United Bank, to pay a special assessment of $400, and to serve five years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police,  and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Williams and Samuel S. Dalke.

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Feliciano-Seize, age 60, of Weatherly, Pennsylvania was indicted on June 18, 2024, by a federal grand jury for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Feliciano-Seize, who had previously been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for an armed robbery conviction, attempted to purchase an assault rifle by falsely representing that he had never been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.  The indictment further alleges that in 2023, Feliciano-Seize unlawfully possessed a firearm.

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 making a false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm is 10 years imprisonment, 3 years supervision, and a fine.  The maximum penalty under federal law for unlawful possession of a firearm is 15 years imprisonment, 3 years 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.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an indictment was returned by a grand jury charging a Northumberland County man with multiple firearms offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges that on or about January 10, 2024, Ryan Edward Mills, age 51, a resident of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, possessed three firearms—that is, a pistol, semi-automatic shotgun, and AR-15 style rifle—knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms, having been previously convicted of a felony. In addition, the Indictment alleges one of the firearms Mills possessed had an obliterated serial number.

The charges stem from a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Milton Borough Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Moreno.

 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 the crimes charged in the Indictment is thirty-five years of 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.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tanner Uffelman, age 29, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 13, 2024, to time served (approximately 13 months’ imprisonment) by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

 According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Uffelman was charged with submitting multiple false applications to states seeking unemployment compensation claiming that the unemployment was a result of the COVID19 pandemic. From 2020 to 2021, Uffelman submitted these false claims using identifications of numerous innocent victims. He and his conspirators submitted the false claims in Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, and California. Uffelman pleaded guilty to the crime in January 2024, and admitted that the fraud scheme stole over $40,000 from the various states.

 At sentencing, Judge Wilson noted that at the time he was committing his federal offense, Uffelman was on supervision with York County authorities for unlawful contact or communication with a minor and corruption of minors arising from a 2018 conviction where he, as a 23-year-old man, had a corrupt relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The judge identified this as well as the over 13-months he spent in Dauphin County Prison as sufficient punishment for the federal crime he committed and imposed a time served sentence. Judge Wilson also ordered that Uffelman serve three years of supervised release with the United States Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kuldeep Jaggi, age 39, of Huntingdon Station, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Jaggi was a member of a conspiracy that operated a fraud scheme that targeted victims throughout the United States including Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In part, the fraud scheme was carried out by causing pop-up windows to appear on victims’ personal computers. These pop-up windows falsely stated the victims’ computers had been infected with a virus and instructed victims to call the telephone number provided to receive technical assistance.

It is further alleged that victims who called the number spoke with a member of the conspiracy who falsely represented himself to be a government agent or employee. During the telephone call, it was falsely represented to the victims that their compromised computers had been used to commit crimes for which they would be charged, and that for the virus to be removed from the computer, victims had to pay a fee in the form of cash or gold. Victims were instructed to hand deliver the cash or gold payment to an “agent” who was being sent to the victim’s homes.

The indictment alleges that Jaggi was one of the scheme’s “agents” who travelled to victims’ homes to pick up the cash or gold.  According to the Indictment, on October 3, 2023, Jaggi traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to collect approximately $64,000 in gold from a victim, and between September 26, 2023, and October 3, 2023, Jaggi traveled to Massachusetts, Idaho, and Texas where he collected a total of approximately $129,000 from three victims. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Swatara Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph J. Terz is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the indicted offenses is 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release after 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 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 Cosme Marin-Ponce, age 40, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien and for failing to register as a sex offender. The case was unsealed following Marin-Ponce’s arrest.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Marin-Ponce was previously removed from the United States on September 23, 2019, after pleading guilty to indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old. It is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. Marin-Ponce also failed to register as a sex offender, as his previous conviction required.

This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the United States Marshals Service. 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.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Angel Lopez-Guzman, age 37, of Lebanon, PA, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges related to the distribution of controlled substances and unlawful possession of firearms. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Lopez-Guzman possessed over 500 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute. It also alleges that Lopez-Guzman illegally possessed a firearm as a convicted felon and possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, in Lebanon County, on January 5, 2024.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lebanon County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera 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 Lopez-Guzman faces under federal law for these offenses is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Micia Best, age 45, of Mount Carmel, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann on the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than fifty grams of methamphetamine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Best possessed more than 350 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine.  The charge stemmed from a broader investigation into drug trafficking in Northumberland County through which Best was identified as moving significant amount of methamphetamine. 

