Middle District of Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jelson Manuel De La Cruz-Caba, 30, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.

According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment charges Cruz-Caba with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl on July 20, 2021, in Lebanon County.  The indictment also charges Cruz-Caba with possessing a 9mm Baretta handgun in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The matter was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford.   

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

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin 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 opioid related offenses.

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

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

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WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lisa Montpelier, 48, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment to be followed by two years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for smuggling suboxone into the United States Penitentiary (USP Allenwood) in Allenwood, Pennsylvania.   

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Montpelier pleaded guilty in March 26, 2021 to the offense of providing contraband to an inmate.  During a visit to an inmate at USP Allenwood in 2017, Montpelier used an open-mouth kiss to pass a balloon containing 21 suboxone strips to an inmate.  The incident was monitored via a closed-circuit camera and the suboxone was later recovered from the inmate.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case.

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on March 1, 2022, inmate William Henry Foster, age 35, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for an assault of a federal officer inflicting bodily injury.  Foster’s sentence will run consecutively to his current 300-month federal sentence for conspiring to commit murder.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on September 16, 2019, at the United States Penitentiary, Allenwood, in White Deer, Pennsylvania, Foster aggressively confronted a Bureau of Prisons senior officer in Foster’s housing unit.  The officer ordered Foster to leave the unit, but Foster became increasingly upset and refused to leave.  The officer then attempted to physically remove Foster from the unit, prompting Foster to punch the officer in the head and torso.  Prison staff ultimately subdued Foster.  The officer sustained abrasions on his left hand and neck and a head contusion.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.

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WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on March 1, 2022, Mildred Hoy, 62, of Bellefonte, PA, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for her participation in a wire and mail fraud conspiracy.   

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Hoy pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Brann in May 2021 to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.  The conspiracy to defraud involved victims sending money to Hoy in the belief that they had won the lottery and needed to remit fees to cover taxes.  Hoy then sent cash to others in the conspiracy and converted cash into Bitcoin and deposited it in the bank accounts of other coconspirators.  Hoy’s participation in the conspiracy defrauded victims of $489,000 dollars.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 28, 2022, Jose Angel Robles-Alvarez, age 38, was sentenced to time served of 33 days’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Robles-Alvarez pleaded guilty to having illegally reentered the United States sometime after his last removal in October 2015. After  illegally reentering the United States after that time, he was located on September 3, 2020, in Adams County, Pennsylvania, after an arrest which resulted in a DUI conviction.  It is expected he will be removed to Mexico at the completion of his sentence.

This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joanne M. Sanderson.

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WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 28, 2022, Horace Henry. age 45, of New York, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for organizing a scheme to defraud Sprint of $1.3 million that used stolen personal identification information of 390 victims, in 14 states, to fraudulently order over 1,600 iPhones.  

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Henry previously pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Brann to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Henry and his co-conspirators executed a scheme to defraud Sprint through fraudulent cell phone service contracts that were created using the stolen personal identification information of 390 identity theft victims, resulting in bogus orders for 1,630 iPhone XR cell phones.  According to evidence presented at the sentencing, as a result of the fraud scheme approximately 892 iPhones were shipped to locations throughout the United States, including Centre, Northumberland, Montour, and Mifflin Counties.  The fraud and identity theft scheme caused Sprint to incur actual and attempted losses totaling approximately $1,338,247.  Henry and his co-defendants used shipment tracking numbers to determine when packages containing iPhones were scheduled for delivery, traveled from New York to the individual victims’ residences in Pennsylvania and other states, and retrieved the packages at the delivery locations, or directly from delivery persons using counterfeit identification documents bearing the personal identification information of the individual victims and photos of the conspirators.

In addition to the 12-year prison term, Chief Judge Brann also ordered Henry to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon release from custody, and pay restitution in the amount of $705,803 for cell phones shipped, but not recovered.

Henry was born in Jamaica and resided in New York at the time of the offense.  He was previously deported and illegally re-entered the United States without permission.  Henry’s co-defendants, Andrew Herdsman and George Bobb, entered guilty pleas and have been sentenced.  Federal and state investigators arrested Herdsman in Centre County on January 25, 2019, after he had picked up fraudulently ordered cell phones, during a joint federal and state investigation conducted with the assistance of Sprint’s fraud management unit.  On July 26, 2019, Delaware State Police investigators arrested Henry and Bobb in Delmar, Delaware as a result of information from Sprint indicating multiple fraudulent cell phone orders to locations in Delaware and Maryland. Another co-defendant Ian Thompson was arrested on a warrant issued following federal indictment, and he entered a guilty plea on February 17, 2022 and is presently awaiting sentencing.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Spring Township Police Department, Patton Township Police Department, State College Police Department, and the Delaware State Police and Maryland State Police, with the support, cooperation and assistance of Sprint and Sprint Fraud Management.  Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case.

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HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 28, 2022, Christina McConnell, age 43, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to two years of probation, including four months of home confinement, for engaging in illegal monetary transactions involving $232,300 in COVID-19 relief funds. 

The COVID-19 relief funds at issue were guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  The PPP is designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds are offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Christina McConnell knowingly used criminally derived PPP loan proceeds to purchase personal use vehicles and a residential property in June and July 2020.  Christina McConnell’s husband, Keith McConnell, also pled guilty to the underlying PPP wire fraud and related money laundering offenses, and is awaiting sentencing.  The Court ordered Christina McConnell to pay $232,200 in restitution for disbursement to the victims, and she paid the full amount prior to sentencing.   

