Middle District of Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Princeton Flagg-Garrett, age 32, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by federal grand jury with committing bank fraud while on federal pretrial release for similar offenses.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in 2022, Flagg-Garrett pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  While he was on pretrial release in that case, Flagg-Garrett is alleged to have obtained employment at Penn State Hershey Medical Center through Allied Universal Security Services by submitting an application that used a false social security number and which omitted Flagg-Garrett’s prior criminal convictions.  The indictment alleges that while working at Penn State Hershey, Flagg-Garrett stole more than two dozen checks in the aggregate amount of $167,934.68, which he fraudulently altered to be made payable to himself and third parties who are alleged to have negotiated or attempted to negotiate the checks at banks and credit unions in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.

The case was investigated by the Derry Township Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Secret Service -Harrisburg.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.  

The maximum penalty under federal law for the charged offense is imprisonment for up to 30 years, up to five years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  Because Flagg-Garrett is alleged to have committed the offenses while under pretrial supervision, he may be subject to additional consecutive penalties if he is convicted.  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 Joel Leovaldo Dominguez, age 35, of Dominican Republic, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury with illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Dominguez was previously removed from the United States on September 19, 2018, through Alexandria, Louisiana, and it is alleged that he reentered the United States without first obtaining legal permission to do so. The indictment also alleges that on May 17, 2023, Dominguez was encountered in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

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

Based on his prior criminal history, Dominguez faces a maximum penalty of 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

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Melinda Bixler, age 50, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bixler operated two businesses—one a for-profit company called Elder Healthcare Solutions; the other a non-profit company called Adult Care Advocates—providing services to elderly clients who resided in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Both businesses operated from an office location at 4070 W. Market St. in York, PA.

Bixler purchased a home in York, PA for $685,000 using money that she had obtained through various unlawful means. Bixler obtained a mortgage loan for the purchase of her home by submitting multiple false statements to York Traditions Bank. These false statements included a forged letter from the owners of a business property that Bixler had previously purchased stating that she no longer owed money to the prior owners, when in fact she was still making monthly payments on it. Bixler also obtained a false gift letter from a third party wherein that third party stated that he was gifting Bixler $350,000 from his own personal funds when Bixler actually funneled money to that third party through a series of transactions that disguised the true sources of the funds. One source of these funds was $78,000 that Bixler took from the bank account of M.H., a 94-year-old woman residing at a nursing home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Bixler was then the power of attorney for M.H., and she therefore had access to the elderly client’s bank account.

Bixler agreed to pay a total of $147,882 to three former clients from whom she misappropriated funds; victims M.H, G.E. and E.P. Bixler also agreed to forfeit the property at 4070 W. Market St., along with $129,357.01, the balance in a bank account belonging to Adult Care Advocates. Finally, Bixler agreed to resign her positions with both Elder Healthcare Solutions and Adult Care Advocates. 

The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, York County District Attorney’s Office, York County Area Agency on Aging, and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Protective Services Office. 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 that Anthony Disabella, age 34, James Disabella, Jr. age 59, and James Disabella, III, age 35, all of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, were indicted on May 23, 2023, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between August 2022 and December 2022, the Disabellas conspired to distributed over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine.  The indictment also alleges that between July 2022 and December 2022, the Disabellas distributed quantities of pure methamphetamine on several occasions.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is lifetime 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 three federal inmates were indicted separately on May 23, 2023, by a federal grand jury for possessing contraband in prison.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the following three FCI Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, inmates were charged with possession of a dangerous prison-made weapon, commonly known as a “shank:”  

• Tyrik Brown, age 28, originally from Washington D.C.; 
• Thadusse Hartridge, age 22, originally from Washington D.C.;
• Daquon Brooks, age 28, originally from Washington D.C.

The investigations were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the cases.

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

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

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Nicholas Preddy, age 32, Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to kill an individual who Preddy believed was cooperating with federal authorities.

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

The evidence established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with Torey White and a coconspirator and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operations. White and co-coconspirator Kevin Coles learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Co-defendants Jerell Adgebesan and Kenyatta Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. The killers were promised that they could take as payment $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Coles, and his co-conspirators. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms. Preddy went along with the killers to the Jackson property aware of the groups purpose but waited outside in a van and did not participate in the killings. In the Spring of 2017 when the investigation into the triple murders focused on all of the actors from Baltimore, Preddy and the other Baltimore defendants who participated in the killings believed that one of their co-conspirators was cooperating with federal authorities. Preddy and others attempted to kidnap and kill the individual they suspected of cooperating to protect themselves from prosecution for the triple murders. The intended victim escaped unharmed.

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

• Kevin Coles, age 37, of New York and Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life imprisonment for multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking;
• Jerell Adgebesan, age 35, of Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty in June 2022 to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery. Judge Conner sentenced Adgebesan in February 2023 to life imprisonment and a consecutive 10-year term of imprisonment;
• Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment;
• Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
• Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
• Torey White, age 32, of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, was convicted on three counts of murdering three individuals and is awaiting sentencing;
• Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and is awaiting sentencing;
• Kenyatta Corbett, age 38, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Christopher Johnson, age 31, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to multiple counts including murder for hire and is awaiting sentencing;   
• Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing; and
• Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown, was indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial. Her trial is currently scheduled for May 2023.

Joshua Davis, age 30, previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders. Davis was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment. 

