Western District of Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Two Western Pennsylvania men were sentenced on May 29, 2024, for their use of a toxic, banned pesticide to kill migratory birds, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy sentenced farm operator Robert Yost, 52, of New Galilee, to a year of probation, a $21,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service. Judge Hardy sentenced Jacob Reese, 27, an employee of Yost and resident of Enon Valley, to a year of probation, a $5,500 fine, and 50 hours of community service. Yost and Reese were found guilty by Judge Hardy in January 2024 following their October 2022 bench trial.

The evidence presented at trial established that, in June 2020, Yost—as operator of Yost Farms in Beaver County, Pennsylvania—and his employee Reese conspired to kill migratory birds present on leased farmland operated by Yost Farms using carbofuran, a registered restricted-use pesticide. The Environmental Protection Agency concluded no later than 2009 that the risks for all uses of carbofuran were unacceptable and that all products containing carbofuran generally caused unreasonable adverse effects on humans and the environment. As part of the conspiracy, Yost directed Reese to spread whole kernel corn coated in carbofuran in and around a leased field used for soybean cultivation where children were regularly present. The tainted corn attracted protected migratory birds that were killed within a short distance of where they ingested the corn.

Yost and Reese thereafter took steps to conceal their efforts to poison and kill the migratory birds, including destroying the feed bag containing the carbofuran-laced whole corn kernel. When confronted by officials from the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Reese and Yost also lied about their use of poisoned corn to kill the birds. In total, Yost and Reese were responsible for killing approximately 17 Canada geese, 10 red-winged blackbirds, and one mallard duck.

Yost and Reese were each convicted of one count of conspiracy, one count of violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for their use of carbofuran, and one count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Court indicated at sentencing that the defendants’ required community service should be focused on wildlife conservation or farm safety.

In imposing the sentences, Judge Hardy emphasized that the defendants’ crimes were serious, created a risk to the environment, and harmed the public’s trust in the source of their food. The Court also highlighted the defendants’ lack of remorse and noted that imposing a term of community service would serve to redeem the public’s trust in safe and ethical farming.

Assistant United States Attorneys Jacqueline C. Brown and Nicole A. Stockey and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry D. McDaniel prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement, Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigation Division, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Yost and Reese.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years of prison on his convictions for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Rashawn Ford, 28.

According to information presented to the Court, on March 13, 2021, a trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Ford in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. During the stop, the trooper recovered packaged heroin and fentanyl, in addition to a loaded handgun. Law enforcement subsequently learned that Ford was staying at a Westmoreland County hotel, where Ford was keeping additional controlled substances in his room.

On March 14, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant upon that hotel room, resulting in the seizure of packaged heroin and fentanyl, a handgun loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition, and over $8,600. Following these seizures, federal and state law enforcement opened a joint investigation into Ford, which culminated in the execution of several search warrants on properties associated with Ford in August 2022. Those searches resulted in the seizure of packaged heroin, a loaded handgun, and over $200,000. As part of his sentence, Ford forfeited approximately $273,979 that was seized from him during the investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Pennsylvania State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ford.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring both to engage in drug trafficking and to launder drug trafficking proceeds, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

London Pinkins, 29, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon to (1) conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of heroin between June 2020 and June 2021 and (2) conspiring to launder drug trafficking proceeds between February 2021 and June 2021.

Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, Hermitage Police Department, and Farrell Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Pinkins.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Penn Highlands Healthcare—a Pennsylvania not-for-profit corporation operating a hospital system in north, central, and western Pennsylvania—and several of its hospitals—including Penn Highlands DuBois, formerly known as DuBois Regional Medical Center—(together “Penn Highlands”) have agreed to pay the United States $735,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging False Claims Act infringement through the submission of claims to Medicare and Medicaid resulting from violations of the Physician Self-Referral Law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The Physician Self-Referral Law, commonly known as the Stark Law, prohibits a medical provider from billing Medicare or Medicaid for certain services referred by physicians with whom the hospital has a financial relationship, unless that relationship satisfies one of the law’s statutory or regulatory exceptions. The Stark Law is intended to ensure that medical decision-making is not compromised by improper financial incentives and is instead based on the best interests of the patient.

In this case, the United States alleged that, from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012, Penn Highlands DuBois violated the Stark Law by paying improper compensation to referring physician Gary Ott, M.D., and to a physician employed by Women’s Care of Pennsylvania, Dr. Ott’s practice, in the amount of $420,000 under a Consulting, Medical Director and Related Services Agreement for “employment services” allegedly performed before the agreement went into effect, during which time neither physician was employed by Penn Highlands DuBois.

The settlement stems from a whistleblower complaint filed in October 2016 by three medical providers formerly employed by Penn Highlands pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private persons, also called relators, to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government and to share in the proceeds of the suit. The Act also permits the government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, as the government did in this case in regard to some of the relators’ allegations. The relators will receive $154,350 as part of the settlement.

The United States’ intervention and settlement in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or online at https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/.

This case was handled on behalf of the government by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

The case is captioned United States ex rel. Tuesdae Stainbrook, D.O., M.P.H., Mary Simpson, M.B.A., and Jonathan Pope, M.D. at Civil Action No. 1:16-cv-244. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Jared Abraham Ogrosky, 26, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about March 12, 2024, Ogrosky possessed a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol after having been previously convicted of three felonies, including drug trafficking and firearms crimes. Ogrosky was on federal supervised release at the time of the alleged offense. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Allegheny County District Attorney’s Narcotics Enforcement Team; and U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on assault and interstate domestic violence charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The three-count Indictment named Quintin Owens, 27, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about October 11, 2022, on a cruise ship excursion departing from Orlando, Florida, Owens strangled, assaulted, and wounded his intimate and dating partner, also a resident of Western Pennsylvania.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on his conviction of trafficking fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Denzel Williams, 30. Williams also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Williams previously pleaded guilty in this case to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base between June 2020 and June 2021. As part of his plea agreement, Williams acknowledged responsibility for the distribution of 20 grams of fentanyl, 20 grams of heroin, and 60 grams of crack cocaine.

Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, Hermitage Police Department, and Farrell Police Department for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Williams.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Youngstown, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Teqwan Scott, 29, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl between May 2021 and October 2022.

Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation resulting in the conviction of Scott.
 

PITTSBURGH, Pa - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months imprisonment and three years supervised release on his conviction of computer fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Kevin N. Ukaegbu, age 31, of Pittsburgh, PA.

According to information presented to the court, on December 5, 2022, Ukaegbu, formerly a graduate nurse at Allegheny General Hospital, criminally used the hospital credentials of a Highmark resident physician and attempted to modify prescription medications for two patients, putting one of the patients at risk of serious bodily harm. In neither case was the medicine administered to the patients. Due to the seriousness of the crime, Judge Bissoon imposed the maximum sentence under the guideline range.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Homeland Security Investigations of the United States Department of Homeland Security, with the assistance of Highmark Health Police, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ukaegbu.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty in federal court on May 15, 2024, to a fraud conspiracy charge involving the largest known Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud in the Western District of Pennsylvania, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Matthew Lloyd Parker, 37, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between March 2020 and August 2021, Parker conspired with others to defraud lenders of more than $14 million through false PPP loan applications for COVID-19 pandemic relief. Parker, a licensed CPA from Detroit, recruited hundreds of small businesses in Pittsburgh and Detroit and falsified PPP loan applications in their names. The Small Business Administration approved 226 of those applications, resulting in loans totaling approximately $14.5 million to various businesses.

Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for September 17, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Inspection Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Parker.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on May 15, 2024, to charges related to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Andrew Kalyl Foxx, a/k/a James Andrew Liles, a/k/a Andrew James Liles, 42, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about March 3, 2023, the defendant attempted to and did employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a video of such conduct. On March 9, 2023, the defendant did knowingly possess this video file depicting child sexual exploitation.

Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for August 6, 2024. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the Court continued Foxx’s detention.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI-Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, Allegheny County Police Department, and Mt. Lebanon Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Foxx.

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.justice.gov/psc.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal drug and firearms charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Reginald Bernard Blunt, 32, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police between August 2022 and June 2023 into a drug trafficking organization operating in McKees Rocks revealed that Blunt was a member of the organization and lived at a residence where firearms and controlled substances were being stored. On June 14, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant upon that residence and recovered from Blunt’s bedroom a backpack containing two prescription pill bottles bearing Blunt’s name, a loaded handgun containing 17 rounds of ammunition, and a “Glock switch” that, when attached to the handgun, would render the firearm fully automatic. Law enforcement also recovered from the residence approximately 60 grams of a fentanyl and methamphetamine mixture, 20 grams of fentanyl, and approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, in addition to seizing $4,300.

The firearm recovered by law enforcement was determined to be the same one that Blunt—who has previous felony drug trafficking and firearms convictions—had used just before law enforcement responded to a call at Blunt’s residence nearly one month earlier, where it was reported that two individuals were fighting and that one of the individuals possessed a gun. Traffic camera footage of this May 16, 2023, incident obtained by investigators in preparation for the federal search warrant revealed Blunt repeatedly pointing a firearm at an adult male who was accompanied by a child, with the adult carrying the child while ducking behind a vehicle to avoid Blunt as he pointed the firearm. The footage further recorded Blunt permitting the adult to place the child in the vehicle before Blunt brought the individual back to his residence, where, on the porch, the two males began exchanging punches. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for August 15, 2024. The maximum penalty for the drug trafficking crime is at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. The maximum penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is a term of imprisonment of at least five years and up to life, which must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed on the drug trafficking crime, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The maximum penalty for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, Judge Fischer ordered Blunt remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Blunt.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Allport, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics, firearms, and money laundering laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Alexis Brolin, Jr., 55, pleaded guilty before United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson to Counts Two through Five of the Superseding Indictment.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around July 2019 to in and around April 2020 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Brolin conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Brolin, who directed the drug trafficking organization’s activity in Clearfield and surrounding areas, was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining kilogram quantities of methamphetamine that he distributed to others, and was arrested in possession of more than 650 grams of methamphetamine destined for Clearfield during an April 2020 interdiction stop.

Through the execution of a search warrant at Brolin’s residence on the day of his arrest, law enforcement agents seized additional quantities of methamphetamine as well as 11 firearms and ammunition, including five shotguns, two rifles, an AK-style rifle, and three pistols, with numerous of the firearms not having serial numbers. Under federal law, Brolin was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition based on an earlier felony conviction for robbery, with Brolin also pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime.

Additionally, from in and around July 2019 to June 2020, Brolin conspired to commit money laundering by having various distributors pre-pay him for the drugs he was to provide them through money wires to and from various locations within Western Pennsylvania.

Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for September 20, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Brolin. Additional agencies participating in this investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.

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.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Avonmore, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on charges of possession and production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The four-count Indictment, returned on May 14 and unsealed today, named Kenneth Bee, 53, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, over a several year period, Bee produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Further, in and around September 2022, Bee possessed images of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The law provides for a sentence of not less than 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. Other agencies involved include the Armstrong County District Attorney’s Office and the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office.

This case was brought as a 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.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on May 14, 2024, to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States Senior District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Dijuan Taylor, 22.

According to information presented to the Court, during a traffic stop in Hazelwood on November 21, 2022, Taylor dropped a loaded firearm with an extended magazine as he attempted to flee law enforcement. As a previously convicted felon, Taylor is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

During the sentencing, Judge Fischer noted that firearm possession and violence, especially among juveniles and young adults, continues to be a problem in the community and that Taylor’s crime was serious and therefore requires serious consequences.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Taylor.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Youngstown, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on firearms charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The two-count Indictment named Luis Rojas Cay, 26, as the sole defendant. Rojas Cay is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and carrying a weapon on an aircraft.