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel S. Dalke prosecuted the case.

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

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

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Braheem Lewis, 24, of Philadelphia and Ethan Bailey, 23, of Williamsport were sentenced on February 23, 2022, by Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy. 

Lewis was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment and Bailey was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.  Both will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release after serving their imprisonment sentences. 

According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Lewis and Bailey conspired to distribute fentanyl in Lycoming County from August 2019 to August 2020.  At the hearing, Chief Judge Brann highlighted the way that the distribution of fentanyl has ravaged this community and the country.

Three other co-defendants were previously sentenced and received the following:

• Basil Arties, 27, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment;
• Damion Bethea, 26, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment; and
• Kenyon Bonaparte, 21, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.

Co-defendants Kevin Bryant and Ira Sims have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Co-defendants Angellitto Lawton and Jordan Watkins are awaiting trial.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Williamsport Bureau of Police, the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

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

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  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.

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.

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

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 24, 2022, Scott Eric Snyder, age 50, of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, was indicted on charges of production of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on July 7, 2012 and July 13, 2013, in Northumberland County, Snyder produced child pornography.

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."

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 30 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Joseph Rinker, 51, of Lycoming County, was sentenced to two years of probation by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann for tax evasion. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Rinker pleaded guilty to a criminal information that charged him with using his position as the manager of the Harvest Moon Restaurant in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to embezzle over $300,000, that he subsequently failed to report as income to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) from 2014 to 2017.  Rinker was ordered to pay $64,250 in restitution to the IRS prior to the sentencing hearing held on February 18, 2022. 

The case was investigated by the IRS’s Criminal Investigations Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 23, 2022, Faizal Bhimani, age 45, of Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for sex trafficking and drug trafficking offenses.

Bhimani’s sentencing follows a two-week jury trial in Scranton in October 2020, which concluded with the jury returning guilty verdicts against Bhimani and co-defendant Nazim Hassam, along with two hotel companies, Om Sri Sai, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, and the Pocono Plaza Inn hotel, formerly known as the Quality Inn, located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Om Sri Sai, Inc., a company that owned and operated a Howard Johnson hotel located in Bartonsville, and Faizal Bhimani, the general manager of that hotel, were both convicted of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and aiding and abetting the same, and sex trafficking conspiracy, as well as drug trafficking conspiracy and managing a drug-related premises.  The jury also found the Pocono Plaza Inn guilty of managing a drug-related premises, and Nazim Hassam, part-owner and Vice President of Om Sri Sai and managing shareholder of both hotels, guilty of drug trafficking conspiracy and two counts of managing a drug-related premises.    

These convictions marked the culmination of a six-year, joint investigation into sex trafficking, drug trafficking, and violent crime in Monroe County by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  This case began in 2014 with an FBI investigation into the Black P Stone gang, a set of the Bloods that was responsible for gun violence and drug trafficking in Monroe County at the time.  Local agencies, including the Stroud Area Regional Police Department and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, joined the effort early on, and eventually expanded beyond the P Stones to uncover more widespread sex and drug trafficking in Monroe County. 

The evidence at trial, presented through more than 35 witnesses and over 150 exhibits, established that the Howard Johnson Hotel in Bartonsville was a safe haven for criminal activity between 2011 and 2019.  Bhimani, as manager, made rooms available for sex traffickers and drug dealers, and at times took payment for the hotel directly from the proceeds of criminal activity.  Bhimani also traded discounted and free rooms for sex, which traffickers would direct their victims to provide.  Dozens of women were compelled by multiple traffickers, sometimes called pimps, to conduct prostitution in the hotel either by physical force, threats, false promises, or coercion, including through blackmail and drug addiction.  Women who were addicted to heroin, crack, or other controlled substances were provided with just enough drugs to keep them working, and pimps used their addictions and the threat of withdrawal to control them.  Several admitted sex traffickers testified at the trial, explaining how they used these various methods to compel women to sell sex and turn over all of the proceeds.  Multiple survivors also testified that they were required to follow the traffickers’ rules, were forced to rely entirely on the traffickers for food, clothing, even hygiene products, and they were often punished for violations with violence, including sexual assault.

Bhimani was closely associated with several of these traffickers and knew of the methods used to compel the victims to have sex for money.  Other employees at the hotel knew as well, and the evidence showed that at least two other employees engaged in sex with victims, including co-defendant Nazim Hassam.  Bhimani also warned sex traffickers and drug dealers when law enforcement were present at the hotel, including during the manhunt for Eric Frein in 2014.  Several admitted sex traffickers and drug dealers testified to successfully evading detection by police thanks to warnings from Bhimani.  The hotel allowed known criminals to check in under assumed names or even street names, and Bhimani and Hassam both took steps to obstruct police efforts to locate suspects.

In all, forty defendants have been convicted in federal court as a result of this investigation, many of whom trafficked women and drugs in the Bartonsville Howard Johnson and the Pocono Plaza Inn.  Other defendants have been charged and convicted in state courts.  The investigation successfully dismantled the P Stones as well as a second gang, the Brick City Brims, and disrupted the activities of two more, the Blood Stone Villains and the Bloodhound Brims.  Investigators seized multiple kilograms of heroin and cocaine, as well as quantities of fentanyl, cocaine base (“crack”), methamphetamine, marijuana, and MDMA (“molly”), and took at least 10 illegal firearms off the streets. 

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  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.

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

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin 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 opioid related offenses.