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

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

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

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

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation identified as “Retribution for Welsh Run.”  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brian Wilder, age 53, of Jefferson City, Missouri, was indicted on May 16, 2023, by a federal grand jury on child enticement and child pornography charges. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between November 2022 and December 2022, Wilder used the internet to entice a minor child to engage in sexual acts for which any person could be charged with a crime.  The indictment also alleges that Wilder conspired with an individual to produce child pornography.

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

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is lifetime 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 James Adams, age 31, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was indicted on May 16, 2023, by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on or about January 26, 2023, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Adams possessed with the intent to distribute marijuana, as well as four firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense.  The indictment further alleges that Adams possessed the firearms after knowing that he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.  The firearms include: a black 9mm Taurus Model G36 pistol, a 9mm Lorcin Model L9 pistol, a .22 caliber Smith & Wesson Model 61-3 pistol, and a .380 caliber Davis Industries Model P370, all firearms having been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.

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

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Charles Norman McKenzie, II., age 41, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was indicted on May 16, 2023, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on May 4, 2023, McKenzie attempted to possess over 500 grams of cocaine and 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute it.  The indictment also alleges that on May 5, 2023, McKenzie attempted to possess over 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.

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

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is lifetime 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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A federal jury convicted a Pennsylvania man on May 19 for numerous crimes, including the torture of an Estonian citizen in 2015 in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in connection with the operation of an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in Kurdistan.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ross Roggio, 54, of Stroudsburg, arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct and detain the victim at a Kurdish military compound where Roggio suffocated the victim with a belt, threatened to cut off one of his fingers, and directed Kurdish soldiers to repeatedly beat, tase, choke, and otherwise physically and mentally abuse the victim over a 39-day period. The victim was employed at a weapons factory that Roggio was developing in the Kurdistan region of Iraq that was intended to manufacture M4 automatic rifles and Glock 9mm pistols.

In connection with the weapons factory project, which included Roggio providing training to foreign persons in the operation, assembly, and manufacturing of the M4 automatic rifle, Roggio also illegally exported firearm parts that were controlled for export by the Departments of State and Commerce.

“Roggio brutally tortured another human being to prevent interference with his illegal activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the courage of the victim and other witnesses, the hard work of U.S. law enforcement, and the assistance of Estonian authorities, he will now be held accountable for his cruelty.”

“Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates that Roggio’s brutal acts of directing and participating in the torture of an employee over the course of 39 days by Kurdish soldiers could not avoid justice,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “We thank all the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to address these acts that occurred in Iraq.”

“Today’s milestone conviction is the result of the extraordinary courage of the victim, who came forward after the defendant inflicted unspeakable pain on him for more than a month,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Torture is among the most heinous crimes the FBI investigates, and together with our partners at the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, we will relentlessly pursue justice.”

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is firmly dedicated to pursuing those who commit human rights violations, like Roggio, to ensure perpetrators face justice for their atrocities,” said Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tae D. Johnson of ICE. “Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly with government partners so these horrendous acts do not go without consequence.”

“The illegal export of firearms parts and tools from the United States often goes hand in hand with other criminal activities, such as the charge of torture on which the jury voted to convict the defendant,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office. “I commend our law enforcement colleagues for their dedication to bringing justice in this case.”

Roggio was convicted of torture, conspiracy to commit torture, conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, exporting weapons parts and services to Iraq without the approval of the Department of State, exporting weapons tools to Iraq without the approval of the Department of Commerce, smuggling goods, wire fraud, and money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23 and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Roggio is the second defendant to be convicted of torture since the federal torture statute went into effect in 1994.

The FBI and HSI investigated the torture and were joined in investigating the export control violations related to the firearms manufacturing equipment by the Department of Commerce’s BIS Office of Export Enforcement.

Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. The Estonian Internal Security Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Pennsylvania State Police also provided valuable assistance.

Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form.

HARRISBURG – A federal jury convicted a Pennsylvania man on May 19 for numerous crimes, including the torture of an Estonian citizen in 2015 in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in connection with the operation of an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in Kurdistan.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ross Roggio, 54, of Stroudsburg, arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct and detain the victim at a Kurdish military compound where Roggio suffocated the victim with a belt, threatened to cut off one of his fingers, and directed Kurdish soldiers to repeatedly beat, tase, choke, and otherwise physically and mentally abuse the victim over a 39-day period. The victim was employed at a weapons factory that Roggio was developing in the Kurdistan region of Iraq that was intended to manufacture M4 automatic rifles and Glock 9mm pistols.

In connection with the weapons factory project, which included Roggio providing training to foreign persons in the operation, assembly, and manufacturing of the M4 automatic rifle, Roggio also illegally exported firearm parts that were controlled for export by the Departments of State and Commerce.

“Roggio brutally tortured another human being to prevent interference with his illegal activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the courage of the victim and other witnesses, the hard work of U.S. law enforcement, and the assistance of Estonian authorities, he will now be held accountable for his cruelty.”

“Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates that Roggio’s brutal acts of directing and participating in the torture of an employee over the course of 39 days by Kurdish soldiers could not avoid justice,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “We thank all the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to address these acts that occurred in Iraq.”

“Today’s milestone conviction is the result of the extraordinary courage of the victim, who came forward after the defendant inflicted unspeakable pain on him for more than a month,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Torture is among the most heinous crimes the FBI investigates, and together with our partners at the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, we will relentlessly pursue justice.”

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is firmly dedicated to pursuing those who commit human rights violations, like Roggio, to ensure perpetrators face justice for their atrocities,” said Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tae D. Johnson of ICE. “Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly with government partners so these horrendous acts do not go without consequence.”

