District of Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –   Two Providence men who admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud credit card companies and home improvement stores out of more $160,000 were sentenced to federal prison today, announced United Sates Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Jose Brens, 40, was sentenced to fifteen months in prison and ordered to pay restitution totaling $140,578. He pleaded guilty on December 13, 2021, to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and six counts of access device fraud. Jose R. Delarosa, 45, was sentenced to twelve months and one day of incarceration and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $20,141. He pleaded guilty on December 16, 2021, to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and four counts of access device fraud.

At the time of their guilty pleas, Brens and Delarosa admitted that they and others unlawfully obtained credit card information of other individuals, and used that information  to purchase construction tools and building supplies from at least six Home Depot and Lowes stores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

According to charging documents, the scheme employed by Brens, Delarosa, and others came to light when, in September 2018, a Smithfield resident contacted the Smithfield Police Department to report that his credit card information had been  used without his permission to purchase $2,100 worth of construction items and tools at a nearby Home Depot. A joint investigation with the United States Secret Service determined that Brens, Delarosa, and others were working together to carry out this and similar schemes in multiple stores, repeatedly making purchases of between $1,000 and $4,000.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Ferland and Terrence P. Donnelly.

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WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced the recipients of the Fifth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing. This year’s awards recognize the exceptional work of 18 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country.

Attorney General Garland announced the award recipients in Atlanta, Georgia.  Later, he attended a ceremony for three award recipients from the DeKalb County Police Department. 

“The work of law enforcement has always been difficult—but perhaps no more so than in the recent past, as officers have faced a host of significant challenges. The officers and deputies receiving this year’s awards demonstrate how so many go above and beyond, even in the midst of trying circumstances,” he said. “Every day, thousands of people who work in law enforcement forge and maintain strong community ties that are essential for ensuring public safety. The recipients of this award represent quintessential examples of such critical efforts. It is an honor to recognize them.”

United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha added, “Doing justice is about a lot more than arrests and convictions - it’s about working hand-in-hand with every one of our communities to understand their needs and to serve as partners in keeping our families and neighbors safe. Today’s awards represent well-earned recognition of exactly that kind of partnership in policing.  I am proud to congratulate Central Falls Police Department Investigative Bureau Major Christopher Reed and Central Falls Police Department Detective Commander Sgt. Jeffrey Araujo on their superb work as reflected by this award.

The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, Tribal, and territorial police officers, deputies, and troopers for exceptional efforts in community policing. The awarded officers and deputies have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: innovations in community policing, criminal investigations, or field operations. This year, the Department received 185 nominations from 145 agencies, recognizing a total of 347 individual officers, deputies, and troopers. There were 39 states represented in the nomination pool, covering state, local, campus, sheriff, and other agency types.

The work being honored this year reflects numerous examples of law enforcement officers working closely with the community to build trust, solve problems, reduce crime, and improve public safety.

The Department of Justice works closely with national law enforcement stakeholder groups during the award review period, taking advantage of their expertise and experience to determine the recipients in a competitive nomination process. The Department also works closely with its components, utilizing the breadth of knowledge within the Department to ensure a successful program that honors the exceptional service of our nation’s law enforcement officers and deputies.

Complete information on the Fifth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ag/policing-award.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man today admitted in federal court in Rhode Island that he accessed child pornography via an Internet network designed to facilitate anonymous communications and hide the identity of individuals seeking to view, upload, or download child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

John A. Amaral, 29, pled guilty to possessing and accessing child pornography.

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, Amaral was among individuals whose IP address was identified by the FBI as being used to access the online network. Administrators of the network had established protocols that made it difficult for law enforcement to identify individual IP users. They did so by utilizing software that caused users to move through several online networks around the world before finally accessing the website’s content, thus making it difficult to identify the IP address.

With the authorization of a federal court judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, the FBI employed a Network Investigative Technique that allowed them to log in to the network and, through investigative techniques, identify IP users who were accessing the network. The FBI determined that an IP address used by Amaral at his residence accessed the network on several occasions to view sexually explicit videos and images depicting prepubescent children and prepubescent children being sexually abused.

As a result of the FBI investigation, the Department of Justice seized the website.

Amaral is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2022.

This Project Safe Childhood case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.

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PROVIDENCE – A Newport woman who solicited and received a video depicting the sexual exploitation of a toddler and an image depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent minors was sentenced today to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Karissa A. Cave, 25, pleaded guilty on February 26, 2020, to receipt of child pornography.

At the time of her guilty plea, Kave admitted to the court that, in December 2016, while communicating on Facebook messenger with a person known to her, she requested that the person send her a video that she knew the person possessed.  The video depicted an adult engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a female toddler. After receiving the video, she asked, “Is there anymore?” In return, the person sent her an image of prepubescent girls and boys engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The government’s evidence showed that after receiving the video, Kave and the person who sent it to her engaged in graphic sexual chats about the video and the depicted toddler.