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.

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

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gregory A. Wilson, age 51, of Lewistown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 102 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release on the charge of attempted enticement of a minor.  He was also ordered to pay a fine of $500 and a $5,100 special assessment. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on November 8, 2023, Wilson knowingly attempted to use a facility of interstate and foreign commerce to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years 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, Pennsylvania State Police, Patton Township Police, and the Centre County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.

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

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shane A. Lopez, age 29, of Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 10, 2024, to 22 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for sexual exploitation of children and escape.

 According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in November 2020, Lopez was serving the remainder of his federal drug trafficking sentence at a residential rehabilitation facility in Harrisburg when he escaped. On May 21, 2021, police arrested him at a residence in Mahanoy City. Police seized his and uncovered evidence of child pornography.  An investigation of his phone as well as accounts he controlled revealed that he had over a 1,000 images and videos of child pornography, including a video he made of an 18-month-old girl.

On November 20, 2023, Lopez pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children as well as escape from a detention facility.

Judge Conner sentenced Lopez to 20 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children. He also imposed a consecutive sentence of two years in prison for the crime of escape.  When he is released from prison, Lopez is to serve five years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford 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.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Laboy, age 40, of Susquehanna Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 9 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for his role in a multi-million dollar marijuana ring.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Laboy previously entered a guilty plea to being a part of a group that received marijuana shipped from sources in California and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The drug trafficking group operated out of Fastlane Auto Sales located on Paxton Street in Harrisburg. Over that time, hundreds of parcels full of marijuana were shipped from California to Harrisburg. The group mailed cash back to California. They used a sophisticated system of GPS tracking devices, which they placed in their parcels, to keep track of their drugs and money. 

The Fastlane Group learned that a postal employee was stealing their marijuana as it was being secretly shipped through the U.S. Mail. To stop the suspected thief, they shot at a car in Harrisburg, at a home Susquehanna Township, and at home in Steelton. They also robbed and assaulted the postal employee at gunpoint.

Judge Wilson found that Laboy was responsible for trafficking between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana from 2017 to May 2020.  Judge Wilson noted that Laboy was not responsible for the violence associated with the Harrisburg drug trafficking group.

Co-defendant Christopher Texidor, age 36 of Harrisburg, had a jury trial and was convicted in May 2024 of drug trafficking and weapons offenses. He is awaiting sentencing.

Co-defendant William Kuduk, age 37 of Harrisburg, pled guilty to marijuana trafficking and cocaine trafficking associated with the Fastlane Group. Co-defendant Justin Laboy, age 36, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to marijuana trafficking conspiracy and conspiracy to use a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking. Co-defendant Julio Arellano, age 33, of Harrisburg, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to traffic marijuana and conspiracy to use a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking. They are all awaiting sentencing.

Co-defendant Jonathan Cobaugh, age 25, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and wire fraud related to a pandemic related fraud scheme. He was sentenced to 63 months in prison on May 29, 2024. Co-defendant Jamie Valenzuela, age 32 of Santa Ana, California, pled guilty to being a source of marijuana from California for the conspiracy. He was sentenced to 57 months in prison on February 8, 2024. 

These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Susquehanna Township Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the cases.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Kyle Smith, age 40, of Schuylkill Haven, PA, was charged on June 4, 2024, by a federal grand jury for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the Indictment alleges that on February 29, 2024, in Schuylkill County, Smith possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the PA Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigations (BNI).  Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 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 and 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 Jose L. Vargas, age 39, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for conspiracy and attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. After his release, Vargas will serve an additional five years on supervised release.

 According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vargas was the target of a reverse sting operation by the DEA in which he attempted to retrieve five pounds of crystal methamphetamine. Vargas had left the methamphetamine in the possession of an acquittance, who began to cooperate with law enforcement. The DEA took possession of the nearly two and one-half kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and arranged through the confidential informant to have Vargas retrieve the drugs from a car parked in Hazleton. Unfortunately, the undercover police vehicle locking mechanism locked the vehicle prior to Vargas’s attempt to retrieve the drugs. Vargas then telephoned another individual and directed him to retrieve the drugs and bring them to Vargas. That individual was arrested when he retrieved the drug from the then, unlocked vehicle and cooperated with police against Vargas.