“The illegal export of firearms parts and tools from the United States often goes hand in hand with other criminal activities, such as the charge of torture on which the jury voted to convict the defendant,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office. “I commend our law enforcement colleagues for their dedication to bringing justice in this case.”

Roggio was convicted of torture, conspiracy to commit torture, conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, exporting weapons parts and services to Iraq without the approval of the U.S. Department of State, exporting weapons tools to Iraq without the approval of the U.S. Department of Commerce, smuggling goods, wire fraud, and money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23 and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Roggio is the second defendant to be convicted of torture since the federal torture statute went into effect in 1994.

The FBI and HSI investigated the torture and were joined in investigating the export control violations related to the firearms manufacturing equipment by the Department of Commerce’s BIS Office of Export Enforcement.

Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. The Estonian Internal Security Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Pennsylvania State Police also provided valuable assistance.

Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Torey White, age 32, of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, was found guilty yesterday on three counts of murdering three individuals after a three-week trial before United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner.

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

The evidence presented at trial established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with Torey White and a coconspirator and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operations. White and co-coconspirator Kevin Coles learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Co-defendants Jerell Adgebesan and Kenyatta Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. The killers were promised that they could take as payment $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Coles, and his co-conspirators. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms.

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

• Kevin Coles, age 37, of New York and Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life imprisonment for multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking;
• Jerell Adgebesan, age 35, of Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty in June 2022 to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery. Judge Conner sentenced Adgebesan in February 2023 to life imprisonment and a consecutive 10-year term of imprisonment;
• Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment;
• Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
• Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
• Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and is awaiting sentencing;
• Kenyatta Corbett, age 38, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and is awaiting sentencing;
• Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Christopher Johnson, age 31, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to multiple counts including murder for hire and is awaiting sentencing;    
• Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing; and
• Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown, was indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial. Her trial is currently scheduled for May 2023.

Joshua Davis, age 30, previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders. Davis was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment. 

White faces three mandatory life sentences, one for each count of conviction. Each count dealt with a separate victim.

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

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

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

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

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

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Christopher J. Miller, age 35, formerly of Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, was charged in an indictment with 54 combined counts of wire fraud, bank fraud false statements, identity theft, and unlawful monetary transactions.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Miller owned and operated multiple corporate entities in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Florida.  Miller allegedly filed, and helped others to file, dozens of 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.  Miller was charged with 16 counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, two counts of false loan applications, and 17 count of making false statements to the United States Small Business Administration, for the fraudulent applications.  Miller also is charged with one count of aggravated identity theft, for using a stolen identity to file an application.

The applications allegedly submitted by Miller were filed on behalf of corporate entities 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 allegedly failed to disclose in the applications that he was previously convicted of a felony.

Miller and his associates allegedly obtained approximately $1,500,000 in PPP, EIDL, and PUA funds through filing the fraudulent applications.  In addition to the personal funds that he received, Miller also allegedly received cash kickbacks from other individuals on whose behalf he filed the fraudulent applications.  Instead of using the funds on business expenses, Miller allegedly used them to purchase automobiles, vacations, and real estate, among other personal expenses.  Miller is charged with 16 counts of making unlawful monetary transactions with the proceeds of his fraud.

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.

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the most serious charges are 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  The aggravated identity theft offense carries a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment that is to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeremy Stephen Heeman, age 46, of Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on May 16, 2023, for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Heeman with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of an unregistered firearm and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, related to conduct that occurred on January 9, 2023, in Centre County.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti 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.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is up to life imprisonment, a term of life 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.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Paul Quick, age 26, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 70 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute more than fifty grams of methamphetamine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Quick previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing more than fifty grams of methamphetamine for distribution in the Scranton area in 2022. The charge stems from an incident in June 2022, in which members of the Scranton Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police conducted a search of a residence on South Webster Avenue in Scranton and found Quick in possession of several packages of methamphetamine for distribution as well as a loaded .380 caliber handgun.

The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Scranton Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Brian J. Gallagher 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 Kevin Shain Oliver, age 21, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was charged by a federal grand jury of distribution of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Oliver with two counts of distributing child pornography between January and February of 2022, in Monroe County.

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

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

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

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of 5 years of supervised release as to each count 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.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brandon Williams, age 35, of Mercer County, New Jersey, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of passing counterfeit federal reserve notes.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on April 20, 2022, Williams and an unidentified female co-conspirator passed $1,400 in counterfeit bills at the Michaels store in Dickson City and $750 in counterfeit bills at the CVS Pharmacy located on Green Ridge Street in Scranton.  On April 23, 2022, Williams passed $280 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Montoursville, $160 in counterfeit bills at the Weis Market in Montoursville and attempted to pass additional counterfeit bills at the Dollar Tree in Bloomsburg but was unsuccessful.

The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Dickson City Police Department, the Scranton Police Department, the Montoursville Police Department, and the Hemlock Township Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

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

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that William Heck, age 42, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to seven years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute more than fifty grams of methamphetamine and an additional amount of fentanyl.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Heck previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing more than fifty grams of methamphetamine and additional amounts of fentanyl for distribution in the Hazleton area of Luzerne County in 2020.  The charges stem from an incident on October 2, 2020, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police served a search warrant at a residence in Hazleton, where Heck was living, and seized 226 grams of methamphetamine, 2,464 packets of fentanyl, $4,452 in U.S. currency, and other items of drug paraphernalia.