At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Cave to sixty months in federal prison to be followed by eight years of federal supervised release.

This Project Safe Childhood case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton.

The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Woonsocket Police Department.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Warwick woman who is alleged to have (1) fraudulently claimed to be a wounded United States Marine Corps (USMC) veteran and recipient of a Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and (2) schemed to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in veteran benefits and charitable contributions, was arrested today by federal agents and made her initial appearance in federal court in Providence, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Sarah Jane Cavanaugh, 31, is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with using forged or counterfeited military discharge certificates, wire fraud, fraudulently holding herself out to be a medal recipient with intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit, and aggravated identity theft.

Charging documents allege the following:

• Cavanaugh used the personal identifying information of an actual Marine, and falsely claimed that she served in the USMC from 2009-2016; was honorably discharged; achieved the rank of Corporal; and was wounded in action in Iraq/Afghanistan.

• Cavanaugh used an official Veterans Administration (VA) email account, which was issued to her as a VA employee, to purchase and later display on a Marine uniform a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. She had not been awarded either award. In fact, a search of the Defense Personnel Records Information Retrieval System, a database containing military-service records, provided no records or information pertaining to Cavanaugh.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     It is further alleged that Cavanaugh:

• Created and submitted falsified military discharge documents, medical diagnosis, and medical bills to “HunterSeven,” an organization that provides monetary aid to veterans in need. Cavanaugh did so to request financial assistance and falsely claim that she was being treated for cancer from exposure to burn pits in Iraq/Afghanistan and inhaling particulate matter in the aftermath of an Improvised Explosive Device.

• Posing as a combat veteran, Cavanaugh contacted “Code of Support,” and collected $18,472 in financial assistance for mortgage payments, repairs to her home furnace, a gym membership, and for other unspecified bills,

• Posing as a combat veteran diagnosed with cancer related to her military service, Cavanaugh collected approximately $4,700 from an internet-based fundraising website,

• Claiming to be a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, Cavanaugh collected approximately $16,000 from a charity that provides therapy for veterans through art programs, and

• Posing as a wounded combat veteran, Cavanaugh collected $207,000 from the Wounded Warrior organization to pay for groceries and physical therapy sessions.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Cavanaugh was arrested by federal agents on Monday and appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond. She was released on $50,000 unsecured bond.

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron and investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service, and the FBI, with the assistance of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An Indian national who sought asylum in the United States and then played a critical role in ensuring that an international tech-support scheme succeeded in defrauding Americans, many of them elderly, of their life savings, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

While living in California, Angad Singh Chandhok, 34, operated a long-running and complex money laundering network, in which he created and used shell companies to move millions of dollars stolen from Americans through an online tech support scheme, and later an online travel fee scheme. Chandhok, who had at least five others working at his direction, was in direct contact with high-ranking international members of the scheme.

United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha noted, “It is the sad reality that, each and every day, fraudsters all over the world target vulnerable and elderly Americans in efforts to trick them out of their savings and livelihoods; sophisticated criminals like Mr. Chandhok are an essential part of these fraud schemes. Fortunately, thanks to a superb investigation undertaken by Newport Police in seamless collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations, this defendant has been brought to justice and held accountable for the financial harm he has visited on his victims.”

Newport Police Chief Gary T. Silva commented, “This case is a perfect example of how local detectives Lt. Michael Naylor and Sgt. Scott Moody, working alongside the United States Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, were able to follow the money taken from fraud victims in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and laundered to California and countries abroad, and eventually arresting Chandhok and holding him accountable.”

“Chandhok operated a sophisticated money laundering network to launder the fraudulent proceeds of scams targeted at elderly individuals—defrauding them of over a million dollars. This laundering network allowed the fraudsters to move the proceeds of their scams out of the country, but our investigation caught up with them.” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ Boston Field Office. “These types of scams are all too common and we encourage any other victims to come forward and reach out to law enforcement for assistance.”

According to court documents, Indian students who were present in the United States on visas, including four in Newport, RI, received funds from victims of the tech support scheme. They then transferred the funds to accounts controlled by Chandhok for further laundering. Chandhok’s money laundering business provided an essential link between the participants of the fraud scheme in the United States and others who were operating internationally.

According to information presented to the court, Chandhok’s criminal activity spanned two years, during which time he “cleaned” at least than $1.5 million dollars. The government’s evidence showed that in just one month he laundered nearly $930,000.

Chandhok pleaded guilty on August 19, 2019, to conspiracy to launder criminal proceeds. He was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by 3 years of federal supervised release.

Chandhok is wanted in his native country of India for fraud, and he was an international fugitive from justice at the time he engaged in his sophisticated money laundering activities here in the United States.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.

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PROVIDENCE – A North Providence woman today admitted in federal court that she provided false information to a mortgage lender when applying for a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-backed mortgage, and that she fraudulently applied for a COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and unemployment insurance benefits under both the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Juliana Martins, 53, who was on federal supervised release at the time of the charged fraudulent activities, pleaded guilty to false statement on a loan application and theft of government property. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2022.