Vargas was convicted of conspiracy and attempted possession of the methamphetamine after a three-day trial in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Vargas is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and subject to deportation upon his release from federal prison.

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 DEA and the Hazleton, Pennsylvania Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd K. Hinkley and James Buchanan prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lee Crawford, age 62, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 5, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 144 months’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and the charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Crawford previously pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area between July 2020 and February 2021.  Investigators made several purchases of fentanyl from Crawford and then obtained a search warrant for Crawford’s residence in Wilkes-Barre, where an additional amount of fentanyl was seized.  Crawford also admitted to a separate charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting from the search of his residence. Crawford was indicted by a grand jury sitting in Scranton in March 2021. 

The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Kingston Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

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

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Thomas Waters, age 37, a federal prison inmate, was sentenced on June 5, 2024, by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 168 months’ imprisonment for three counts of assaulting a federal officer. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the evidence presented at a three day trial held in January 2024 revealed that on January 18, 2023, while an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Canaan (“USP Canaan”), in Wayne County, PA, Waters assaulted three federal corrections officers, causing bodily injury to each man.  More specifically, the evidence showed that while being counseled for a rule violation, Waters repeatedly struck one corrections officer in the head with his fists.  Then, during this assault, Waters disarmed the officer of his service baton and used it to strike the officer in the head.  When additional corrections officers responded to assist, Waters bit two other corrections officers. 

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Mannion ordered that Waters’ 168-month sentence run consecutively to the federal sentence that Waters was already serving at the time of the assault.  

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Special Investigative Services component within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffery St John and Tatum R. Wilson prosecuted the case.

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HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Marty Robinson, age 46, and Jordan Brown, age 35, both of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 8, 2024, on charges of firearms and drug trafficking offenses. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Robinson and Brown for conspiring to make a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm and aided and abetted by each other, making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm.  The indictment alleges that on or about June 5, 2023, Brown bought a firearm for Robinson in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and lied to a licensed dealer of firearms about being the actual buyer and transferee. 

The indictment also charges Robinson with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine; possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a prohibited person on June 7, 2023, in Cumberland County. 

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

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

This case was also prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the indicted offenses against Robinson is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and special assessment. The maximum penalty under federal law for the indicted offenses against Brown is 15 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 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 Paul Helring, age 48, a former Scranton police officer and the former elected police union president, was sentenced on June 4, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 6 months’ imprisonment and a 2-year term of supervised release for the offense of Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, from approximately March 2021 to May 2022, while serving as the coordinator of Scranton Police Department’s extra duty overtime program, Helring knowingly obtained by fraud over $5,000.00 in compensation that was paid to him for certain extra duty patrol shifts at local, Scranton-area, lower-income housing complexes that Helring claimed to work but did not in fact work.  In all, the investigation found a total of 526 hours that Helring claimed to work patrolling the complexes but that he did not actually work.  At his sentencing, Helring was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $17,831.40 and to pay a fine of $5000.00.  He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service as a condition of his supervised release.   

 This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force with assistance from the Office of Inspector General within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffery St John and Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carla Brown, age 45, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 31, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, to 30 months’ imprisonment following her conviction on the charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

 According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the charges stem from an investigation in which the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop on May 14, 2020, in Lebanon County, of a vehicle in which Brown was an occupant.  A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 350 grams of cocaine, and $5,020 in U.S. currency. 

The driver of the vehicle, William Shaw, was convicted on the charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.

The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pennsylvania State Police.   Assistant United States Attorney Scott R. Ford prosecuted the case.

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

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Donovyn Lee Smallwood, age 25, of McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to 12 months and one day imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson following his conviction for straw purchasing four firearms for individuals who were prohibited from possessing firearms.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Smallwood previously pleaded guilty to these offenses, which involved Smallwood’s purchase of a total of four 9mm handguns on two separate occasions in September 2021 from a licensed firearms dealer. At the time of the purchases, Smallwood falsely stated that he was the actual purchaser. One of the firearms was subsequently used in a homicide and a separate carjacking.