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

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Amisial Elveus, 31, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 23, 2022, by a federal grand jury with access-device fraud and aggravated identity theft offenses. 

According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that from July 6, 2020 until on or about November 6, 2020, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Elveus obtained and used another person’s credit card account number and obtained a $1,000 or more by using one or more unauthorized access devices.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Lower Paxton Township Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.          

The maximum penalty under federal law for the charged offenses is imprisonment for up to 12 years, up to three years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on February 24, 2022, John Palfreyman, age 39, of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of illegally possessing firearms. 

According to United States John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on December 1, 2021, in Bradford County, Palfreyman possessed with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.  The indictment also alleges that Palfreyman possessed two rifles while prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous criminal conviction. 

The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police and the Northumberland County Sherriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

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

The maximum penalty for the offenses is up to 50 years of imprisonment, a life term of supervised release, and a fine of $5,250,000. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Vicki Hackenberg, age 57, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States Chief District Judge Matthew W. Brann, to 12 months of imprisonment for perpetrating a bank fraud and money laundering scheme that included nearly $300,000 in COVID-19 relief guaranteed by the Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The PPP is designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds are offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Hackenberg pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy involving her codefendant, Darryl Corradini, and others.  The conspirators created a shell corporation, CGM Realty LLC, and opened bank accounts and a Bitcoin trading account in the corporation’s name, by using false and forged documents.  The conspirators allegedly used the accounts to receive over $135,000 in fraudulently obtained funds, and over $296,000 from a PPP loan that was obtained with false and forged documentation.  That documentation included false information and certifications about CGM Realty LLC’s employee payroll obligations, and intention to use the funds for approved purposes, when in fact CGM Realty LLC had no employees or legitimate business operations.  Forged IRS documentation also was included with the PPP application, containing false information about CGM Realty LLC’s nonexistent payroll obligations.  Over $350,000 was then used to purchase Bitcoins, a type of cryptocurrency.

During sentencing, Chief Judge Brann highlighted Hackenberg’s prior state conviction for a similar fraud offense, noting that she was on probation at the time she committed the instant offense.  In addition to the Hackenberg’s sentence of imprisonment, Chief Judge Brann also ordered her to pay $431,289 to the victims of her crimes.  Hackenberg’s codefendant, Darryl Corradini, also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy and awaits sentencing.

The case was investigated by agents with the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

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

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

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Michael Rankin, age 34, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 23, 2022, by a federal grand jury for sexually exploiting children, distributing child pornography, and possessing child pornography. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that between June 2021 and August 2021, Rankin induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images of that conduct.  The indictment also alleges that Rankin distributed child pornography in August 2021 and possessed child pornography in October 2021. 

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli 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."

If convicted, the maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 60 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Lewis Kramer, age 37, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 23, 2022, to 360 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for production of child pornography and attempted witness tampering.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on July 7, 2021, following a two-day bench trial, Judge Mannion found Kramer guilty of producing pornographic images of a child between March 1, 2019, and March 27, 2020, in Lackawanna County.  The 14-year-old victim’s mother called the police to report that she found videos and pictures on Kramer’s phone having sex with the minor victim.  On January 22, 2021, Kramer sent a letter to the victim’s mother threatening to have her arrested—conduct that resulted in the guilty verdict for attempted witness tampering.

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

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jimmy Cantelmo, age 33, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 23, 2022, by a federal grand jury on escape charges.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on February 16, 2022, Cantelmo escaped from custody of the Capital Pavilion Residential Reentry Center in Dauphin County, where he was confined following his conviction of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating 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 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 and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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HARRISBURG, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 23, 2022, Robert Lindsay Swan, age 38, of Australia, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Swan possessed a Walther Creed 9mm pistol on November 9, 2021, in York County, as a prohibited person due to unlawfully being in the United States. 

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the York Area Regional Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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

# # #

SCRANTON-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Scott Michael Decker, age 45, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 18, 2022, to 292 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for production of child pornography. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on August 11, 2021, Decker entered a guilty plea to two counts of production of child pornography. Decker produced pornographic images of two children between January 1, 2019, and March 12, 2020, in Luzerne County. 

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

The case was investigated by the Pittston City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.

###

HARRISBURG – U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice announced today that a Pennsylvania man was arrested yesterday on charges alleging that he tortured a victim in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in 2015.

A superseding indictment returned Tuesday in the Middle District of Pennsylvania charges Ross Roggio, 53, of Stroudsburg, with suffocating a victim with a belt, threatening to cut off one of the victim’s fingers, and directing Kurdish soldiers to inflict other severe physical and mental pain and suffering on the victim.

“These charges demonstrate that the Department of Justice will hold U.S. citizens who commit horrendous acts of violence accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to bringing human rights violators to justice.”

“The Grand Jury charges that the defendant directed and participated in the systematic torture of an employee over the course of 39 days by Kurdish soldiers in Iraq,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “The grand jury’s superseding indictment and the hard work of our law enforcement partners show that such brutality will be exposed and addressed wherever it occurs.”   

“The heinous acts of violence that Ross Roggio directed and inflicted upon the victim were blatant human rights violations that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This superseding indictment underscores that the United States stands for the rule of law and will hold accountable anyone who commits acts of torture, regardless of where it takes place.”

“This defendant leveraged his position and used foreign soldiers in order to intimidate and coerce someone who was a threat to the success of his corrupt scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Whether in the United States or on foreign soil, heinous acts like torture violate our laws. The FBI has a global reach and working in concert with our federal and international partners, will pursue justice for any victim – here or abroad – who suffers at the hands of an American citizen.”