The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

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

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jared Sebaugh, age 35, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of contraband in prison.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on February 20, 2023, Sebaugh assaulted another inmate with a prison-made weapon consisting of a combination lock attached to a cloth strap.

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

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

# # #

HARRISBURG, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jair Alexander Peralta Vanegas, age 52, of Colombia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of Illegal Reentry.         

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on or about April 27, 2023, Peralta Vanegas was found in Lebanon County Pennsylvania after previously having been removed from the United States.  The indictment also alleges that Peralta Vanegas had been removed from the United States through Alexandria, Louisiana, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.

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

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

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on May 9, 2023, Jonathan Olivetti, age 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for wire fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain COVID-19 pandemic relief money he was not entitled to receive, mail fraud and tax evasion. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between June 18, 2020 and February 2021, Olivetti, a licensed attorney, applied for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) on behalf of Olivetti Law, LLC.  Both loan programs were authorized or expanded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act -- a federal law enacted in March 2020 that provided emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering financial difficulties from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With respect to the PPP loans, Olivetti allegedly made materially false representations by inflating the payroll of Olivetti Law, LLC in the on-line applications and received $41,600 based upon those false representations.  In addition, Olivetti made application for two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) which were to provide low-interest financing (including forgivable $10,000 advances) to small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Olivetti’s EIDL loan applications each sought approximately $62,500 on behalf of Olivetti Law, LLC.  The applications contained inflated gross receipts of Olivetti Law and ultimately were not approved by the SBA.  

Olivetti also stole approximately $91,991.28 from an estate that he represented.  Additionally, between November 9, 2015, and July 15, 2020, Olivetti attempted to evade paying his taxes by hiding funds and providing false information to an Internal Revenue Officer.

Judge Wilson also ordered Olivetti to pay restitution in the amount of $21,800 to SBA, $20,800 to MBE Capital, $91,991.28 for the mail fraud offense, and the loss for the tax evasion offense of $133,269.81.  Olivetti was ordered to report to the Bureau of Prisons on June 9, 2023.

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

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

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Florentina Mayko, age 39, of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud for defrauding Medicare and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services between 2017 and 2019.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Mayko agreed with others to defraud Medicare by submitting medically unnecessary urine drug tests for chronic opioid patients at medical clinics where she was the chief executive officer, including a group of clinics known as Pain Medicine of York or “PMY” (also known as All Better Wellness).

Mayko became the CEO of Pain Medicine of York around January 2018. Prior to that, Mayko served as Director of Operations of a group of medical practices known in the information as “Practice Group 1.” Mayko was hired to work at Practice Group 1 by an individual known in the information as Physician 1.

The owner of PMY, known as “PMY Owner” in the information, was friends with Physician 1. Physician 1 was imprisoned for health care fraud and federal tax offenses in mid-2017, at which point the operation of Practice Group 1 was transitioned to PMY. When Mayko was promoted to the position of CEO of PMY, her responsibilities did not materially change. From the time of her promotion onward, Mayko was in charge of the day-to-day management of PMY’s operations.

PMY had a practice, established in 2016 by Physician 1 and PMY Owner, of ordering multiple urine drug tests for each patient at every PMY office visit, despite a lack of medical necessity. The information alleges that, from mid-2017 onward, Mayko and PMY Owner were repeatedly confronted with information regarding the unlawful nature of the company’s UDT billing practices but continued to utilize the practice until search warrants were executed at PMY’s various locations in November 2019. PMY ceased operations soon thereafter.

It is alleged that PMY billed Medicare for more than $10 million in urine drug tests from mid-2017 through the end of 2019, and Medicare paid out over $4 million for these urine drug tests. The urine drug tests ordered by PMY were sent to an in-house laboratory at PMY whenever possible. As a result, when medically unnecessary tests were billed to Medicare, the proceeds from them went to PMY itself, according to the information.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smultkis are prosecuting the case.

The information also contains forfeiture allegations seeking properties located in Ocean City, Maryland and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The maximum penalty under federal law for conspiracy to commit health care fraud 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 and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

# # #

SCRANTON – The safety and wellbeing of our community is always of utmost importance, which is why the U.S. Attorney’s Office is publicizing the second annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.  This day is an effort to educate individuals around the dangerous threat that fentanyl poses to the safety of our communities.

United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam is raising public awareness about an urgent problem: people are dying at alarming rates due to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.  

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working every day to shut down drug traffickers and remove these drugs from our communities. Most recently, our office prosecuted Tarik Wilson, age 24, of Bensalem, PA, who was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in Burks and Lebanon Counties, and for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the deaths of two individuals.

The Middle District also recently prosecuted brothers Jose Raymer Tejeda, age 38, and Edwin Tejeda, age 32, both of Wilkes-Barre, PA, who were sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment each, for running a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed significant quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in the Wilkes-Barre region.  One of the brother’s coconspirators distributed fentanyl to an individual who subsequently sold it to an individual who shortly after ingesting the fentanyl, overdosed, and died.