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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Baltimore Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Julian Beavers, age 37, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Canaan (USP Canaan), Wayne County, Pennsylvania, and Feniqua Walker, age 30, Fort Worth, Texas, were indicted on May 28, 2024, by a federal grand jury on charges for attempting to provide fentanyl to an inmate at USP Canaan. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between January 13, 2023 and April 13, 2023, Beavers and Walker attempted to provide fentanyl to an inmate at USP Canaan and Beavers also attempted to possess the fentanyl.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Investigative Services Unit at USP Canaan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenn P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for each 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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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Rodriguez, age 62, of Bronx, New York, was indicted on May 28, 2024, by a federal grand jury on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in December of 2023, Rodriguez utilized false identification documents to withdraw and attempt to withdraw roughly $50,000 from customer accounts at multiple banks throughout Lycoming, Tioga, and Centre Counties. The indictment also alleges that Rodriguez unlawfully possessed means of identification of at least four bank customers in connection with the fraudulent scheme.

This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service (USSS).  Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the bank fraud offense is 30 years of imprisonment, 5 years of supervised released, and a $1,000,000 fine.  The aggravated identity theft offense imposes an additional 2-year term of imprisonment.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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 Moniqua Ramirez, age 44, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 40 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson following her conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Ramirez conspired with others to smuggle kilograms of cocaine into Central Pennsylvania through the U.S. Mail. The cocaine was shipped in Puerto Rico and mailed to various drop locations in Lancaster, where the parcels were retrieved by conspirators for further distribution. They also engaged in street level drug trafficking, including selling heroin and fentanyl to customers. The conspirators transported cash back to Puerto Rico in furtherance of the trafficking. A jury convicted Ramirez of conspiracy to traffic cocaine after a three-day jury trial that concluded in November 2023.

Ramirez’s coconspirators, Jonathan Lopez Arizmendi, Ricardo Soto, Ricky Sanchez, Angel Leon-Rivera, Omar Carmenaty Morales, and Lucas Doel Gonzalez-Alvarado, pleaded guilty. They were sentenced as follows:

• Jonathan Arizmendi was sentenced to 150 months in prison.  
• Ricardo Soto was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
• Ricky Sanchez was sentenced to 36 months in prison.
• Lucas Doel Gonzalez-Alvarado was sentenced to 97 months in prison.

Angel Leon-Rivera and Omar Carmenaty Morales are awaiting sentencing.  

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

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Lancaster County Drug Task Force and York County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Rodriguez-Ortiz, age 36, native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for distribution of fentanyl and illegal reentry by a previously deported alien following an aggravated felony conviction. Rodriguez-Ortiz will again face deportation following his term of imprisonment.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Rodriguez-Ortiz was previously deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic in 2013.  He illegally reentered the United States again sometime after December 2013 and was found in the United States in York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.

Investigators made two separate purchases of fentanyl from Rodriguez-Ortiz and then obtained a search warrant for Rodriguez-Ortiz’s residence, where several bundles of fentanyl, several thousand dollars in cash, packaging material, multiple cell phones, packaged pills, edibles, and multiple firearms, including some with obliterated serial numbers, were found. At the time of the fentanyl sales and Rodriguez-Ortiz’s arrest, he was using an alias.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Assistant United States Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma 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.

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SCRANTON - U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam of the Middle District of Pennsylvania commends the announcement of the Department of Justice’s new resource for prosecutors, “Framework for Prosecutors to Strengthen Our National Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Involving Adult Victims.”

The announcement was made on May 20, 2024, in Dallas, TX, at the Conference on Crimes Against Women by Rosemarie Hidalgo, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).  The guide, written by prosecutors for prosecutors, sets out five principles that, if implemented, will lead to better outcomes for victims, safer communities, and greater accountability for perpetrators of sexual assault and domestic violence.

“Our office remains steadfast in strengthening our commitment to support victims and pursue criminals who commit crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney Karam.  “The new framework released yesterday will allow our prosecutors and victim specialists to take a more trauma-informed approach and thoroughly investigate and prosecute such heinous crimes.”