“HSI is committed to upholding the law, both within the United States and abroad,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the HSI Philadelphia Field Office. “Holding accountable Americans who commit human rights violations like those alleged in this superseding indictment is the chief priority of the No Safe Haven mission. This superseding indictment is the result of extraordinary collaboration between HSI and our law enforcement partners. This case serves as another reminder that HSI works tirelessly to investigate those who seek to escape justice from crimes they commit overseas.”

“The illegal export of firearms parts and tools from the United States is often connected to other criminal acts, to include, as set forth in the superseding indictment, allegations of torture,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively enforce export violations in the interest of public safety in the U.S. and abroad.”

According to the superseding indictment, Roggio was managing a project in 2015 to construct a factory and produce weapons in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The superseding indictment alleges that one of Roggio’s employees raised concerns about the weapons project and, to prevent the employee from interfering with the weapons project, Roggio arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct the employee.

The superseding indictment alleges that, while the employee was detained at a Kurdish military compound for approximately 39 days, Roggio led multiple interrogation sessions during which he directed Kurdish soldiers to suffocate the victim with a bag, taser the victim in the groin and other areas of his body, beat the victim with fists and rubber hoses, jump violently on the victim’s chest while wearing military boots, and threaten to cut off one of the victim’s fingers while applying pressure to the finger with a large cutting tool. The superseding indictment also alleges that on at least one occasion, Roggio wrapped his belt around the victim’s neck, yanked the victim off the ground, and suspended him in the air, causing the victim to lose consciousness.

Roggio and the Roggio Consulting Company LLC were charged in a 37-count indictment in 2018 with illegally exporting firearms parts and tools from the United States to Iraq as part of the weapons project in Kurdistan. The superseding indictment adds the torture charges to the previously charged offenses.

The superseding indictment additionally charges Roggio with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and one substantive count of torture. Roggio is the second U.S. citizen – and the fourth defendant overall – to be charged with violating the torture statute since the law went into effect in 1994.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of the torture charges as well as a maximum total statutory penalty of 705 years in prison for the remaining 37 counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and HSI investigated the torture allegations and were joined in the investigation of the alleged arms export violations by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd Hinkley and Jenny Roberts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Trial Attorneys Patrick Jasperse and Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions (HRSP) Section, and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from HRSP Historian Dr. Nadav Samin. 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 (800-225-5324) or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form. All are staffed around the clock, and tips may be provided anonymously.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

A Pennsylvania man was arrested yesterday on charges alleging that he tortured a victim in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in 2015.

A superseding indictment returned Tuesday in the Middle District of Pennsylvania charges Ross Roggio, 53, of Stroudsburg, with suffocating a victim with a belt, threatening to cut off one of the victim’s fingers and directing Kurdish soldiers to inflict other severe physical and mental pain and suffering on the victim.

“These charges demonstrate that the Department of Justice will hold U.S. citizens who commit horrendous acts of violence accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to bringing human rights violators to justice.”

“The grand jury charges that the defendant directed and participated in the systematic torture of an employee over the course of 39 days by Kurdish soldiers in Iraq,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “The grand jury’s superseding indictment and the hard work of our law enforcement partners show that such brutality will be exposed and addressed wherever it occurs.”   

“The heinous acts of violence that Ross Roggio directed and inflicted upon the victim were blatant human rights violations that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This superseding indictment underscores that the United States stands for the rule of law and will hold accountable anyone who commits acts of torture, regardless of where it takes place.”

“This defendant leveraged his position and used foreign soldiers in order to intimidate and coerce someone who was a threat to the success of his corrupt scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Whether in the United States or on foreign soil, heinous acts like torture violate our laws. The FBI has a global reach and working in concert with our federal and international partners, will pursue justice for any victim – here or abroad – who suffers at the hands of an American citizen.”

“HSI is committed to upholding the law, both within the United States and abroad,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia Field Office. “Holding accountable Americans who commit human rights violations like those alleged in this superseding indictment is the chief priority of the No Safe Haven mission. This superseding indictment is the result of extraordinary collaboration between HSI and our law enforcement partners. This case serves as another reminder that HSI works tirelessly to investigate those who seek to escape justice from crimes they commit overseas.”

“The illegal export of firearms parts and tools from the United States is often connected to other criminal acts, to include, as set forth in the superseding indictment, allegations of torture,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively enforce export violations in the interest of public safety in the U.S. and abroad.”

According to the superseding indictment, Roggio was managing a project in 2015 to construct a factory and produce weapons in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The superseding indictment alleges that one of Roggio’s employees raised concerns about the weapons project and, to prevent the employee from interfering with the weapons project, Roggio arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct the employee.

The superseding indictment alleges that, while the employee was detained at a Kurdish military compound for approximately 39 days, Roggio led multiple interrogation sessions during which he directed Kurdish soldiers to suffocate the victim with a bag, taser the victim in the groin and other areas of his body, beat the victim with fists and rubber hoses, jump violently on the victim’s chest while wearing military boots, and threaten to cut off one of the victim’s fingers while applying pressure to the finger with a large cutting tool. The superseding indictment also alleges that on at least one occasion, Roggio wrapped his belt around the victim’s neck, yanked the victim off the ground, and suspended him in the air, causing the victim to lose consciousness.