To mark National Fentanyl Awareness Day, a coalition of businesses, nonprofits and experts came together to create a series of one-hour virtual webinars with issue-area experts that will speak on an array of topics related to the illicit fentanyl crisis.  All sessions are free of charge and open to the public. The series will include:

• What Parents Need to Know About Fentanyl Poisonings and Overdoses Time: 12-1p ET
• Fentanyl in Party Drugs: Harm Reduction Strategies Time: 1:30-2:30p ET
• The Illicit Fentanyl Crisis: Different Paths to Common Ground Time: 3-4p ET
• How Fentanyl Really Shows Up in Our Communities  Time: 4:30-5:30p ET
• Predictable Patterns of Drug Overdose Deaths: Does Fentanyl Follow the Rules?  Time: 6-7p ET

If you if you or someone you know is struggling with addiction there is help.  Please contact the National Rehab Hotline at 1-866-210-1303 that is available around the clock, 365 days a year to help you through a substance abuse or mental health crisis.

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jeffrey J. Vaughn, age 50, a former patrol sergeant in the Scranton Police Department, was sentenced on May 4, 2023, to 6 months’ imprisonment and a 2-year term of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, from approximately July 30, 2021, to April 22, 2022, Vaughn 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 Vaughn claimed to work but did not in fact work.  In all, the investigation found a total of 266 hours that Vaughn claimed to work patrolling the complexes but that he did not actually work.  Additionally, Vaughn also failed to work several DUI roving patrol shifts (another category of overtime shifts available to Scranton Police Officers) for which he was likewise paid.

Judge Mariani also ordered Vaughn to pay restitution in the amount of $11,243.00 and to pay a fine of $2,000.00.  He was also ordered to complete 50 hours of community service as a condition of his supervised release.   

This case was investigated by the Scranton Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and federal agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffery St John and Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sanchez, Chief Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, sentenced Robert Maverick Vargo, age 26, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, to 37 months in prison for threats against a sitting congressman, a federal judge, and the President of the United States. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in October of 2022, Vargo mailed a letter to United States Representative Bennie Thompson, threatening to kill him, his family, President Joseph Biden, and United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.  Vargo mailed the letter from Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania to Congressman Thompson in Washington, D.C., with intent to intimidate and interfere with Congressman Thompson’s official duties.  Congressman Thompson is the Chair of the Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol Complex.  Vargo cited Thompson’s role as Chairman of that committee in making his threats. Vargo also invoked the name of domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995.

Judge Sanchez noted Vargo’s lengthy criminal history and the disturbing nature of the threats in imposing the 37-month sentence. Upon release from prison, Vargo must serve three years on federal supervised release.  Vargo’s federal sentence will begin after he finishes serving a three to six year term in state prison for a 2022 escape conviction.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police, Protective Service Bureau and the Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Gontaryk, age 48, of Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 17 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $10,736.01 in restitution.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Gontaryk stole about $9,919.61 of construction materials, which belonged to the United States, from the construction site of the Sylvia H. Rambo U.S. Courthouse in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on October 11, 2021.  The following day, he sold copper and brass construction materials that he had stolen at a metal scrapyard located in Pottsville, PA.

In March 2022, while on release pending trial for the foregoing theft, Gontaryk returned to the same location and committed another theft of construction materials worth about $816.40.  He again sold the stolen materials at a scrapyard, this time in York, PA.  Gontaryk was sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment for the first offense and two months for the second offense, resulting in the total sentence summarized above. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Louis Borrero, age 39, an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Canaan, in Waymart, Pennsylvania, to 51 months in prison for assault on another inmate. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Borrero assaulted the inmate by slashing his face with a razor blade on July 16, 2021, at USP Canaan.  The victim’s injuries required nine sutures.  At the time of the assault, Borrero was serving a 324-month sentence for drug trafficking, robbery, and firearms violations.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigation Section (SIS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.       

# # #

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Bruce Evans, Jr., age 41, of Greenfield Township, Pennsylvania to one year and one day in prison for violating the Clean Water Act, and for submitting a false statement to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).  Evans, Jr. was convicted after trial in December of 2021.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Evans, Jr. knowingly failed to operate and maintain the municipality’s wastewater treatment plant in accordance with regulations and limitations specified in a permit issued by the PADEP to the Greenfield Township Sewer Authority (GTSA).  The permit required that the permittee maintain the plant in good working order, properly operate and maintain all facilities and systems installed and used by the permittee to achieve compliance with the terms and conditions of the permit, and meet specific numerical limits on pollutants discharged into a local waterway.  As a result of the defendant’s failures, pollutants were discharged in violation of the permit on multiple occasions. 

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the EPA presented testimony from 34 witnesses over the course of a trial that began on November 15, 2021 and ended on December 17, 2021.  Evans, Jr, and his father, Bruce Evans, Sr. were tried together.  Witnesses included  GTSA board members, Greenfield Township Supervisors, FBI and EPA Special Agents, multiple PADEP inspectors and supervisors, and residents who lived near sewage system lift stations where sewage overflowed.

Throughout the time covered by the charges, Bruce Evans, Sr. was a Greenfield Township Supervisor, a Greenfield Township employee, a GTSA Board Member, and the paid Manager of the GTSA.  Evans, Jr. was an employee of Greenfield Township and the GTSA.  Evans, Sr. was convicted of twenty (20) counts of Clean Water Act violations; four (4) counts of wire fraud involving the misappropriation of GTSA funds for his personal benefit and the benefit of his family; and four (4) counts of obstruction of certified mail sent by the PADEP addressed to his fellow GTSA board members but intercepted by Evans, Sr.  Evans, Jr. was convicted of four (4) counts of Clean Water Act violations, and one (1) count of submitting a false statement to the PADEP related to representations and certifications made by Evans, Jr. regarding his professional work experience.

Bruce Evans, Sr. is awaiting sentencing.    