At the time of her guilty plea, Martins admitted to the court that while on federal supervised release for her role in a stolen identity refund scheme, as well as while on state probation for an unrelated 2014 conviction for forgery and counterfeiting, she applied for an FHA-guaranteed loan. As part of the application process, she provided false explanations as to her gaps in employment while serving her federal sentence, claiming she was unemployed due to a “family emergency.” Martins also failed to disclose the fact that she was subject to a $385,533 federal restitution order.

Following the application, Martins and a co-borrower were issued an FHA-insured mortgage in the amount of $265,109.

Additionally, Martins admitted that in July 2020, she submitted a fraudulent application for a Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest COVID-related Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), falsely claiming that she was an independent contractor in the health service business, and that her business had been impacted by the pandemic. Finally, Martins admitted that she fraudulently applied for and received COVID-related unemployment insurance benefits while she was in fact employed as an office manager in April 2020. In total, Martins received over $40,000 in COVID relief benefits to which she was not entitled.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Michael Seaman and Sandra R. Hebert.

The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General; FBI; and Rhode Island State Police, with the assistance of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Unemployment Insurance Fraud Unit.

Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.

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

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man has been ordered detained in federal custody on charges that he filed fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment assistance payments in at least eight states and that he threatened to assault a corrections officer, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Mackenzy Scott, 25, is charged by way of a federal superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, theft of government money, and threat to assault a federal corrections officer. He was arraigned in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.

It is alleged in charging documents that Scott filed fraudulent applications seeking unemployment insurance benefits provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program from the states of North Dakota, Massachusetts, Arizona, Nevada, California, Kentucky, Texas, and Pennsylvania. It is alleged that Scott filed at least four applications using the personal identifying information of others in three different states, and that he filed fraudulent applications in his own name in at least seven states.

 Scott’s alleged fraudulent activity was discovered by a Rhode Island U.S. Probation Officer during a routine inspection of Scott’s cellphone. At the time, Scott was serving a term of federal supervised release, having completed a term of incarceration of 60 months on a conviction for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child. Scott’s cellphone was turned over to the FBI and Rhode Island State Police to further investigate Scott’s alleged fraudulent activity.

It is alleged that Scott fraudulently collected at least $102,000 in PUA benefits.

Scott was charged by federal criminal complaint for the alleged fraudulent unemployment insurance activity on June 1, 2021, and, after making his initial appearance on the complaint, he was ordered detained on June 2, 2021. It is further alleged that while detained on the criminal complaint, Scott threatened a corrections officer at the Donald W. Wyatt Correctional Facility.

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

This case, as well as other instances of criminal activity related to fraudulent applications for pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits are being investigated jointly by the FBI, the Rhode Island State Police, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. Cases are jointly reviewed, charged, and prosecuted by a team of prosecutors that include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton, Stacey P. Veroni, and G. Michael Seaman, and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.

Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.

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

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Pawtucket man previously convicted and incarcerated in Massachusetts and Rhode Island on drug trafficking charges has been ordered detained in federal custody in Rhode Island on charges that he delivered methamphetamine and cocaine laced with fentanyl on at least three occasions while under surveillance by members of the FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Gang Task Force, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Anthony Shukri Nelson, 41, is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine, distribution of cocaine, and drug trafficking.

Charging documents allege that on three occasions between February 16 and February 23, 2022, Nelson delivered a total of approximately 37 grams of methamphetamine and 11.5 grams of cocaine laced with fentanyl to another individual in exchange for cash. A court-authorized search of the Pawtucket residence Nelson shares with his girlfriend resulted in the seizure of approximately 225 grams of cocaine containing fentanyl and more than $23,750 in cash.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

According to court records, Nelson was previously convicted in federal court in Massachusetts and sentenced to 58 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine; in Massachusetts state court for drug trafficking and sentenced to 5 years to 5 years and a day in prison; and in Rhode Island state court for drug trafficking and sentenced to 10 years in prison, 5 years to serve.

Nelson was on Rhode Island state probation at the time of his arrest on Tuesday.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy P. Veroni.

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PROVIDENCE, RI – Four members of the Chad Brown gang in Providence have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that they participated in a racketeering enterprise responsible for gun violence targeting rival gang members and for drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Delacey Andrade, 28, Kendrick Johnson 30, Keishon Johnson, 32, and Montrel Johnson, 25, each pled guilty to one count of participating in the activities of a Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO).

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, members and associates of the Chad Brown gang have participated in frequent acts of violence against rival East Side gang members dating back to 2013; these acts include drive-by shootings and illegal drug sales.  The most recent escalation of hostilities began in 2013 when a Chad Brown member, Jose “Hova” Sanchez, was shot to death on June 22, 2013.  In retaliation, two East Side members Ryan “Moondo” Almeida, and Nelson “Vamp” Sanchez, were shot to death in a thirty-day period from December 24, 2013, to January 24, 2014.  While the defendants in this case were not charged in federal court with those killings, they mark the beginning of the time-period charged in the RICO Count and provide context for the specific racketeering acts committed by the defendants. 