Roggio and the Roggio Consulting Company LLC were charged in a 37-count indictment in 2018 with illegally exporting firearms parts and tools from the United States to Iraq as part of the weapons project in Kurdistan. The superseding indictment adds the torture charges to the previously charged offenses.

The superseding indictment additionally charges Roggio with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and one substantive count of torture. Roggio is the second U.S. citizen – and the fourth defendant overall – to be charged with violating the torture statute since the law went into effect in 1994.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of the torture charges as well as a maximum total statutory penalty of 705 years in prison for the remaining 37 counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and HSI investigated the torture allegations and were joined in the investigation of the alleged arms export violations by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd Hinkley and Jenny Roberts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Trial Attorneys Patrick Jasperse and Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions (HRSP) Section, and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from HRSP Historian Dr. Nadav Samin. 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 (800-225-5324) or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form. All are staffed around the clock, and tips may be provided anonymously.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Charles R. Ehrenberg, age 34, owner of Ehrenberg Roofing and Construction, Inc., located in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on February 17, 2022, before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to failing to collect and pay over several years’ worth of required federal payroll taxes.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the criminal information to which Ehrenberg pleaded guilty alleges that Ehrenberg, who was responsible, as owner of Ehrenberg Roofing and Construction, Inc., for collecting and paying over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) federal payroll taxes, including Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes, willfully failed to pay over to the IRS these required taxes for the period from 2017 through 2020, in the total amount of $185,681.90. 

These charges stem from an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.

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

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Damion Phillip Gress, age 25, of Franklin County, was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for offenses involving the exploitation of minors.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Gress pleaded guilty to persuading and using a minor to produce images of child pornography between August 2015 and October 2016. Gress also produced images of child pornography in July 2016 involving a second victim.  Gress also received images of child pornography and possessed thousands of images of child pornography on August 12, 2019. 

Judge Wilson also ordered Gress to pay restitution in the amount of $54,000 to his victims.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case. 

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

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mario Madrigal, age 29, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institute - Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr., to ten days’ imprisonment for possessing a prohibited object, namely a black Samsung cellphone.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Madrigal knowingly possessed a Samsung cellphone on or about September 4, 2021, within the FCI-Schuylkill facility. Federal law prohibits inmates from possessing cellphones due to the institutional security risks posed by their use.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Saporito also ordered that his sentence be served after completion of the 24-month sentence Madrigal is currently serving for violations of the Controlled Substances Act.

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

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rodney L. Yentzer, age 52, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania was charged in a criminal information with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of theft of public money for defrauding Medicare and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services between 2016 and 2020.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the information alleges that Yentzer agreed with others to defraud Medicare by submitting bill for medically unnecessary urine drug tests for chronic opioid patients at medical clinics he controlled, including a group of clinics known as Pain Medicine of York or “PMY” (also known as All Better Wellness). 

It is alleged that PMY billed Medicare for more than $10 million in urine drug tests from mid-2017 through the end of 2019. As a result, Medicare paid out over $4 million for these urine drug tests.  Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program was also billed for urine drug tests during this same time period. 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.

The information also alleges that Yentzer received over $191,000 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stimulus money that was intended for health care providers who had health care related expenses and lost revenues attributable to COVID-19.  Yentzer obtained these funds in April 2020, even though he had resigned from PMY the prior month and PMY had been closed since late 2019.   Yentzer allegedly used these funds on various things unrelated to COVID-19 relief, including personal expenses.

Search warrants were executed at PMY’s various locations in November 2019, and PMY  ceased operations soon thereafter.

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 maximum penalty under federal law for conspiracy to commit health care fraud is 10 years’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty law for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty law for theft of public money is 10 years’ imprisonment. These charges may also carry a fine and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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 has announced that on February 10, 2022, William Dwayne Shelton, age 50, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 100 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine hydrochloride and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shelton’s residence in Hanover, based upon his involvement in narcotics trafficking. During the search of the residence, law enforcement officers seized cocaine, heroin, processing materials, firearms, ammunition, and cash.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police, York County Drug Task Force and Penn Township Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom prosecuted the case.

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

This case was also 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.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Donald Jackson, age 36, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on February 11, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on June 19, 2018, Harrisburg Bureau of Police offers stopped a vehicle in which Jackson was a passenger.  Jackson exited the vehicle and fled on foot. An officer observed Jackson carrying what he believed to be a firearm and another officer saw Jackson discard the item in a trash can. Officers took Jackson into custody and found inside the trash can a black purse which contained marijuana, plastic baggies, and a digital scale. Underneath the purse, officers recovered a Ruger 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number. During a search of Jackson and the vehicle, ecstasy, marijuana, and crack were also recovered.

The Harrisburg Bureau of Police and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Mobile Street Crimes Unit investigated the case with assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford prosecuted the case.

This case was also 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.

# # #

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 9, 2022, James Burrous, age 47, of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 51 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a marijuana grow operation.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Burrous possessed more than 100 marijuana plants that he intended to distribute.  When a search warrant was executed on Burrous’s home in February of 2017, other controlled substances such as Dimethyltryptamine (“DMT”) and lysergic acid diethylamide (“LSD”) were also recovered.

Co-defendant, Zack Boyer, age 37, of Tioga County, was previously sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment for his role in conspiring with Burrous to manufacture and distribute controlled substances. 

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

This case was also 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.

# # #

WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ronald Hertzog, age 59, of State College, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 10, 2022, by a federal grand jury for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about February 3, 2022, in Centre County, Hertzog possessed multiple rounds of ammunition in various calibers and two rifle receiver lowers as a previously convicted felon.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the State College Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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

# # #

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Reichenbach, age 39, of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 10, 2022, on one count of illegally possessing a firearm. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on February 2, 2022, Reichenbach possessed a 9mm handgun while prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous criminal conviction. 