The investigation was jointly conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigations Division in Philadelphia, Pa., the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Scranton Field Office, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection -  Northeast Region.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski and EPA Attorneys W. Martin Harrell and Patricia C. Miller prosecuted the case as Special Assistant United States Attorneys.                     

# # #

HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Gerard M. Karam, announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment on April 26, 2023 charging Tammie Jo Hooks, 60, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography.  The indictment also alleges that prior to committing the charged offenses, Hooks was convicted in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia of distributing child pornography, which may subject her to increased penalties if she is convicted of the federal offenses charged in indictment.

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

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

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

# # #

HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tarik Wilson, age 24, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. The Court also ordered a five-year term of supervised release to follow the term of imprisonment.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Wilson previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue between March and May 2022 in Lebanon and Bucks Counties. As part of his plea, Wilson also admitted to distributing fentanyl in Lebanon County in April 2020, resulting in the deaths of two individuals.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Lebanon County Drug Task Force, the Bucks County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.

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

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

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tykeam Markel Jackson, age 27, was sentenced on April 18, 2023, to 102 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, for multiple firearms offenses related to his trafficking of over 60 firearms from Central Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between March 25 and July 26, 2020, Jackson orchestrated a scheme to obtain firearms using straw parties to purchase firearms from Cumberland, Dauphin, and Lancaster-area licensed firearms dealers.  In exchange for cash from Jackson, the straw purchasers fraudulently certified to dealers that they were buying firearms for themselves, when in truth they were buying firearms for Jackson, who was a felon at the time and prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.  Jackson then obliterated the serial numbers and transported the firearms to Massachusetts for resale.  

The straw purchasing scheme led by Jackson purchased or attempted to purchase 61 firearms before ATF agents ended the operation by arresting Jackson in Massachusetts.  While attempting to evade arrest, Jackson assaulted a deputized federal law enforcement officer, fled in his vehicle at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, and ditched a backpack containing cash, ammunition, a ghost gun, and 4 firearms with obliterated serial numbers, including 3 firearms recently purchased in Central Pennsylvania. 

Jackson’s co-conspirators, Jamia Philecia Holton and Shadaya Nakeyma Jackson pleaded guilty to felonies for their roles as straw purchasers of firearms for Jackson and were sentenced to terms of probation.  Jackson was separately charged, convicted, and sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment for his assault of the officer in Massachusetts in connection with his arrest on July 27, 2020. 

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel S. Dalke 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 today that John Zayas, age 34, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information on April 7, 2023, with extortion by interstate communication. 

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between September 5, 2022 and October 20, 2022, in Lebanon County, Zayas attempted to extort money from a victim, through communications containing threats to injure the reputation of the victim.

This case was investigated by the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the extortion offense charged in the information is imprisonment for two years, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release.  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 by information 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 Nicholas Heriberto Vallecillo-Tejada, age 39, was convicted on April 18, 2023, of illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien following a two-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vallecillo-Tejada was previously deported from the United States to Honduras in November 2008 and again in July 2009.  He reentered the United States again sometime after July 2009 without first obtaining legal permission to do so.  Vallecillo-Tejada was encountered in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 2020, when he was arrested by the Shenandoah Police Department on charges which eventually led to convictions for simple assault and weapons possession.  He was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2022 and charged with illegal re-entry into the United States.   

This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Brian J. Gallagher prosecuted the case.

Vallecillo-Tejada faces a maximum penalty of 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.

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Robert A. Kohl, age 48, of Northumberland County, PA, was indicted on charges of production of child pornography. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Kohl produced child pornography four separate times between August 2021 to September 2022.

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

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

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

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge is 30 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for the charge of receipt of child pornography is twenty years, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bryce Stanger, age 34, and Tanya Stanger, age 33, of San Yisidro, California, pleaded guilty on April 11, 2023, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bryce and Tanya Stanger admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl.  The charge stems from an incident on August 25, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Union County.  Bryce and Tanya Stanger were the occupants of the vehicle.  A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately thirty pounds of crystal methamphetamine and a kilogram of fentanyl. 

The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Street Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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 charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison.  The maximum penalty under federal law 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.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Asbury Communities, Inc. and Albright Care Services, which operate eight continuing care retirement communities in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Tennessee, have agreed to pay $215,000 to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the complaint alleges that the defendants discriminated against a resident of Asbury RiverWoods in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and her son by not approving the resident’s request that her adult son be allowed to stay in her independent living apartment as her live-in aide during the COVID pandemic to assist her with activities of daily living.

Because of her disability, the resident, now deceased, required a live-in aide to assist her with non-medical activities such as obtaining groceries, cooking, cleaning, and taking her physician-prescribed medications.  During the weekend of March 15, 2020, management for defendants told the resident and her son that the son would not be able to continue to stay with his mother because the senior living community, including the independent living apartments, were going into lockdown.  Despite threats to evict his mother from the apartment and calls for him to vacate the property, the son of the resident stayed in the apartment and cared for his mother during the pandemic until they both moved out of the apartment in July 2022. 

“No housing provider, especially those housing our senior citizens, can discriminate against residents because of their disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “Those who operate senior living communities must recognize that their residents have the right to reasonable accommodations, which allow them to continue to live independently.  This Office maintains its commitment to ensure those with disabilities are not discriminated against by housing providers, public accommodations, or local governments.”

The consent order resolving the lawsuit was approved by the United States District Court for Middle District of Pennsylvania today.  This case arose as a result of a complaint filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by the resident and her son.  After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination and referred it to the Department of Justice. 