“The framework reaffirms our commitment to expanding access to justice for all survivors, who deserve respect and the right to be heard,” said the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Director Rosie Hidalgo. “Enhancing the prosecution response to sexual assault and domestic violence in a trauma-informed manner is a key piece in ending gender-based violence, as part of a broader coordinated community response that includes services and support for survivors, and can have a real, immediate impact on the safety of survivors and entire communities.”

Declinations of meritorious allegations may result from misconceptions about how crimes involving sexual assault and domestic violence are committed and reported, how victims give their accounts, and the evidence required to prove their accounts. This guide equips prosecutors to build provable cases by: (1) relying on the evidentiary value of the victim’s account to frame the investigation; (2) meeting with victims and working with investigators and victim specialists to do so; (3) using the law and evidentiary rules effectively; (4) being thoughtful about what justice and accountability look like; and (5) sustaining a productive, healthy, and committed workforce by redefining success– all of which are rooted in a prosecutor’s primary obligation to seek the truth and uphold the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law.

More than 120 state, Tribal, military, and federal prosecutors, as well as advocates, academics, and investigators from an array of jurisdictions were consulted in developing this guide. This guide is designed to encourage prosecutors with all levels of experience to implement its principles when evaluating, investigating, and prosecuting allegations involving sexual assault and domestic violence. In conjunction with the release of the new framework, OVW launched a new webpage with resources designed to assist prosecutors in implementing its principles. The framework further serves as a complement to the Justice Department’s 2022 updated guidance on Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias.

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OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW funds national training and technical assistance and undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Curtis Margle, age 34, of Lehighton, Carbon County, was sentenced on May 21, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 132 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Margle pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing between 200 grams and 350 grams of high-quality crystal methamphetamine for distribution in the Schuylkill County and Carbon County areas in 2022.  The charges stem from an investigation in which investigators made a purchase of crystal methamphetamine from Margle in March 2022 in Schuylkill County and later seized an additional quantity of crystal methamphetamine from Margle.

The charges against Margle resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuted the case.

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

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Andrew Pope, age 45, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 15, 2024, to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, and over 50 grams of methamphetamine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between May 2021 and April 2022, Pope was involved in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of multiple different types of drugs throughout Luzerne County. 

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotic Investigations, and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Hardik 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.  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.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jordan Gee, age 37, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of threats against the President and interstate communications with a threat.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Gee posted several videos on the Internet shortly before President Joseph Biden’s visit to Scranton, Pennsylvania, for a campaign event on April 16, 2024. In those videos, Gee made several threats to the President and others, including, “Joe Biden: I’m going to kill you and your whole cabinet,” and, “If you come to my city in Scranton, Pennsylvania, I’m cutting your f**king head off in front of everybody; I promise.”

This matter is being investigated by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle A. Moreno is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses 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 David Leonardo Moreno Bernal, age 42, of Colombia, 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 Moreno Bernal was previously removed from the United States on August 27, 2012, 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 April 25, 2024, Moreno Bernal was encountered in Centre County, Pennsylvania. 

This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson 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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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced James Abrams, age 41, of Easley, South Carolina, to 72 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.  In June 2023, Abrams was convicted following a nine-day jury trial of all 48 counts in an indictment charging wire and mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, unlawful monetary transactions, obstruction of justice, and false statement offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Abrams was the Chief Executive Officer of EthosGen LLC, a company operating in the clean energy industry.  The evidence at trial showed that in 2017 and 2018, Abrams provided extensive forged documents and false information to induce several investors to invest $1,100,000 in his company.  The false documentation included forged teaming agreements and intellectual property licenses, where Abrams substituted his and EthosGen LLC’s name for other companies and individuals, claiming that EthosGen LLC owned technology it did not own.  During a pre-investment due diligence process, Abrams also provided forged tax returns and false financial statements that fabricated an existing customer base, and inflated EthosGen LLC’s historical revenues, business activity, and profitability, thereby making it a more attractive investment.  Abrams further provided forged contracts and purchase orders to potential investors, in which he claimed to have a revenue stream that, in reality, belonged to other companies.  Following an initial investment of $900,000, Abrams provided additional forged contracts and false customer sales documentation to induce an investor to advance another $200,000 to EthosGen LLC.