“There is no higher priority for this Office and this Department than combatting violent crime and gun violence in our communities,” said United States Attorney Cunha. “This case demonstrates that we, working hand-in-glove with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, will bring every resource at our disposal - including the sweep and impact of a RICO prosecution, to bring the sources of violence in our communities to justice. These convictions are a testament to that cooperation- particularly the work of the Providence Police Department, ATF, and the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General, and a victory for public safety.”

“This case is an example of how this Office, working with our partners in law enforcement over the past several years, has focused our resources to target those who are driving violent crime in our state,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha. “Using NIBIN technology, which allows for the digital comparison of spent ammunition casings to link firearms to multiple crime scenes, we were able to link a firearm we recovered to six additional shootings, two of which the defendants were charged with. Thanks to this investigation and prosecution, some of the worst perpetrators of violent crime in Providence will now find themselves behind bars– and for a long time. I am particularly grateful for our partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office and the strong work by federal law enforcement and the Providence Police Department in this case.”

“I commend the entire team of patrol officers, investigators and prosecutors for their relentless work regarding this case. This incredible investigation leading to criminal charges and convictions sends a very clear message to individuals who continue to be involved in violent criminal activity within this city that they will be relentlessly pursued by the Providence Police and our law enforcement partners,” said Providence Police Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr. “Moving forward we will utilize every available resource necessary in the pursuit of justice and our officers remain involved in many cases surrounding senseless gun violence and retaliation. Investigations of the magnitude are complicated and time consuming but paramount in keeping our neighborhoods safe. We will continue to target this violent criminal activity, as evidenced by the high volume of firearms we continue to seize, with no jurisdictional boundaries.”

“This investigation is an example of ATF’s dedication to working with our state, local and federal partners in identifying, targeting, and investigating violent criminals who are involved in shootings and other violent crimes, and who prey upon innocent citizens and lessen the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James M. Ferguson. “Our neighborhoods deserve to exist without fear and intimidation inflicted by all violent drug gangs. We will continue to work with our partners at the Providence Police to impact violent crime that impacts the quality of life in some Providence neighborhoods.”

The RICO count brought in this Project Safe Neighborhoods Providence Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigation was structured around four shootings in 2016 and 2017, each of which involved one or more of the defendants:

• Delacey Andrade, Montrel Johnson and Keishon Johnson were charged with the attempted murder of an East Side gang member on October 22, 2016, in a drive-by shooting. The shooting occurred after Montrel Johnson and the East Side gang member had a confrontation inside the Walmart on Silver Spring Street in Providence. According to information provided to the court, video surveillance, witness testimony, cell phone location data, and firearm forensic examinations establish that Andrade, Keishon Johnson and Montrel Johnson were in a gold Nissan Maxima that fired multiple gunshots into the victim’s car, hitting the victim three times and causing life threatening injuries. The shooting occurred on the two-year anniversary of a Chad Brown gang member’s shooting death, and shortly after the murder trial of the East Side gang members charged with his killing.          
• Later in the evening of October 22, 2016, video surveillance, cell phone location data, and firearm forensic examinations establish that Andrade and Keishon Johnson were in the same gold Nissan Maxima on Appian Street in Providence when they fired multiple gunshots into a vehicle driven by a woman they mistakenly identified as East Side rivals. Earlier that week, Kendrick Johnson had sent Andrade a text to be on the lookout for a similar vehicle containing East Side members who had driven through Chad Brown.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
• On June 19, 2017, Andrade and Kendrick Johnson were involved in a gun battle with East Side gang members outside the Tomato City Pizza restaurant on Douglas Avenue in Providence. East Side gang members shot at the residence of Montrel Johnson in Chad Brown earlier that day; Keishon Johnson sent a text identifying the shooter’s vehicle to Andrade.  Andrade and Kendrick Johnson then encountered the vehicle outside Tomato City and both sides exchanged gunfire.  Andrade and Kendrick Johnson crashed their vehicle and fled the scene.  Investigation identified Andrade’s DNA on the gun found at the scene and Kendrick Johnson’s DNA on the steering wheel of the vehicle.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
• On August 19, 2017, Keishon Johnson and two other Chad Brown members were arrested by Providence Police following a drive-by shooting on Hendrick Street in Providence. Expelled shell casings found at the scene as well as two firearms later recovered were ballistically matched.  Subsequent investigation established that one of the two firearms, a .40 caliber silver Beretta handgun, was used in the three of the four shootings underlying the RICO count (Walmart, Appian and Hendrick).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
• In addition, the evidence established that Kendrick Johnson and Andrade engaged in illegal drug and liquor sales, including distributing cocaine and marijuana.                                                                                                
• The investigation also established Keishon Johnson’s role in a marijuana distribution conspiracy involving Chad Brown members.