"Denying a tenant residing in a retirement community a reasonable accommodation during the Covid-19 pandemic is particularly egregious," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria L. McCain of HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.  "HUD's investigation, charge of discrimination and subsequent referral to the United States Attorney's Office demonstrates HUD's commitment to work with trusted partners to vigorously enforce fair housing laws."

Under the consent order, the defendants will pay $215,000 to the estate of the resident and her son.  The consent order also requires defendants to take actions to prevent future unlawful discrimination at all eight of its properties, including complying with the Fair Housing Act, undergoing training on the Fair Housing Act, implementing a new reasonable accommodation policy, and complying with reporting requirements. 

This investigation was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Butler, the civil rights coordinator, with assistance from Elizabeth Singer, Director of the United States Attorney’s Fair Housing Program in the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section. 

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status.  More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt.  Individuals may report housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, emailing fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submitting a report online. Individuals also may report discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777, or by filing a complaint online.  Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by calling 717-614-4911 or emailing usapam.civil.rights@usdoj.gov.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Bartel, age 63, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on April 6, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy Mannion, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bartel admitted to possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl for further distribution.  The charge stems from an investigation in which the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle Bartel was driving on August 3, 2022, in Pottsville, and seized approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine, 1,371 packets of fentanyl and $1,974 in U.S. currency.  Bartel was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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

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HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Travis Stelzer, age 45, of Pelham, Massachusetts, was sentenced on March 28, 2023, to one year and one day in prison by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for tax evasion. 

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Stelzer filed tax forms with the IRS on January 29, 2016, where he under-reported his gross receipts in his tax returns that he filed on behalf of his staffing business, Top Gun Staffing, Inc., that he operated in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.  He also misrepresented the income he received from his company.  Seltzer entered a guilty plea to tax evasion on October 3, 2022 and agreed to pay the IRS $255,353 in restitution owed. 

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jordan Anderson, age 28, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Canaan, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 28, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 64 months’ imprisonment for assaulting another inmate with a dangerous weapon.   

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Anderson previously pleaded guilty to assaulting another inmate on May 10, 2022, at USP Canaan with a sharpened piece of metal commonly known as a “shank.” 

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on March 23, 2023, Anthony Elonis, age 39, formerly of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Edward G. Smith, in Easton, Pennsylvania, for cyberstalking.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Elonis was found guilty after a five-day jury trial in Easton in August 2022, of three counts of cyberstalking involving three separate victims, including a government employee in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Elonis’ former girlfriend, and Elonis’ ex-wife.  Between 2018 and 2021, Elonis sent numerous threatening, harassing and intimidating emails directly to the governmental employee, and sent or posted numerous threatening, harassing and intimidating communications via Twitter, text message, voice mail or other form of electronic communication regarding the governmental employee, his former girlfriend, and his ex-wife.

The matter was specially assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania for prosecution.

The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Allentown Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Geoffrey MacArthur prosecuted the case.          

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that two previously deported men were indicted separately by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Santiago-Hernandez, age 40, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously removed alien.   The indictment alleges that Santiago-Hernandez was previously removed from the United States on March 19, 2015, through Laredo, Texas, and it is alleged that he reentered the United States without first obtaining legal permission to do so.  The indictment also alleges that on July 2, 2022, Santiago-Hernandez was encountered in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) and the Pennsylvania State Police. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

Jose Serrano-Castillo, age 31, of El Salvador, was indicted by a federal grand jury with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously removed alien.  The indictment alleges that Serrano-Castillo was previously removed from the United States on September 2, 2022, through Alexandria, Louisiana, and it is alleged that he reentered the United States without first obtaining legal permission to do so.  The indictment also alleges that on March 16, 2023, Serrano-Castillo was encountered in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE).  The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 8 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the cases.

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 John Worobey, age 53, of Abington Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to three months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for failure to pay employment taxes.   

Worobey owned and operated Prime Electric, Inc., an electrical contracting business in Dunmore, Pennsylvania.  Between 2016 and 2019, Worobey collected $264,644 of federal employment taxes from his employees as he was required to by law but did not turn those employment taxes over to the IRS.

In June 2022, Worobey pleaded guilty to failing to pay employment taxes. At his guilty plea, he agreed to pay the IRS $244,644 in restitution owed.  Before sentencing, Worobey paid all of the restitution to the government.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William Quintana, age 50, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Quintana with possessing with the intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana and possessing two pistols in furtherance of trafficking methamphetamine.  The indictment further charges Quintana with possessing three firearms, including an assault rifle while knowing that he had previously been convicted of a felony.

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

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

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

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

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Aaron Vandaley, age 45, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 21, 2023, to 78 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for cyberstalking.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vandaley, with the intent to harass and intimidate other persons, engaged in a course of conduct using electronic communication systems and services of interstate commerce to cause substantial emotional distress to six victims.  All six victims were former romantic partners of Vandaley or relatives and friends of his former romantic partners.

 During the course of the conduct, Vandaley repeatedly made false anonymous allegations to law enforcement agencies throughout the country.  He falsely accused the victims of committing heinous crimes including murder-for-hire, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, and sexual offenses.  Vandaley also sent anonymous electronic messages to the victims threatening to kidnap and murder the minor child of one of the victims. Vandaley also threatened to mail parts of that minor child back to the victim.  Vandaley committed these crimes while one of the victims had a protection from abuse order against him.