As a result of those activities, the jury convicted Abrams of 18 counts of wire fraud, and one count of mail fraud.  The jury also convicted Abrams of five counts of aggravated identity theft based on his forging multiple individuals’ signatures and using their personal information on falsified documentation, without their authorization.

The evidence at trial also showed that Abrams used approximately $800,000 of the investors’ money to purchase a personal residence in Easley, South Carolina.  To conceal his financial activities, Abrams transferred $700,000 of the funds through a series of five bank accounts under his control, and opened in the names of shell companies, before purchasing the residence.  He then lied to investors and to his own financial professionals, claiming that he used the funds to purchase company inventory for EthosGen LLC.  Abrams provided investors with falsified company reports, certifications, and accounting records to corroborate his misrepresentations about the use of the investment funds.  He also provided forged bank account statements and false information to both of EthosGen LLC’s sequential Chief Financial Officers, and to its accounting professionals.  In reliance on those forgeries and lies, the accounting professionals unknowingly included false entries in EthosGen LLC’s books and records.  As a result of those actions, the jury convicted Abrams of one count of money laundering, and 12 counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.

The evidence at trial further showed that, upon becoming aware of the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigation, Abrams took several steps to obstruct investigators.  Namely, he used misrepresentations and forged bank statements to induce EthosGen LLC financial professionals to create false documents and accounting records that purported to classify his embezzlement of investor funds as a shareholder loan.  Abrams also met with investigators on two occasions and provided materially false statements in response to their questions.  Those false statements included lies about purchasing inventory for EthosGen LLC, that EthosGen LLC owed him $800,000, that he provided his investors with truthful information when they evaluated his company during a due diligence process, and that he was ignorant about the origin of multiple forged contracts that he sent to investors.  As a result of those activities, the jury convicted Abrams of four counts of obstruction of justice, and seven counts of providing false statements to federal investigators.

As part of the sentence, Judge Mannion ordered Abrams to pay the victims of his crimes $1,100,000 in restitution.  Judge Mannion also ordered the forfeiture of the residence Abrams purchased in Easley, South Carolina, with the proceeds of his fraud.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Emile Occean, age 38, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment by United Sates District Court Judge Malachy Mannion for distributing methamphetamine. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Occean distributed methamphetamine in Luzerne County on March 31, 2022, and April 12, 2022.  Occean was deemed to be a career offender for sentencing purposes because he had two prior drug distribution convictions, two robbery convictions and a burglary conviction in his prior record.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.

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

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Angelo Pereyra, age 39, of Wichita, Kansas, and Andrew Ensanian, age 38, of Montgomery, Pennsylvania, were charged today by Criminal Information with interstate transport of stolen goods.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that between 2018 and 2022, Pereyra and Ensanian caused stolen human remains to be transported between Kansas and Pennsylvania. 

These charges resulted from a multi-year investigation into the nationwide trafficking of stolen human remains.  Multiple defendants have been charged previously in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and three have thus far entered guilty pleas.  An additional defendant has been charged and convicted in Arkansas.  None have yet been sentenced. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni 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.

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 Gustavo Nabor Tolentino Cortes, age 46, of Mexico, was indicted yesterday 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 Tolentino Cortes was previously removed from the United States on January 24, 2018.  The indictment further alleges that Tolentino Cortes unlawfully reentered the United States without legal permission, and was subsequently discovered in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. 

This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Sarah R. Lloyd 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.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Marcos Fernandez Rivera, age 27, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner following his conviction for conspiring and attempting to traffic cocaine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Rivera previously pleaded guilty to those crimes, which stemmed from, among other things, the seizure of a parcel that contained one kilogram of cocaine concealed inside of a boardgame box, the seizure of cash, and evidence obtained from cell phones revealing that Rivera was communicating with codefendant Gregory Ruiz Mercado about other packages.

Judge Conner also ordered Rivera to pay a fine and special assessment, and to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence.  Ruiz Mercado was sentenced on February 26, 2024, to 30 months’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer and K. Wesley Mishoe.