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

This PSN case is being prosecuted jointly in federal court by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and John P. McAdams, and Special Assistant United States Attorney James Baum of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.

United States Attorney Cunha recognizes and thanks the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the member agencies of the ATF Task Force; the Providence, Pawtucket  and North Providence Police Departments; the Rhode Island State Police; the Rhode Island Department of Corrections; and the United States Marshals Service for their close collaboration, support, and ongoing efforts in the investigation.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Jamaica, NY, resident who allegedly took up temporary residences in New Haven, CT, and Brookline, MA, where he allegedly retrieved packages containing cash sent by individuals victimized by grandparent scams in several states, including Rhode Island, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island on fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

The indictment charges Jean-Richard Audate, 35, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

It is alleged in the indictment that Audate and others participated in a conspiracy to defraud elderly victims by posing on the telephone as their grandchild or other family member, or an attorney representing a family member. The caller would convince victims that their family member had been arrested or incarcerated in another state or, was in financial and legal distress; and that cash payments were urgently needed to pay legal fees or related costs. Victims were instructed to send cash payments via FedEx or UPS to addresses provide by the conspirators.

According to information presented to the court, beginning in January 2021, the New Haven Police Department began to receive reports from several out-of-state police departments, including departments in Rhode Island, that elderly residents had been defrauded of large amounts of money through a grandparent scam. The victims were instructed to send cash payments to addresses in New Haven. New Haven Police determined that many of the addresses were in close proximity to one another, including the address of an Airbnb allegedly utilized by Audate. It is alleged that Audate visited many of the addresses and retrieved the packages, many of which New Haven Police and the FBI determined allegedly contained between as $7,900 and $150,000 in cash.

Audate was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence on February 24, 2022, and released on $10,000 unsecured bond.

A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.

United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Lincoln, RI, and Brookline, MA, Police Departments for their assistance in the investigation.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Bristol woman was arraigned in federal court today, having been charged by indictment with allegedly perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently collected more than $40,000 in Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for a child who was not in her care or custody, announced United Sates Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Sonia Pimentel, 43, was arraigned on a federal indictment charging her with bank fraud, theft of public funds, and aggravated identity theft.

It is alleged in charging documents that Pimentel fraudulently collected SSI monthly payments from December 2011through October 2016 by falsely representing herself as custodial parent for a child that did not live with her, and falsely representing to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she had spent the SSI payments for that child’s care and support. It is alleged that Pimentel opened a bank account in the child’s name, directed the SSA to deposit the SSI benefits to that bank account, and then withdrew approximately $42,346.73 for her own personal use.

It is further alleged that Pimentel fraudulently used the name, date of birth, Social Security number, and bank account number of the child to file applications for continued SSI benefits for the child and to open the bank account into which the SSI benefits were deposited.

Pimentel pled not guilty before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond and was released on $10,000 unsecured bond.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.

The matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A New York man who allegedly fled federal and state law enforcement by running onto an Interstate Rte. 95 offramp as officers and agents attempted to arrest him on drug trafficking charges has been ordered detained in federal custody following an initial appearance in U.S. District Court, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

A federal criminal complaint charges Miguel Evangelista Carrasco, 31, of Bronx, NY, with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

It is alleged in charging documents that earlier this month U.S. Postal Service Inspection agents, with the assistance of a Rhode Island State Police narcotic trained K-9, determined that a package shipped from Puerto Rico to a Warwick, RI, address likely contained narcotics. A court-authorized search of the package on February 14, 2021, revealed a gift-wrapped package sprayed with foam; inside was a brick like object, wrapped in saran wrap, carbon paper, and rubber, containing two kilograms of cocaine.

Charging documents allege that on February 17 and again on Wednesday of this week, Carrasco appeared at the U.S. Postal Service’s Providence Processing and Distribution Center to claim the package. He presented a redelivery slip left by the Postal Service at the Warwick address and displayed an image which appeared to be a Rhode Island driver’s license which contained a photograph of Carrasco and the name of the individual to whom the package was addressed.  As Carrasco left the post office with the package, he was confronted by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Carrasco fled on foot, running onto an Interstate Rte. 95 offramp, where he was apprehended after falling on the roadway, injuring his hands, feet, and left leg.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.

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PROVIDENCE, RI – A Burrillville, RI, man was arrested on Thursday following a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) and the Burrillville Police Department that resulted in the overnight seizure of 211 firearms and pounds of ammunition during a court-authorized search of his home, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

The firearms and ammunition were allegedly discovered in the residence of Ronald Andruchuk, 37, after officers responded to his home for the ninth time in recent months to investigate reports of shots fired. Shots were still being fired as officers arrived, several of which traveled over the heads of law enforcement, passing within four feet of the officers. Andruchuk was allegedly found to be wearing a bulletproof vest and to be carrying four firearms and methamphetamine.