Vandaley has eight previous convictions for indirect criminal contempt for failing to obey court orders of protection.  During his detention in Lackawanna County Jail pending his sentencing, Vandaley continued to attempt to contact at least one of his victims by making over 100 phone calls to the victim from jail.  As part of the sentence, Vandaley is not to have any further contact with any of the victims in the case.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Fort Stewart, Georgia, and the Pottsville Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Xavion Lawrence, age 22, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institute Schuylkill, was indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing contraband.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on November 13, 2022, Lawrence was found in possession of a piece of plexiglass sharpened to a point with a cloth handle, commonly referred to as a “shank.”  

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Gallagher is prosecuting the case.

Lawrence faces a maximum penalty of 5 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 Devontay Douglas, age 25, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institute Schuylkill, was indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing contraband.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on February 8, 2023, Douglas was found in possession of a 6-inch piece of metal sharpened to a point with a cloth handle, commonly referred to as a “shank.”

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Gallagher is prosecuting the case.

Douglas faces a maximum penalty of 5 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 a Special Agent with the Department of Labor, Thomas Hartley, age 49, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on March 21, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of mail fraud in connection with multiple schemes to commit fraud.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hartley admitted that he obtained a total of $197,366 through multiple fraud schemes.  Between April 2020 and September 2021, Hartley applied for and collected Pennsylvania unemployment compensation benefits by claiming that he was unemployed, when in fact Hartley was employed on full time active duty with the New Jersey National Guard.  Further, in applying for unemployment benefits, the defendant failed to disclose that he was on military leave from his full-time federal civilian employment with the United States Department of Labor.  Hartley thereby utilized the mail to collect approximately $60,284 in unemployment compensation funds to which he was not entitled.

In connection with his guilty plea, Hartley also acknowledged that he fraudulently obtained $23,582 in Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) funds paid by the Department of the Army, $50,000 in “lost wage” benefits paid by USAA insurance, and $63,500 from his Thrift Savings Plan.

 In August 2022, a grand jury issued a second superseding indictment charging Hartley with multiple fraud schemes.  In addition to the scheme to fraudulently obtain Pennsylvania unemployment compensation funds, the second superseding indictment also charged that Hartley, while on leave from his position with the Department of Labor and serving with the New Jersey National Guard, submitted false documents to the Department of the Army and thereby obtained approximately $23,580 in housing allowance funds to which he was not entitled.

The second superseding indictment also charged Hartley with fraud in connection with the filing of a lost wage claim with USAA Insurance following an automobile accident.  Hartley falsely claimed that he had lost wages, resulting from an automobile accident, when in fact Hartley was suspended without pay from his employment with the Department of Labor as a result of an ongoing criminal investigation.  Hartley thereby collected approximately $50,000 in lost wage benefits to which he was not entitled.

 Finally, the second superseding indictment charged Hartley with fraudulently obtaining funds from his Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) by falsely claiming that he was not married, when in fact he was at all times married. Hartley thereby transferred the funds to himself personally, or to a bank account solely in his name, without the knowledge or consent of his wife. 

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Special Investigations, the United States Army, Criminal Investigation Division, and the USAA Insurance Special Investigations Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

Under federal law, the charge of Mail Fraud carries up to a maximum sentence of twenty years 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.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Kevin Coles, age 37, of New York and Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life imprisonment for his role in the June 25, 2016, murders of three individuals in Mercersburg, Franklin County, one of whom was cooperating with state and federal drug investigators. The consecutive sentences were imposed by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, who also sentenced Coles to multiple additional consecutive terms of imprisonment amounting to 35 additional years for various firearms convictions. 

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

Coles was tried by a jury in Harrisburg in April 2022, and convicted on all 16 counts of the indictment, to include interstate travel to commit murder, murder of a witness, and drug trafficking offenses. The evidence established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with Kevin Coles and a coconspirator and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operation. Coles, the coconspirator, and co-defendant Devin Dickerson learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Co-defendants Jerell Adgebesan and Kenyatta Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. The killers were promised that they could take as payment $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Coles, and his co-conspirators. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms.

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

• Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and is awaiting sentencing;
• Kenyatta Corbett, age 38, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and is awaiting sentencing;
• Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
• Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
• Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness; and
• Christopher Johnson, age 31, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to multiple counts including murder for hire and is awaiting sentencing;   
• Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment;
• Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing
• Jerell Adgebesan, age 35, of Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty in June 2022 to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery. Judge Conner sentenced Adgebesan in February 2023 to life imprisonment and a consecutive 10-year term of imprisonment;
• Torey White, 32, Waynesboro, PA, and Florida, was indicted on multiple counts to include murder of a witness, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, and firearms offenses. His trial is currently scheduled to commence in May 2023. 
• Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown, was indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial. Her trial is currently scheduled for May 2023.

Joshua Davis, age 30, previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders. Davis was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Kelvin Vazquez-Pagan, age 25, of Passaic, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vazquez-Pagan admitted to possessing four kilograms of cocaine for further distribution.  The charge stems from an incident on March 23, 2022, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Lackawanna County in which Vazquez-Pagan and another individual, Carlos Perez-Rivera, age 37, of West New York, New Jersey, were traveling.  A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately four kilograms of cocaine found hidden inside the vehicle.    

Co-conspirator Perez-Rivera previously entered a guilty plea before Judge Mannion on March 3, 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Brian J. Gallagher are prosecuting 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.         

The charge carries a maximum penalty under federal law of up to twenty years 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.

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