According to the Indictment, on or about April 26, 2024, Rojas Cay was planning to travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from the Pittsburgh International Airport on a commercial airline. The Indictment further alleges that Rojas Cay’s luggage contained a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun, an unloaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun, an unloaded 40 SW caliber semiautomatic handgun, and approximately 204 rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in packages wrapped in multiple layers of foil-backed tape and placed inside a metal briefcase that was also lined with sheet metal. The briefcase was found inside a suitcase that Rojas Cay checked with the airline. As a previously convicted felon, Rojas Cay is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

“Luis Rojas Cay allegedly tried to travel on a commercial airline with multiple firearms—one of which was loaded—hidden in his luggage,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “As a convicted felon, Rojas Cay should not be in possession of firearms anywhere, let alone in his bag at 35,000 feet. This office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to keeping unlawful firearms out of airports and off airplanes where they put ordinary, unsuspecting citizens at risk.”

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Allegheny County Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his convictions of possession, manufacturing, and trafficking of firearms, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Harry Miller, 48. His sentencing follows earlier guilty pleas from Miller and two co-defendants, Craig Zahradnik and Wayne Farabaugh, in the case.

According to information presented to the Court, Miller admitted that, between May 2022 and April 2023, he and his co-defendants were part of a conspiracy to engage in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license. Specifically, Miller and Zahradnik were partners in an illicit business operation engaged in the manufacturing and trafficking of privately made firearms—so-called ghost guns—with Miller purchasing the components and maintaining many of the weapons at a storage unit that Zahradnik, a retired police detective, controlled. Beginning in July of 2022, Zahradnik provided $5,000 payments to Miller that Miller then deposited into his bank account, totaling $30,000. Miller used these funds to purchase the firearm components from outside of Pennsylvania and repaid Zahradnik with the proceeds from the gun sales, including from the sale of what Miller marketed as “hit kits,” consisting of a 9-millimeter Polymer80 handgun with no serial number, a threaded barrel to attach a silencer, a silencer, subsonic ammunition, and latex gloves.

Miller was permitted and assisted by Farabaugh in using machinery at Farabaugh’s place of employment to drill the components for ghost guns. Miller also used this equipment to manufacture untraceable weapons and weapon components that were required to be registered with the government under the National Firearms Act, including silencers, machineguns, and short-barrel rifles. Zahradnik transported the “hit kits” and other firearms to and from Miller for scheduled buys. On other occasions, Miller and Zahradnik transported firearms together.

In March 2023, Zahradnik transferred a firearm and ammunition to Miller, knowing that Miller intended to sell, dispose of, or transfer the firearm and ammunition in furtherance of a felony, and unlawfully transferred firearms that were not registered to him. Zahradnik and Farabaugh both admitted that they knew Miller was a convicted felon and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

During his plea hearing, Miller further pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun, illegal trafficking in firearms, and unlawfully engaging in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms.

“Harry Miller, a convicted felon who could not lawfully possess a firearm, made tens of thousands of dollars manufacturing and selling ‘hit kits’ containing untraceable ghost guns, silencers, ammunition, and latex gloves,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Today’s 10-year sentence reflects the egregiousness of Miller’s illicit business, which saw untraceable firearms distributed throughout our western Pennsylvania community. This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to root out the unlawful trafficking of firearms and hold those who endanger the public accountable under federal law.”

“Firearms trafficking is a primary focus of ATF,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Miller’s criminal activities fueled the violence in our communities, and the firearms he trafficked will remain a threat for years. ATF is committed to identifying, disrupting, and prosecuting those who illegally manufacture, possess, and traffic in firearms with our unique resources and expertise to protect our neighborhoods.”

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation that led to the prosecutions. This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $27,826.57 on his conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, and distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Kuang Myat Kyaw, age 24.

According to information presented to the Court, Kyaw, during various periods between August 9, 2020, and September 2021, used the Internet to entice and coerce five female minor victims ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old to produce photographs and videos depicting their sexual exploitation and engaging in sadistic and masochistic sexual acts. Kyaw initially tricked the minors into providing him with photographs showing themselves naked, and then used the threat of disseminating those images to their family and friends to extort the minors to engage in what he referred to as a “seven-day challenge,” during which he would demand that the victims produce increasingly depraved sexual imagery.

“This case is another unfortunate example of the disturbing increase in the online exploitation of children and teens in recent years,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Our office is dedicated to continuing the important work with our law enforcement partners of protecting children and stemming the tide of devastating sextortion schemes like the one Kyaw perpetrated against multiple victims from behind his keyboard. We commend the strong federal, state, and local law enforcement coordination that helped identify and prosecute the perpetrator in this case.”

“Preying on children, tricking them into producing child sexual abuse material, and extorting them into ever-escalating behavior ranks among the most sadistic crimes the FBI investigates,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “We will never stop working to serve justice for the victims of predators like this individual. Today’s sentencing reflects the unyielding resolve of the FBI and our partners to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”

In imposing the sentence, Judge Colville stated that a 30-year term of imprisonment reflected a balance between the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility, age, and mental health issues and the egregious and reprehensible nature of his crimes and the resulting consequences to the minor victims.

Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department; Wright County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office, and other local police departments for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kyaw.

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.justice.gov/psc.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – On May 14, 2024, a resident of Curwensville, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of violating a federal narcotics law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Jason Lentz, 30, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, in and around January 2024, Lentz possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of violating a federal narcotics law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Jasmine Hinton, 29, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about February 14, 2024, Hinton possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Mitchell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of federal supervised release, on his convictions for possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States Senior District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Allen Gregory Edmonds, 36.