A court-authorized search of the defendant’s home found 211 firearms and the thousands of rounds of ammunition strewn throughout the residence and the property he shares with his wife and three young children.

According to charging documents, in the fall of 2021, ATF became aware that between July 2021 and November 2021, Andruchuk purchased 169 firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers. It is alleged that, when making the purchases, Andruchuk made false statements on ATF applications.  

A subsequent investigation determined that in April 2018, Cranston Police encountered Andruchuk who allegedly exhibited a strong odor of marijuana. He claimed to be a RI medical marijuana patient and presented a medical marijuana card; in August 2019, a Cranston Detective observed an alleged drug transaction between Andruchuk  and another individual. Andruchuk was detained and allegedly found to be in possession of numerous oxycodone pills, morphine, and naloxone. He allegedly admitted to purchasing the drugs and having a substance abuse problem; and in December 2021, it is alleged that two firearms, drugs, and other items were located in the  drop ceiling  of a bathroom inside a Millbury, MA, retail store shortly after Andruchuk vacated the restroom. One of the firearms was listed as belonging to Andruchuk, who did not have a license to possess a firearm in Massachusetts.

Andruchuk is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, false statements in an application to purchase firearms, and causing false records to be kept by a federally licensed firearms dealer. 

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald R. Gendron and Sandra R. Hebert.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Pascoag man arrested twice by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for being in possession of images and videos depicting child pornography was sentenced today to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Jacob S. Munroe, 24, pled guilty on November 15, 2021, to a three-count information charging him with two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, in November 2018, HSI agents developed information that an IP address at Munroe’s residence was used to post at least 19 images depicting child pornography on an Internet messaging and networking application. Munroe was arrested on June 5, 2019, when dozens of images and videos of child pornography were discovered during a court-authorized search of his home and cell phone.

 On November 4, 2020, Munroe was arrested for a second time when it was determined that he had downloaded hundreds of images depicting child pornography while he was free on bond and awaiting trial.

Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Munroe was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of federal supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P Donnelly.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Pawtucket woman who, while working as office secretary to a local auto body business, devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain the proceeds of nearly 200 checks provided to customers by their insurance companies to pay for vehicle repairs, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Idalee Johnston, 48, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2021, to mail fraud.

According to charging documents, beginning in 2016, Johnston used two methods to obtain these funds: in some cases, she would not have customers sign direct payment forms that would have caused their insurance payments to be made directly to the auto body shop for repair work; in other cases, where customers did sign payment forms, she would not forward them to the insurance companies. As a result of her actions, insurance checks to pay for repairs were sent directly to customers who, in turn, at Johnston’s direction, provided the checks to her as a representative of the business.

Johnston previously admitted to the court that she deposited some of the checks into her bank account. In other instances, stolen checks were provided to family members to be deposited into their bank accounts, and later, at her direction, these family members provided her with most of the funds.

According to information presented to the court, the scheme continued for two years, resulting in a loss to the auto body business of more than $220,000.

At sentencing on Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Johnston to 24 months in federal prison to be followed by 2 years of federal supervised release. Johnston was ordered to pay restitution totaling $220,083 to the owners of the auto body business that she defrauded.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee H. Vilker and Terrence P. Donnelly.

The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Cranston Police Department

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Dominican national who twice re-entered the United States illegally after removal by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Alinson Santana, 46, who law enforcement determined had, at various times, used ten aliases, five Social Security numbers, and five dates of birth, pleaded guilty on December 16, 2021 to Illegal Reentry.

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, Santana was arrested by Woonsocket Police on October 18, 2021, in an unrelated matter. Santana’s true identity was determined when US Immigration & Customs Enforcement officials received the results of a biometric fingerprint comparison from the FBI, which matched Santana’s fingerprint taken during a previous arrest.

U.S. Immigration records revealed that the defendant had been removed twice from the United States pursuant to Immigration Court orders. The first removal occurred on November 21, 2007, from Alexandria, Louisiana to the Dominican Republic. He was removed from the United States for a second time on September 5, 2017. Before the second removal he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to a charge of illegal reentry.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge William E. Smith sentenced Santana to 14 months of incarceration in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of federal supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chaffee.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A California man arrested after he allegedly attempted to flee from East Providence Police on Wednesday by jumping off a bridge and into the Providence River made an initial appearance today before a federal Magistrate Judge on a charge of possession of firearms by a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

According to charging documents, it is alleged that late Wednesday afternoon the East Providence Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU) developed information about individuals posting pictures of firearms on Facebook and attempting to sell firearms within the city of East Providence. Members of the SIU determined where the individuals were located and established surveillance of a residence.