The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Northumberland County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

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

If convicted, the maximum penalty for the offense is life imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

# # #

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rigoberto Garay-Lopez, age 34, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Allenwood (FCI Allenwood), was indicted on February 10, 2022, by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon in prison.  

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on January 22, 2022, Garay-Lopez was found in possession of a piece of sharpened metal with a plastic handle, commonly referred to as a “shank,” that is intended to be used as a weapon. 

The charge stems from an investigation by the Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan Martin are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the maximum term of imprisonment is five years and a $250,000 fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

# # #

WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Alexander Stroup, age 33, of Bloomburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 11, 2022, by a federal grand jury on charges of attempted production of child pornography, attempted enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, and transmitting obscene material to a minor. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that from or about October 23, 2021 through October 23, 2021, Stroup attempted to persuade, induce, and entice, a person under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct using a facility of interstate commerce.  The indictment also alleges that Stroup did transfer and attempt to transfer obscene matter to another individual who had not attained the age of 16 years.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel 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."

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

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

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Robert Alexander Kusma, age 36, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 9, 2022, to 156 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, for two child exploitation offenses, each involving a different minor victim.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, during the summer of 2016, Kusma used the internet to entice a 15-year-old female victim into allowing him to come to her home for the purpose of sexual contact.  Kusma ultimately traveled to the victim’s home in the York, PA area, where he undressed and fondled her prior to being interrupted in his crime and chased from the premises by a concerned friend. 

During the investigation of the above Online Enticement offense, it was discovered that Kusma had engaged in similar conduct a few years earlier.  Specifically, in March 2014, Kusma traveled from his residence in Scranton to the Poughkeepsie, NY area for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a different 15-year-old female victim whom he had likewise met online.  Kusma picked up this victim from a location near her parents’ home, took her to a wooded area and had sexual intercourse with her, violating the federal statute which prohibits Interstate Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity with Minors.

Judge Rambo ordered that Kusma comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division and its state and local law enforcement partners in York County, Pennsylvania.  Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St. John prosecuted the case.

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

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Zachary Watkins, age 21, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 9, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to five years’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release for receipt and distribution of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Watkins previously pleaded guilty and admitted to receiving and distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Scranton Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted 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 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 the tab on “resources.”

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 8, 2022, Jaime Ryan Chorba, age 46, of Archbald, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that between June 3, 2016, and November 16, 2020, Chorba received images of child pornography.  The indictment also alleges that he possessed images of prepubescent minors under the age of twelve, including images depicting himself with the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

On February 9, 2022, Chorba was arrested by federal agents and appeared before Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr for his arraignment.  Chorba was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for February 14, 2022.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia Division and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny 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 60 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.

# # #

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 9, 2022, inmate Hugo Reynosa, age 26, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann for possessing a weapon in prison.  Reynosa’s sentence will run consecutively to his current 96-month federal sentence for conspiring to distribute nearly four kilograms of pure methamphetamine.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Reynosa was previously found guilty of possessing a weapon in prison following a December 2021 bench trial. On May 12, 2020, officers at the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, caught Reynosa trying to dispose of a 6.25-inch piece of metal with a crude handle and sharp point, commonly referred to as a “shank,” during a mass search of Reynosa’s housing unit.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Willie Lamont Nash, age 31, was sentenced on February 9, 2022, to 96 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Nash was an inmate at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Canaan, Waymart, Pennsylvania on October 12, 2017, when he attacked another inmate by striking him on the head and upper body with a lock in a sock.  As a result of the attack, the victim inmate suffered multiple injuries including blunt ocular trauma, resulting in significant vision loss.

The case was investigated by the FBI in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 9, 2022, John William “JW” Eddy, age 39, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for misappropriating funds from clients of his law practice between 2016 and 2020.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Eddy ran a private law practice, Eddy Law Office. As an attorney representing members of the public in the practice of law, Eddy was required to maintain a trust account for client funds, also known as an Interest on Lawyer Trust Account or “IOLTA.” This account was to be used for the securing of client funds, such as proceeds from legal settlements, fees advanced for services not yet performed, or money for court fees.  At his guilty plea before United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, Eddy admitted that between 2016 and 2020 he misappropriated $242,975.89 of client funds entrusted to him. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carlos Joel Nieves Ortega, age 37, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 3, 2022, to 10 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. 

According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, in March and September 2019, Ortega received and attempted to receive, parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine sent from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Mail to York. Ortega also sent money back to Puerto Rico paying for the cocaine. 

Ortega’s co-defendants Luis Manuel Quesada Rodriguez, Alex Rivera Ramos, Jose Colon Declet, and Pedro Diaz have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Dalke is prosecuting the case.

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

This case was also 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.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edwin Smith, age 27, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 24 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for aiding and abetting another to make false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer in order to acquire a Smith & Wesson Shield .45 caliber handgun.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Smith paid another individual to purchase ten firearms from several Scranton-area firearms dealers and make false statements as to the identity of the actual buyer of the firearms. Upon the execution of a search warrant at Smith’s residence, one of the falsely purchased firearms was recovered.

In addition to the two-year imprisonment sentence, Judge Mariani order Smith to serve two years of supervised release upon his release from custody.  Judge Mariani also ordered that the sentence run consecutive to an unrelated sentence imposed in Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas for a 2020 robbery offense.