According to information presented to the Court, on December 19, 2023, law enforcement executed federal search warrants upon Edmonds, his vehicle, and properties associated with him. In the living room of his Pittsburgh residence, investigators found a backpack containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The closet within Edmonds’ bedroom contained a loaded handgun, a search of the serial number of which revealed that it had been reported stolen. Edmonds previously had been convicted in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County of both a felony drug trafficking offense and a felony firearm offense. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Edmonds.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court in Johnstown for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack-cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Blake Young, 35, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Superseding Indictment before United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson. Following the plea, Judge Gibson sentenced Young to 92 months of imprisonment, to be followed by six years of supervised release.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around February 2021 to in and around July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Young conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Young was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Young. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

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.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, was charged in federal court with securities fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Frank T. Poerio Jr., 62, was charged by criminal Information with four counts of securities fraud.

According to the Information, Poerio used sensitive, material non-public information (MNPI) obtained from a Dick’s Sporting Goods employee to engage in nearly 200 trades of the company’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange, including the purchase of individual shares and call option contracts. The trading allegedly occurred between August 2019 and May 2021 when the insider worked in a data analytics role at the company’s corporate offices in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The trades allegedly netted approximately $823,000 in profit for Poerio. As alleged, Poerio knew the Dick’s employee and spoke often with the employee about finances and investing. Several of the alleged trading incidents occurred in the days immediately preceding Dick’s release of periodic earnings statements—so called “blackout” periods, when Dick’s employees were prohibited from trading in the company’s securities.

At each count, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $5 million fine, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed by the court would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant, among other factors.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Poerio.

A criminal Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The filing of an Information generally indicates that the defendant intends to enter a guilty plea.

ERIE, Pa. – A resident of Ithaca, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court on May 8, 2024, to charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Noah Oliver Fisch-Lewis, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, beginning on September 23, 2022, and continuing until October 8, 2022, Fisch-Lewis communicated with an undercover agent posing as the mother of a 10-year-old girl. During this period, Fisch-Lewis repeatedly expressed, in very graphic terms, his desire to engage in sexual activity with the minor. On October 8, 2022, Fisch-Lewis drove from upstate New York, to Erie, Pennsylvania, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the purported 10-year-old, and was taken into custody upon his arrival at the agreed meeting place.

Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2024. The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, Erie Police Department, Millcreek Police Department, and Erie County Detectives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Fisch-Lewis.

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 (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Two former residents of Hudson, Florida, now living in Panama, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on fraud charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The two-count Indictment named Paul Andrew Gulbronson, 58, and Kelly Jurado Bonilla, 35.

According to the Indictment, from in and around May 2017 until in and around June 2019, Gulbronson and Bonilla conspired to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and committed wire fraud. Gulbronson and Bonilla owned and operated Citrona Homes LLC, which had offices in Holiday, Florida, and in Johnstown, and solicited investments. The purported business plan of Citrona, as represented to some of the investors, was to purchase low-value, distressed, or vacant properties, renovate them, ensure they complied with applicable building codes, rent the properties, and sell the properties to investors at or under market value. The defendants told investors that Citrona would manage the properties, provide no-cost maintenance and repairs for the first two years, pay the utilities for a small monthly fee, and thus generate a stream of guaranteed passive income for the investors. The Indictment alleges that Gulbronson and Bonilla instead used Citrona as a mechanism for enriching themselves by defrauding investors into purchasing unrenovated properties at prices far above the fair market value of the properties through a series of false pretenses, representations, and promises.

These included, among others, false claims of offering “fully renovated, fully vetted and rented Section 8 and Subsidized Housing” when properties were often not fully renovated at the time of the sale or within the specified period after the sale; providing fictitious invoices to investors as evidence that property renovations were completed; the use of fake names to help conceal Gulbronson’s identity; and the payment of a local real estate broker to display the broker’s license on the wall of Citrona’s management office in Johnstown as their own. The defendants also made payments to investors purported to be rental income when the money actually came from the sale of other Citrona properties, and informed investors that property repairs and rentals were being made when no efforts were being made to remedy those issues. According to the Indictment, Citrona contracted with at least 70 investors on the purchase of $5.3 million in properties in the Johnstown area during the two-year period, which the defendants originally purchased for $1.2 million.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 60 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Maureen Sheehan-Balchon are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
 

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Bacau, Romania, has been sentenced in federal court to four years of imprisonment on his conviction of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Ciprian Costel Borcea, 46.

According to information presented to the Court, a local financial institution discovered that it was targeted through a skimming device scheme that caused losses of more than $450,000 and the theft of account information related to more than 700 customers. A skimming device is one that fraudsters place over automated teller machines (ATMs) that captures the information from the magnetic strips of ATM cards. Those devices are then used in conjunction with pin hole cameras that capture customers’ personal identification numbers to create fraudulent ATM cards and then withdraw money from the customers’ bank accounts.

The investigation revealed that the skimming devices and cameras were placed on area ATMs in March and April 2023. Borcea was captured on surveillance video installing the skimming devices and cameras, retrieving the devices, and using the counterfeit ATM cards to withdraw money from customer accounts.

In early May 2023, Borcea installed a skimming device on an ATM located in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. The Cleveland Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service set up surveillance of the ATM machine and observed Borcea approaching the machine. Borcea was taken into custody, and a search of his vehicle revealed a skimming device, counterfeit ATM cards, and other evidence tying him to the ATM skimming device fraud in the Pittsburgh area.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Secret Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Borcea.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The four-count Indictment named Christopher Pollard, 33, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about November 3, 2023, Pollard, who has multiple prior felony convictions, possessed a Glock handgun that had been illegally modified to fire as a fully automatic machinegun. In addition to prohibiting individuals from possessing machineguns, federal law makes it illegal for an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Additionally, on the same day, Pollard possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine. The Indictment alleges that Pollard possessed the illegal firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense.

The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to trafficking fentanyl and cocaine and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Donald Jeter, 34, pleaded guilty before United States Senior District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine between May 2021 and October 2022 and to possessing a firearm on August 10, 2022, after a felony conviction. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for September 24, 2024. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Jeter.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 144 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Dwight Logan, 44.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to in and around July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Logan conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. Further, in and around July 2021, Logan possessed with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine and methamphetamine. Logan was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Logan. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

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.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Antranette Echols, 57, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States Senior District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Echols prepared and submitted for borrowers falsified COVID-19 pandemic relief loan applications, for which she took a fee. Some of the borrowers were located in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for August 16, 2024. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Echols.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison on his conviction of possessing trans-3-methylfentanyl, cis-3-methylfentanyl, and cocaine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Jamir Hughes, 23.