Charging documents allege that, about an hour after police established surveillance, a white Honda with heavy aftermarket dark tinting arrived and five individuals exited the building. One of the individuals, later identified through fingerprints as Joseph Darosa, 28, placed a suitcase in the trunk of the Honda, entered the vehicle as a passenger, and the car drove off. The other four individuals entered a second vehicle and left the area. East Providence Police followed the Honda onto Rte. 195 and initiated a traffic stop for a tinted window violation. As officers approached the vehicle, Darosa got out of the rear passenger side and jumped off a bridge and into the Providence River. With the assistance of Providence Police and Rhode Island State Police, Darosa was located along the shoreline and arrested about an hour later.

A court-authorized search of the suitcase seized from the trunk of the Honda was found to contain 14 handguns. The driver of the vehicle told police that he was a Lyft driver and that he was unaware of the contents of the suitcase.

According to court records, Darosa was previously convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of  California for distribution of methamphetamine. He was sentenced in May 2016 to a term of incarceration of 60 months and is currently serving a term of federal supervised release.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chaffee.

United States Attorney Cunha thanks the ATF for their assistance in the investigation of the firearms and the filing of a federal criminal complaint, as well as the East Providence and Providence Police Departments and the Rhode Island State Police for their work in investigating and apprehending Darosa.

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

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A West Warwick man who arranged to sell thousands of counterfeit OxyContin pills containing fentanyl to an undercover member of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force pleaded guilty in federal court today to fentanyl trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Richard Delsanto, 28, pleaded guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to charging documents, in April and May 2021, an undercover Newport Police Department detective assigned to the DEA Drug Task Force engaged in a series of text messages with Delsanto to arrange for the purchase of 1,000 counterfeit OxyContin pills known to contain fentanyl. Delsanto delivered the pills on May 4, in exchange for $5,000. Nine days later, the undercover detective arranged for a second delivery of pills from Delsanto. As Delsanto arrived at an agreed-upon meeting location, members of the DEA Drug Task Force stopped Delsanto’s vehicle and seized approximately 3,000 pills containing fentanyl. An additional 700 fentanyl pills were seized from Delsanto’s residence during a court-authorized search.

Delsanto is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2022.

Distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl is punishable by statutory penalties of 40 years in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum 5 years of imprisonment, and a term of federal supervised release of 4 years. Possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl is punishable by statutory penalties of up to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years of imprisonment, and a term of 5 years of federal supervised release. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Michael Seaman.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Georgia man convicted for his role in a scheme in which Providence area homeless and transient individuals were recruited to cash hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of counterfeit business checks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine, in exchange for cash payments, was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison.

Michael Williams, 26, of Atlanta, GA, pleaded guilty on July 7, 2021, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

“This defendant’s actions in this case resulted in substantial losses, but equally if not more importantly, his actions managed to victimize some of society’s most vulnerable in an effort to line his pockets, recruiting them to take the risk for his benefit,” remarked U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Today’s sentence appropriately reflects the harm this defendant’s scheme caused, both financially and to individuals.” 

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, from October 2018 through February 2021, numerous homeless individuals were arrested at banks throughout the region when they attempted to cash counterfeit business checks. When questioned, many reported similar stories, stating they were approached by one or more males in Providence and offered the opportunity to cash bogus checks in return for cash payments. Williams was one of the men who approached these homeless individuals. Once an individual agreed to cash a check, Williams and others created a counterfeit check made payable to that person, generally in the amount of $2,000 or more, and then drove him or her to a bank to cash it. Individuals were often paid approximately $100 per check that they successfully cashed.

According to court documents, on February 5, 2021, Williams and another person recruited and drove a homeless person to a Providence bank to cash a check, and threatened to injure the man if he failed to provide them with all the proceeds. From inside the bank, the man pointed to a vehicle parked outside of the bank containing the individuals who provided him with the counterfeit check. Providence Police located the vehicle a short distance away, arrested Williams, and seized $12,000 in cash.  

A court-authorized search was conducted at a Providence residence that law enforcement determined Williams used when in Rhode Island; that search resulted in the seizure of items used to create counterfeit checks; including a computer which contained a program used to design and print checks, a printer, blank check stock, an envelope containing numerous stolen checks, and approximately $5,000 in cash.

The investigation determined that using homeless and itinerant individuals, Williams and others attempted to cash approximately $677,687 worth of counterfeit checks throughout the New England region, causing actual losses to financial institutions of approximately $480,000.

Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Michael Williams was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of federal supervised release. Williams was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $480,000.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.

The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service.

United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Providence and Medway, MA, Police Departments for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Central Falls man admitted in federal court today to being a member of a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of packages containing kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

George Mojica, 42, pled guilty to an information charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.  In his plea agreement, Mojica admitted that from at least February 22, 2019, and continuing through December 16, 2019, he participated in the conspiracy to distribute cocaine and to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute.  Mojica also admitted that he communicated with co-conspirators about the arrival dates of incoming cocaine parcels that had been shipped via US Priority Mail, about receiving and retrieving the cocaine parcels, and about transporting them.