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

This case was 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 has announced that on February 8, 2022, Robert Jackson, age 44, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was found guilty of unlawfully distributing a controlled substance resulting in death after a six-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, jurors deliberated for approximately one hour before rendering guilty verdicts against Jackson for the July 28, 2020 death of a 58-year-old Monroe County man.  Jackson was also found guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony of Dr. Rameen Starling-Roney, a Forensic Pathologist, and Dr. Michael Coyer, a Forensic Toxicologist, who opined that fentanyl caused the death of the Monroe County man.  Additional testimony was provided by officers and detectives from the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, and the FBI – Scranton Office who testified that Jackson sold fentanyl to the victim in the evening of July 25, 2020, resulting in his death on July 28, 2020. 

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Robert O’Hara prosecuted the case.

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

This case was also 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.

The maximum penalty under federal law is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Lobar, Inc., of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania entered a plea of guilty to beginning a demolition project of a former weaving mill prior to removing regulated asbestos containing material as required in 40 C.F.R. § 61.145(c)(1) and 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(1).

Asbestos was designated a hazardous air pollutant in 1971 which can become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs. There is no known safe amount of exposure.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the criminal charge is the result of Lobar’s activity, as the general contractor, on the Berwick Area School District project, to demolish the former weaving mill in Berwick Pennsylvania and construct a new elementary school.

Prior to purchasing the mill in January 2014, the Berwick Area School District obtained an environmental assessment report that identified hazardous substances, including asbestos, located in the old facility. The existence of asbestos was confirmed by an environmental consultant. The findings of both assessments were shared with Lobar, and its subcontractors responsible for asbestos removal and demolition. Despite this, the demolition went forward before the asbestos was properly removed until stopped by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

“The defendant was responsible for the integrity of the work site and failed to ensure safe and legal removal of asbestos,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Pennsylvania. “The defendant placed public health at risk and is being held accountable.”

A ten-count indictment filed in January 2020, charged Lobar Inc., First Capital Insulation, Inc., Francis Richard Yingling, Jr., Dennis Lee Charles, Jr., M&J Excavation, Inc., John August Sidari, Jr., and Ty Allen Barnett, with various violations of the federal Clean Air Act arising from disturbing and removing asbestos in violation of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulations. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are currently scheduled for trial in June 2022 before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson.

Howard P. Stewart, Senior Litigation Counsel from the Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, Assistant United States Paul Miovas and Special Assistant United States Patricia Miller of the Middle District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. The case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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HARRISBURG- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Hector Castro-Padro, age 36, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment on February 3, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into York County from Puerto Rico.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in November 2019, Castro-Padro tried to receive a box he knew contained a kilogram of cocaine.  The box had been shipped from Puerto Rico and was destined for an address in York.  However, U.S. Postal Inspectors intercepted the box and discovered the cocaine.  Law enforcement authorities continued the investigation by having the box delivered and then arrested Castro-Padro when he took custody of it.   

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio prosecuted the case.

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

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Lopez, age 38, and Michael Torres, age 40, both of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, were indicted on February 2, 2022, by a federal grand jury on money laundering charges. 

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Lopez is the owner of C&D Motorsports, a car dealership located in Lancaster, where Torres is employed as a salesperson.  The indictment alleges that from October 16, 2019, through December 11, 2019, Lopez and Torres conspired to conceal that the funds used to purchase a vehicle were purported to be proceeds of drug trafficking.

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

The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Haugsby is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the maximum penalty under federal law for the money laundering offense charged is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Troy Smith, age 27, and Michelle Greenwood, age 36, of Mississippi, were indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2021 on eighteen counts of conspiracy, wire fraud mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy for receiving funds from sweepstakes scam victims and transferring a portion of those funds to coconspirators located in Jamaica.  This indictment was unsealed by Court order on February 2, 2022.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that between August 2016 and June 2018, the defendants and other unindicted coconspirators received consumer fraud-induced MoneyGram, Western Union, and Ria money transfers, bank wires and deposits, checks, and cash from victims across the United States totaling more than $300,000.

Their victims included a 51-year-old widow residing in Columbia County, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. In October 2016, an unidentified fraudster using a fictitious name and posing as an official of a sweepstakes organization falsely told Victim 1 that she had won a multi-million-dollar cash prize and automobile. This fraudster also told Victim 1 that she had to prepay taxes, and later various other fees and expenses, in order to receive her cash prize and automobile. Victim 1 was directed to send money in the form of money transfers, bank wires, and cash mailings payable to the defendants in their own names and in various aliases. Victim 1 was told that the defendants were also officials of the sweepstakes organization. She ended up sending about $123,000 in the form of Western Union, MoneyGram, and Ria money transfers to the defendants and coconspirators, making about $90,000 in cash deposits into their accounts, depositing about $14,000 in the form of bank wire transfers, and mailing about $2,000 in cash and money orders.

Smith and Greenwood received these funds from Victim 1 and others and then sent a portion of these fraud-induced funds to various coconspirators in Jamaica. From October 2016 until about June 2018, the defendants sent around 57 Western Union money transfers totaling about $50,000 to different recipients in Jamaica. Smith and Greenwood commonly received money using certain names, including their own real names, and then sent money to Jamaica under different names and in smaller dollar increments.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the maximum penalty under federal law for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment. This charge may also carry a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. The maximum penalties under federal law for wire fraud and mail fraud are likewise 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. The maximum penalty under federal law for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments is 20 years’ imprisonment. This charge may also carry a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of the property, money, or monetary instrument involved in the transaction, as well as a term of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Taashaun Mansfield, age 23, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 37 months' imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for straw purchasing firearms for prohibited individuals.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Mansfield pleaded guilty to conspiring with three other individuals to purchase firearms for felons and individuals under indictment. In 2020, Mansfield purchased seven firearms and transferred them to his codefendants because they were prohibited from possessing firearms. Six of the firearms were recovered during the investigation, but a seventh firearm has not been located.