According to information presented to the Court, on May 27, 2020, Hughes possessed 17 grams of a mixture of trans-3-methylfentanyl and cis-3-methylfentanyl and 115 grams of cocaine in a vehicle that was traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Hughes was on his way from the Philadelphia area to Butler, where he intended to distribute the controlled substances, when Pennsylvania State Police stopped the vehicle in Somerset County and seized the controlled substances.

In 2023, Hughes was convicted in two prosecutions in Pennsylvania state courts—the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas and the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas— of committing third-degree murder, robbery, and firearm crimes. He was sentenced in Delaware County to 25-60 years in prison, and in Philadelphia County to 3.5-7 years in prison.

Judge Colville directed that 12 months of Hughes’s 60-month federal prison sentence in this case be served consecutive to the Philadelphia County and Delaware County sentences, with the remaining 48 months of the federal sentence to be served concurrently. Judge Colville also directed that Hughes serve four years of supervised release following his federal prison sentence.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Pennsylvania State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Butler County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hughes.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay more than $97 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $30 million and the proceeds from the sale of a yacht for conspiring to commit health care fraud and conspiring to pay and receive unlawful kickbacks, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Daniel Hurt, 59.

According to information presented to the Court, Hurt engaged in three separate health care fraud and illegal kickback schemes.

First, he and his co-conspirators victimized both TRICARE—a program that provides civilian health care benefits for military personnel, military retirees, and military dependents—and CHAMPVA—a health care benefit program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs—through a scheme that involved the payment of illegal kickbacks. In all, that scheme caused a loss to TRICARE of more than $18 million and to CHAMPVA of more than $450,000. Hurt was initially indicted in the Southern District of Florida for his participation in that scheme, before his case was transferred to the Western District of Pennsylvania for sentencing.

Hurt admitted during his plea hearing that, through this scheme, he and his co-conspirators billed TRICARE, CHAMPVA, and other insurance providers for expensive compounded medications that were not medically necessary. Hurt and his co-conspirators worked with patient recruiters to solicit patients who had health insurance, with the patient recruiters then generating prescriptions containing the patients’ information and a limited selection of expensive compounded medications. These prescriptions, which used formulations created or altered to obtain the maximum possible reimbursement from the insurance companies, were then referred to a telemedicine service and sent to a pharmacy owned by Hurt and his co-conspirators.

During the conspiracy, patient recruiters and the telemedicine service sent thousands of medically unnecessary prescriptions to this pharmacy, which, after filling the prescriptions, would bill patients’ insurance plans thousands of dollars for the compounded medications. Once the pharmacy received payment for the prescriptions, the pharmacy would then pay a kickback to Hurt and his co-conspirators, who would, in turn, pay kickbacks to the patient recruiters. As part of his plea, Hurt admitted to personally receiving more than $4.2 million from this scheme.

Second, Hurt engaged in a scheme that involved the payment of illegal kickbacks related to cancer genomic (CGx) testing, which was billed as if the testing were done in the Western District of Pennsylvania. In all, Medicare suffered a loss of more than $25 million from that scheme. CGx testing uses DNA sequencing to detect mutations in genes that could indicate a higher risk of developing certain types of cancers in the future.

Hurt admitted that, beginning in late 2018 and continuing through approximately October 2019, he and his co-conspirators, including individuals associated with so-called marketing entities, acquired thousands of CGx testing samples from Medicare beneficiaries located throughout the United States. Marketers used targeted campaigns to induce beneficiaries to submit CGx specimens by means of cheek swabs sent to their homes or provided to them at purported “health fairs” held throughout the United States.

Hurt directed these CGx specimens to be sent to Ellwood City Medical Center (ECMC), a hospital located in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Hurt further used ECMC as the billing entity for Medicare purposes despite the fact that the facility did not possess properly validated equipment to conduct any CGx testing on-site and, as such, ECMC staff were required, at Hurt’s direction, to repackage the samples and send them to third-party reference laboratories that were capable of completing the testing. In order to justify Medicare reimbursement for the CGx testing, Hurt and his co-conspirators obtained CGx prescriptions from telemedicine physicians without regard to the fact that the doctors did not conduct proper telemedicine visits, were not treating the Medicare beneficiaries for cancer or symptoms of cancer, and did not use the test results in the treatment of the beneficiaries.

During this time, Hurt directed ECMC staff to transfer millions of dollars from ECMC-related accounts to bank accounts that Hurt controlled. In turn, Hurt admitted using funds he obtained from ECMC to pay millions of dollars in kickbacks to the marketers, among others, in exchange for their efforts to obtain CGx samples. To disguise such kickbacks, Hurt entered into sham contracts with the marketers to make it appear that they were engaged in, and being paid for, legitimate marketing and referral services. Likewise, Hurt, acting through entities he controlled, entered into similar agreements and business arrangements with ECMC that disguised the payments he obtained from the facility as purportedly legitimate payments, including payments related to management services at ECMC’s laboratory. Payments, in fact, were based on the volume of CGx tests and the amount of resulting Medicare reimbursements. Hurt also admitted that he and others used a portion of Medicare reimbursements obtained through the fraudulent submission of CGx claims to engage in monetary transactions in excess of $10,000, including approximately $3 million in payments toward the purchase of a luxury watercraft in Florida called “In My DNA.”

Hurt’s third scheme involved illegal kickback payments and cancer genomic testing that caused an additional loss to Medicare of at least $53.3 million. Hurt was initially charged for his participation in that scheme in the District of New Jersey, before his case was transferred to the Western District of Pennsylvania for sentencing.