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 Jose L. Ortiz, age 48, of Drums, Pennsylvania, was charged May 8, 2024, in a criminal Information with conspiring to commit honest services fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the Information alleges that, during his tenure as a manager and director at a Pennsylvania food services company from 2014 to 2021, Ortiz and his coconspirators accepted cash bribes and other things of value from other coconspirators who owned and operated Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing.  Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing were two companies that leased temporary employees to Ortiz’s company.  In exchange for the kickbacks, Ortiz and his coconspirators entered contracts with and hired the temporary employees of the two staffing companies.  Allegedly, over $18,000,000 were paid to the two staffing companies, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks.  Ortiz allegedly received approximately $200,000 of those cash kickbacks.

Six other individuals were previously prosecuted in this investigation:

• Mark Holmes, age 66, of Hughes Springs, Texas, pleaded guilty to accepting, as the General Manager of the Pennsylvania food services company, approximately $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing, in exchange for hiring their employees.  The two temporary staffing companies, in turn, received approximately $7,800,000 from Holmes’s employer.  Holmes also pleaded guilty to failing to remit approximately $135,000 in employment taxes to the IRS that were owed by Encore Staffing Solutions LLC, another temporary staffing company that he owned and operated.  Encore Staffing Solutions LLC leased temporary employees to manufacturing businesses throughout Pennsylvania.  Holmes awaits sentencing.
• Madeline Nieves, age 49, of Plains, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to a tax fraud conspiracy.  Nieves conspired with other individuals to defraud the IRS, from 2018 to 2020, in connection with staffing company Encore Staffing Solutions LLC, which she owned and operated.  Nieves failed to report Encore Staffing Solutions LLC employee wages to the IRS, resulting in approximately $67,000 in employment taxes owed, but never paid, by Encore to the IRS.  Nieves also failed to report her own personal income from Encore Staffing Solutions LLC to the IRS.  Nieves was sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment.
• Nari Lam, age 31, of Wilmington, Delaware, pleaded guilty to failing to remit employment taxes to the IRS.  From 2016 through 2020, Nari Lam, as the owner of temporary staffing company Penns Independent Staffing, failed to pay approximately $300,000 in employment taxes owed by Penns Independent Staffing to the IRS.  Nari Lam was sentenced to three years of probation.
• Danny Sing, age 60, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to conspiring with other individuals to evade federal income taxes for approximately $1,600,000 in wages paid by Global Staffing Services, Inc. to its employees, and to failing to withhold and remit approximately $1,360,000 in federal employment taxes to the IRS.  Danny Sing and his coconspirators paid Global Staffing Services, Inc. employees in cash, paid themselves in cash, and cashed all checks received from Global Staffing Services, Inc.’s clients, to conceal the income and wages from the IRS.  The criminal activities occurred between 2013 and 2020.  Sing also pleaded guilty to providing in excess of approximately $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks to managers and supervisors at Global Staffing Services, Inc.’s client, to obtain business for Global Staffing Services, Inc.  Sing awaits sentencing.
• Den Lam, age 49, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged in an information alleging that he conspired with other individuals to evade federal income taxes for approximately $1,600,000 in wages paid by Global Staffing Services, Inc. to its employees.  Den Lam also was charged with failing to withhold and remit approximately $1,360,000 in federal employment taxes owed, but never paid, by Global Staffing Services, Inc. to the IRS.
• Jason R. Bonnewell, age 41, of North Abington Township, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to accepting, as a supervisor of the Pennsylvania food services company, approximately $150,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing, in exchange for hiring their employees.  The two temporary staffing companies, in turn, received approximately $13,000,000 from Bonnewell’s employer.  Bonnewell also pleaded guilty to failing to disclose cash income on his personal tax returns.  Bonnewell awaits sentencing.

The cases were investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division.  The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.

The maximum penalty under federal law 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 and Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Allateef Alkamil Ali-White (“White”), age 43, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 7, 2024, by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 96 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release, for methamphetamine trafficking.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, during July 2022, in Schuylkill County, and elsewhere, White conspired to distribute over five pounds (2,336 grams) of a substance containing methamphetamine, which he was to receive through the United States mail from a supply source in California.  The package containing the narcotics was intercepted by law enforcement prior to its final delivery to a location in Pottsville near White’s residence.      

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP).  Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.

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

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