Co-defendant Michael Windham, age 20, of Harrisburg, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to straw purchase firearms and possessing a firearm while under indictment. Antonio Godbolt age 34, of Harrisburg, also previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to straw purchase firearms and possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Both are awaiting sentencing. A third co-defendant, Johnny Quinones, age 34, of Harrisburg, is awaiting trial on charges of making a false statement to obtain a firearm, conspiring to straw purchase guns, and possessing a gun and ammunition as a felon.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

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

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 Childes Neely, age 30, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 181 months' imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for robbery and weapons offenses.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Childes Neely pled guilty to conspiring with four other individuals to commit a total of four armed robberies.  During a three-hour period on Saturday night, April 6, 2019, Neely’s co-conspirators wore masks and brandished guns, including an assault rifle, to rob five establishments in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Neely acted as the getaway driver on three of those robberies.  Neely also pled guilty to conspiring to rob, at gun point, a Rite Aid pharmacy in Harrisburg, on Monday, April 8, 2019.  Neely’s role in that robbery was as a masked gunman to help take cash and drugs from the pharmacy. 

A codefendant, Brandon Harris, age 29, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to conspiring to commit the robberies.  He was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment. David Rinehardt, age 21, of Statesville, North Carolina, also pled guilty to conspiring to commit the robberies and was sentenced to over nine years in prison.

Kendrick Groover-Floyd, age 32, of Harrisburg, pled guilty to robbing the Rite Aid.  He is awaiting sentencing. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation brought this case in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

# # #

HARRISBURG – U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus announces that U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking this week pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope.  It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.

“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”

Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:

• Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
• Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
• Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
• Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
• Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
• Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
• Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
• Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.

The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.

“Human traffickers prey on vulnerable citizens using manipulation, false promises, and at times sheer force to ensnare victims into commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Gurgan. "With our federal, state, and local partners, we are dedicated to bringing these criminals to justice and devoted to providing victims with the necessary resources available to them.”

An example of these efforts in the Middle District of Pennsylvania are as follows:

• U.S. v. Faizal Bhimani and Om Sri Sai, Inc.  Om Sri Sai, Inc., a company that owned and operated a Howard Johnson hotel located in Bartonsville, PA, and Faizal Bhimani, the general manager of that hotel, were both convicted by a jury on October 23, 2020, of aiding and abetting sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking conspiracy, as well as drug trafficking conspiracy and managing a drug-related premises. It is noted that this is the first time a hotel and a hotel general manager have been convicted of criminal sex trafficking offenses for aiding others to engage in that activity in Pennsylvania.  Both defendants are currently scheduled for sentencing hearings in February 2022.

• U.S. v. William Battle.  A 29-year-old East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment on February 26, 2021, for participating in a conspiracy that forced or coerced women to engage in prostitution in northeastern Pennsylvania.  Battle’s conviction and sentence resulted from an investigation into the activities of a street gang known as the “Black P-Stones.” Females were “sexed-in” to the gang by being forced to engage in sex with male gang members; recruited and coerced to engage in prostitution; advertised as adult escorts on a website; provided with heroin and other drugs; and placed in various area hotels/motels to work as prostitutes. Gang members, including Battle, used threats, force, drugs, and intimidation to coerce females to engage in prostitution.  The leader of the Black P-Stones, Sirvonn Taylor, was previously sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. Other high-level gang members that have been sentenced in the case include: Jose Velasquez—17 ½ years’ imprisonment; Jamiell Sims—12 ½ years’ imprisonment; Arthur Taylor—7 years’ imprisonment; and Jordan Capone—7 years’ imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Gurganus encourages the community to be aware of indicators of trafficking and report suspicious activity. Recognizing key indicators is the first step in identifying victims and can help save them.

Indicators of human trafficking can include the following:

• An individual with an inability to produce identification or other documents because they are in a third party’s possession and control.
• An individual who is unable to freely contact friends or family.
• An individual who is coached on what to say to law enforcement or other authority figures.
• An individual who lacks knowledge or awareness as to what happens to the money they earn/are supposed to earn.
• An individual who lacks knowledge or awareness as to how much money they earn.
• An individual who is unable move or travel freely.
• Garnishment of a salary to pay off a fee imposed by their employer.
• Juveniles engaged in commercial sex.
• Frequent visits to the emergency department.

If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at   1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.

To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.

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HARRISBURG, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Ajear Anthony Miller-Carter, age 22, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for a firearm offense.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on August 30, 2021, in Union County, Miller-Carter possessed a Taurus PT111G2 9MM pistol as a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. 

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Firearms Tobacco (ATF), the Pennsylvania State Police and the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the case.

This case was 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.

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

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

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jesse Tillison, age 33, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Tillison possessed cocaine base for distribution in Dauphin County on January 25, 2021. The indictment further alleges that Tillison possessed a Ruger semiautomatic .380 pistol during and in relation to his drug trafficking activities.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case.

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

If convicted, the maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is a term of 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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