In that scheme, Hurt admitted that he owned several clinical laboratories that conducted or arranged for a variety of medical tests, and that he paid kickbacks and bribes to various entities who supplied referrals and orders for CGx for Medicare and other health care benefit program beneficiaries, without regard to medical necessity. These laboratories submitted claims for payment to Medicare for these CGx tests, and Medicare reimbursed the laboratories without knowing that the services were not medically necessary or were procured through the payment of kickbacks. Hurt admitted paying kickbacks to entities who supplied referrals for each CGx test that was billed to Medicare and other health care benefit programs. To conceal the payments of bribes, Hurt and the suppliers entered into sham contracts to make it appear that the suppliers were engaged in, and being paid for, legitimate marketing and referral services. Hurt received at least $26.9 million from the $53.3 million reimbursed by Medicare.

First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division – Florida Fraud Resident Unit for the collaborative investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hurt.
 

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of producing and distributing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The 11-count Indictment named Matthew Trax, 24, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, in and around various dates in November 2023 through December 2023, Trax used, enticed, and persuaded a 14-year old female to engage in sexually explicit conduct to create videos and images involving the minor. In addition to producing this sexually explicit content, Trax also distributed sexually explicit material involving the same minor female.

The law provides for a sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Trax has been detained on state charges, and he remains detained pending trial.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mt. Lebanon Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to an additional five months of incarceration on his conviction of possession of contraband by an inmate, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States Chief District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Lajwan McMillan, 31.

According to information presented to the Court, three days after being sentenced to 18 months’ incarceration for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release and being sent back to prison, McMillan was found in possession of a cellular phone by officials at the Butler County Jail. Inmates in federal custody are prohibited by federal law from possessing cellular phones, and this criminal conduct is punishable by additional, consecutive time in prison.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Marshals Service, Butler County Detective Bureau, and officials at the Butler County Jail for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McMillan.

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced yesterday to 14 years and seven months in prison for possessing deepfake child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting numerous child celebrities.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on two separate occasions, James Smelko, 57, of Pittsburgh, possessed and accessed pictures that digitally superimposed the faces of child actors onto nude bodies and bodies engaged in sex acts. Smelko possessed the pictures at his home in Pittsburgh. After law enforcement discovered the pictures during a search of Smelko’s computer, he was charged for possessing CSAM. While pending trial, Smelko was found to have violated his conditions of pretrial release by again accessing such images after incriminating web searches and images were detected by court-mandated monitoring software installed on his cell phone.

In November 2023, a federal jury in Pittsburgh convicted Smelko of one count of possessing child pornography and one count of accessing with the intent to view child pornography.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania; and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mitchell for the Western District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced yesterday to 14 years and seven months in prison for possessing deepfake child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting numerous child celebrities.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on two separate occasions, James Smelko, 57, of Pittsburgh, possessed and accessed pictures that digitally superimposed the faces of child actors onto nude bodies and bodies engaged in sex acts. Smelko possessed the pictures at his home in Pittsburgh. After law enforcement discovered the pictures during a search of Smelko’s computer, he was charged for possessing CSAM. While pending trial, Smelko was found to have violated his conditions of pretrial release by again accessing such images after incriminating web searches and images were detected by court-mandated monitoring software installed on his cell phone.

In November 2023, a federal jury in Pittsburgh convicted Smelko of one count of possessing child pornography and one count of accessing with the intent to view child pornography.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania; and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mitchell for the Western District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former police officer for Greensburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to engaging in a drug conspiracy, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Regina McAtee, 51, of New Kensington pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

As part of her guilty plea, McAtee admitted that she conspired to distribute methamphetamine (in the form of fake “Adderall” pills) with former Greensburg Chief of Police Shawn Denning and other drug suppliers. McAtee admitted that she and Denning would order the pills from online suppliers, that McAtee would pay for the pills, and that the pills would be delivered to McAtee’s residence. McAtee sold some of the pills back to Denning, who would then distribute the drugs to others. Denning pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge on April 16, 2024, also before Judge Bissoon.

“As a sworn police officer, Regina McAtee’s job was to stop drug dealing,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Instead, she worked with her boss at the time, Shawn Denning, to push more methamphetamine out into the community. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute drug dealing, regardless of whether it’s being committed by citizens on the street or those who wear a badge.”

Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Annapolis, Maryland, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The nine-count Indictment named George Luton, 49, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on multiple occasions in March 2024, Luton attempted to and did use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, and also attempted to do the same on another occasion. The Indictment further charges that, on April 6, 2024, Luton traveled in interstate commerce with a motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with another person.

The law provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Luton is detained pending trial.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kiskiminetas Township Police Department, and Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States Senior District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence on Maurice Collier, 33, also ordering Collier to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Collier previously pleaded guilty in this case to distributing cocaine base on September 17, 2020, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and cocaine base, as well as a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, on November 4, 2020.

According to information presented to the Court, between September and November 2020, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force made four controlled purchases of cocaine and heroin directly from Collier. On November 4, 2020, the Drug Task Force served a search warrant at Collier’s New Castle residence and found a loaded and stolen pistol, $5,034 in drug trafficking proceeds, and quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Collier was on bond with a pending drug trafficking charge in Pennsylvania state court at the time he committed these crimes. Prior to 2020, Collier had been convicted in New Jersey state court of committing cocaine trafficking and gun crimes and was sentenced to over six years of incarceration.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Collier.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The two-count Indictment named Bradley Dawkins, 34, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about June 28, 2023, Dawkins possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. The Indictment also alleges that, on the same day, Dawkins possessed with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine, all of which are Schedule II controlled substances.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - After deliberating for less than two hours, a federal jury on April 18, 2024, found Harry E. Duncan guilty of three counts of violating federal drug and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced. The verdict of guilt included one count each of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine; possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon; and aiding and abetting the straw purchase of three firearms.

Duncan, 36, of the Penn Hills area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand in Pittsburgh.

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome A. Moschetta and Benjamin C. Dobkin, who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that, in the fall of 2022, Duncan was the subject of an investigation by Allegheny County Police narcotics detectives for suspected involvement in drug trafficking. On November 18, 2022, the detectives served a search warrant on Duncan’s residence, finding in the basement over 1,000 stamp bags of fentanyl, significant amounts of unpackaged fentanyl powder, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine hidden in the ceiling. Throughout the basement, the detectives also discovered a large quantity of drug packaging materials, scales, cash, and 11 different cell phones.

In addition to the drugs and drug trafficking paraphernalia, detectives found a Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic rifle, a Winchester 12 gauge shotgun, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and several pistol cases. Further investigation revealed that Duncan, who previously had been convicted of a felony, had engaged a former drug customer to unlawfully straw purchase the rifle and two of the pistols. In December of 2020, at Duncan’s direction, that person lied on background investigation paperwork and falsely stated that they were the purchaser of the firearms, when, in fact, the firearms were for Duncan. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for August 29, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $2.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the defendant’s prior criminal history. Pending sentencing, the Court remanded Duncan into the custody of the United States Marshals.

The Allegheny County Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to Duncan’s prosecution.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Chicago, Illinois, has been sentenced in federal court to 54 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and $20,000 in restitution on his conviction of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Christian Matthews, 35.

According to information presented to the Court, Matthews fraudulently obtained personal identifying information belonging to other people and used it to file claims for pandemic-related unemployment benefits. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program was created to provide economic support to certain individuals unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Matthews used online marketplaces to purchase identifying information, including Social Security numbers, that had been stolen from victims. He then created fictitious businesses and used them to obtain mailing addresses from companies that rent shared office space. Finally, he used the stolen identity information to file fraudulent claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in states including Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, and had the resulting benefit cards sent via U.S. Mail to multiple business locations, including an office building in Pittsburgh, where Matthews would retrieve and use the benefits.

Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Findlay Township Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Matthews.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Clinton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Roderick T. Long, 59, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on March 9, 2020, Long—who had previously served a 121-month federal sentence of imprisonment for receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor—was found in possession of more than 500 videos and still images in computer graphics and digital files depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, many of whom had not attained the age of 12 years. The Pennsylvania State Police had obtained a search warrant for Long’s home, where they found the sexually exploitive material saved in his laptop computer and cellular telephone.

Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Long remain in custody.

Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Long.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – As part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania again honored a number of crime victims for their strength and resiliency, as well as law enforcement personnel, community partners, and attorneys for their exceptional service to victims of crime during the office’s annual Victim and Victim Advocates Recognition Ceremony that took place yesterday afternoon in the Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States Courthouse.

President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater attention and respect to the needs and rights of victims of crime. Each April, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania joins U.S. Attorney’s Offices and other federal, state, and local communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by honoring victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also participates in several events throughout the district to bring awareness to the services available to victims. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 21-27. The theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors,” with a focus on creating safe environments for crime victims to share their experiences and offer support, options for life-saving services, and most importantly, hope.

“Crime does not discriminate. It finds victims from all walks of life and makes them members of a club they never wanted to join,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan. “The strength and resilience victims of crime demonstrate throughout the criminal justice process is truly remarkable, and we are proud to stand beside them every step of the way. The work that our office and our partners—inside and outside government—do to support these individuals, protect and enforce their rights under the law, and pursue justice on their behalf is at the core of what we do.”

In addition to honoring several civilian victims of crime during the ceremony, the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented awards to several members of the office and law enforcement and community partners, recognizing their work on behalf of victims of crime throughout the past year. Law enforcement and community partner award recipients included:

• Five physically injured members of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police—Officers Daniel Mead, Michael Smidga, Anthony Burke, Timothy Matson, and John Persin—were honored with Strength and Resiliency Awards for their bravery in responding to the October 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting and their assistance in the resulting investigation and prosecution.

• Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Carla Durrant was honored with an Outstanding Service Award for her role as the lead investigator in a case involving hate crimes committed by two defendants against more than a dozen severely disabled, non-verbal residents of a Western Pennsylvania health care facility.

• Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents Michael Radens and Carey Smith and Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Bengel were recognized with Outstanding Service Awards for their roles in the successful dismantling and prosecution of a large-scale conspiracy to defraud elderly victims. A local bank manager was also honored for quickly alerting local law enforcement when a victim attempted to withdraw a substantial sum of cash based on false representations made to the victim by members of the conspiracy.

• Margie Rosselli from the Clearfield County Victim Witness Office was recognized with an Outstanding Service Award for her work providing primary advocacy assistance to a victim and the victim’s family members in a case involving the sexual exploitation of a child.

• Assistant United States Attorney Heidi Grogan was honored with the U.S. Attorney’s Victim Advocate Award for both her role as the office’s Project Safe Childhood coordinator and her advocacy for victims and victims’ rights in each of her own cases. By ensuring that victims are regularly updated and consulted regarding case developments and allowing time to meet with victims whenever they have questions, Ms. Grogan has fostered increased trust with and participation from victims and their families, resulting in numerous successful convictions and sentencings.

• Victim Assistant Specialist Adrienne Howe also was awarded the U.S. Attorney’s Victim Advocate Award for her outstanding years of service in all facets of the work at the U.S. Attorney’s Office on behalf of crime victims, and in particular for her years of assistance to the those impacted by the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting and her tireless support of those crime victims during the months-long capital trial.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania is committed to ensuring that federal crime victims are afforded all rights to which they are entitled by law. To learn more about our Victim Witness services, please visit our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/vw.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Dominican Republic native and former New York City resident has been sentenced in federal court to 78 months of incarceration, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction for federal drug trafficking offenses, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Habys Omar Meran, age 38.

According to information presented to the Court, on January 26, 2016, Meran was driving a van containing a sophisticated, hydraulically activated hidden compartment when stopped on Interstate 80 by a Pennsylvania State Trooper who specializes in drug interdiction. The compartment was found to contain over four kilograms of heroin, an amount valued at over $2 million when packaged and sold on the street. Meran’s passenger—his relative Juan Wilquin Hernandez-Bourdier—was convicted by a jury of all charges on December 13, 2018, and is currently serving a 10-year sentence in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. But prior to Meran’s trial, Meran removed his ankle monitor and fled the country on November 23, 2017. The United States Marshals Service initiated a fugitive investigation and Meran was arrested in the Dominican Republic in 2023 and subsequently extradited back to the United States under an international treaty with the Dominican Republic government.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Colville stated that the seriousness of Meran’s drug-trafficking actions and his subsequent flight from justice warranted the significant sentence imposed. Judge Colville also ordered that the vehicle used to transport the drugs be forfeited to the federal government and noted that Meran will be deported to the Dominican Republic after serving his 78-month term of imprisonment.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ross E. Lenhardt and James R. Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the prosecution of both Meran and Hernandez-Bourdier, with valuable assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police Interdiction Team, Pennsylvania State Police Crime Lab, Department of Homeland Security Crime Lab, United States Marshals Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration.

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Jamestown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,000 on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Hank Thomas Fisher, 22.

According to information presented to the Court, from March 2020 to August 2021, Fisher distributed images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Fisher also possessed thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Baxter noted the lifelong impact that these crimes will have on the young victims depicted in the child sexual abuse material.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Fisher.

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 (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to commit and carrying out hate crimes against numerous severely disabled victims, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan sentenced Tyler Smith, 34, of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, to 120 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Smith previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

“Today’s sentencing holds Tyler Smith accountable for the abhorrent and degrading assaults he and Zachary Dinell carried out against more than a dozen victims—simply because they were disabled,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Hate crimes target and terrorize not just individuals but whole communities. Our hope is that today’s result brings some measure of closure to the victims’ families who have shouldered the crushing burden of Smith’s and Dinell’s conduct for so many years. This office and our partners at the FBI will continue to work every day to give voice to the voiceless and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

“I hope today’s decision brings some comfort to the families impacted by this egregious crime,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “Today’s sentencing shows there is no room for hatred, and crimes against our most vulnerable citizens will be met with the force of justice. The FBI and our partners stand committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of every individual.”

According to admissions made during Smith’s plea hearing, he and co-defendant Zachary Dinell were employees of an in-patient health care facility located in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Residents of the facility suffered from a range of severe physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities, and required assistance with all activities of daily life, including bathing, using the bathroom, oral hygiene, feeding, and dressing. As members of the facility’s Direct Care Staff, Smith admitted that he and Dinell were responsible for providing this daily assistance to residents.

From approximately June 2016 to September 2017, Smith admitted that he and Dinell engaged in a conspiracy to commit hate crimes against a total of 13 residents of the facility because of the residents’ actual or perceived disabilities. Many of the victims required the use of a wheelchair. Smith and Dinell carried out assaults in a variety of ways, including by punching and kicking residents, rubbing Purell hand sanitizer in their eyes, spraying mouthwash in their eyes and mouths, and, in one instance, removing a resident’s compression stocking in a manner intended to inflict pain. Several of these assaults were recorded on Dinell’s cell phone. In one instance, Smith admitted jumping on top of a 13-year-old minor while the child was lying prone on his bed with the lights off, and while Dinell filmed the incident on his cellular phone. Smith further acknowledged that immediately after recording the video, Dinell texted the video to him.

As part of the conspiracy, Smith also admitted that he and Dinell exchanged graphic text messages in which they expressed their animus toward the disabled residents, shared photographs and videos of residents, described their assaults, and encouraged each other’s continued abuse of residents.

Smith further admitted that he and Dinell were able to avoid detection by, among other things, exploiting their one-on-one access to residents of the facility and the fact that the victims were non-verbal and could not report the defendant’s alleged abuse. Due to their physical disabilities, the residents also were not able to defend themselves against the assaults.

Zachary Dinell previously pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release.

United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the charges against Smith and Dinell.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for committing cocaine trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States Senior District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Raymond Briskey, 38, also ordering Briskey to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Briskey previously pleaded guilty in this case to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base on October 21, 2020, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that, when committing these crimes, Briskey had outstanding bench warrants for failures to appear to address drug trafficking and theft charges in two counties in Ohio and to be sentenced for contraband and drug convictions in two cases in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Briskey.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

James Stewart, 44, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2024, to one count before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that a long-term investigation into drug-trafficking and illegal firearms activity in the Western District of Pennsylvania involving, among others, Anthony Peluso, a heroin and cocaine trafficker who supplied narcotics to lower-level drug traffickers, identified Stewart as one of Peluso’s customers. This included Stewart meeting with Peluso or his associates on multiple occasions to obtain cocaine that Stewart then redistributed to others. The investigation was conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for August 15, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Silinski and Jonathan D. Lusty are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigations. Other assisting agencies include the Allegheny County Police Department, Baldwin Police Department, Brentwood Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, and West Deer Township Police Department.

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.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of health care fraud, making false statements relating to health care matters, and money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The 33-count Indictment named Kelley Oliver-Hollis, 59, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, from December 2016 to July 2023, Oliver-Hollis, as owner of SerenityCare LLC, located in Penn Hills, schemed to overbill Pennsylvania Medicaid in connection with services SerenityCare provided to residents with intellectual disabilities. The Indictment asserts that, as part of the scheme to defraud, Oliver-Hollis failed to adequately train direct care workers in the proper care of residents, failed to keep adequate records, and allowed the residents’ homes to fall into a state of disrepair. In addition, according to the Indictment, Oliver-Hollis submitted false and fraudulent claims regarding the care and staffing provided to residents, which caused an overpayment of Medicaid benefits in excess of $2 million dollars.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the health care fraud charge; up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the false statements relating to health care matters charge; and up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on the money laundering charge. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Labor, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The United States Attorney’s Office’s efforts to combat healthcare fraud are frequently made possible by tips from the community. To report suspected fraud, please contact the FBI’s healthcare fraud tipline at WDPAhealthcarefraud@fbi.gov or the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.