According to court documents, beginning in January 2018, members of the drug trafficking organization in Puerto Rico repeatedly mailed US Priority Mail parcels to various Rhode Island addresses. The return addresses on the parcels used sender names that were not associated with the listed return addresses, and the packages were addressed to recipients in Rhode Island that were not associated with the where the parcels were sent. Members of the organization in Rhode Island routinely tracked the packages online as they moved through the mail to determine when and where they would be delivered. Once delivered, the packages were retrieved by Mojica or by other co-conspirators and couriers.  After the parcels were retrieved, they were delivered to Mojica or to other co-conspirators.  Based on the packages seized, the known size and weights of many of the parcels not intercepted, the organization is believed to have shipped and/or attempted to ship approximately 51 kilos of cocaine to Rhode Island between January 2018 and December 2019.

It is alleged in charging documents that for nearly two years Mojica, Arcadio Torres, 40, of North Providence, Nelson Carvahlo, 47, of Cranston, Angel Delgado, 25, of Pawtucket, and others, tracked, retrieved, and transported packages containing between one and five kilograms. Numerous packages were intercepted by law enforcement.

Mojica is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Mary S. McElroy on May 16, 2022.

Angel Delgado pled guilty on January 7, 2020, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 kilograms or more of cocaine.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Mary S. McElroy on March 31, 2022.  Charges remain pending in federal court against Torres and Carvahlo.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.

The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, DEA, and members of the Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. 

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Warwick man charged with executing a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), an element of the CARES Act passed by Congress on March 29, 2020, in response to the national crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, was sentenced in federal court in Providence today to three years of supervised release, the first six months of which are to be served in home confinement with electronic monitoring, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

David Andrew Butziger, 53, previously admitted to the court that he, along with co-conspirator David Adler Staveley, 54, of Andover, MA, sought to defraud the PPP by seeking $543,959 in forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA, claiming to have dozens of employees earning wages at four business, when, in fact, there were no employees working at any of them.

Staveley pleaded guilty on May 17, 2021, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and failure to appear in court as required. He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy on October 7, 2021, to fifty-six months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

Three weeks after appearing in U.S. District Court in May 2020, and released to home detention with electronic monitoring, Staveley removed his electronic monitoring device, staged his own suicide, and fled. Staveley left suicide notes with associates and left his wallet in his unlocked car that he parked along the ocean in Massachusetts. Further investigation determined that between May 26 and July 23, 2020, Staveley, who was to have appeared in federal court on June 2, 2020, traveled to various states using false identities and stolen license plates. He was apprehended by the United States Marshals Service in Alpharetta, GA., on July 23, 2020.

Staveley’s co-conspirator, Butziger, pleaded guilty on October 18, 2020, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, admitting to the court that he himself sought a bank loan for $105,381.50 to pay seven employees at an unincorporated entity he called Dock Wireless. According to the government’s evidence, Dock Wireless had no employees, and no wages were ever paid by the company.

Butziger also admitted that he conspired with Staveley to submit three fraudulent bank loan applications for SBA loans under the PPP totaling $438,577. The loans were to be used to pay employees at three restaurants Staveley claimed to own, Top of the Bay and Remington House in Warwick and On The Trax in Berlin, MA. According to government’s evidence, Staveley had no ownership interest in any of the business; none of them were open at the time; and there we no employees at time the loan applications were filed.

Today, Butziger was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge McElroy to three years of supervised release, the first six months to be served in home confinement with electronic monitoring, and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

The Justice Department acknowledges and thanks the SBA Office of Inspector General and the FDIC, Office of Inspector General for their assistance in the investigation.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  A Providence man today admitted in federal court that he possessed over 500 grams of cocaine and approximately 100 fentanyl pills that he intended to distribute; he also admitted that, as a convicted felon, he was illegally in the possession of various magazines of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Henry Arnaut, 26, charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, pled guilty to all charges.

According to information presented to the court, in November 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), with the assistance of the FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Gang Task Force, began a Project Safe Neighborhoods Investigation into a series of packages shipped to Arnaut’s residence from fictitious addresses in California. Each of the packages bore similar markings and handwriting, consistent with known shipments of illegal drugs by drug traffickers through the U.S. Mail. At least three similar packages were delivered to Arnaut’s residence.

In February 2021, a similar package was identified by USPIS agents as it moved through the mail stream. A court-authorized search of the package determined it contained cocaine. Arnaut was arrested on February 8, 2021, shortly after claiming the package at the U.S. Post Office.

A court-authorized search of Arnaut’s residence on the day of his arrest resulted in the seizure of approximately 100 fentanyl pills, an additional amount of cocaine, high-capacity rifle and pistol magazines, and $1,180 in cash. Arnaut, previously convicted of a felony and sentenced to a term exceeding one year, was legally prohibited from possessing the ammunition. The total amount of cocaine seized from the package and from Arnaut’s residence exceeded 500 grams.

Arnaut is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on May 5, 2022.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.

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

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A former Warwick firefighter made an initial appearance in federal court in Providence on Wednesday, charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with threats to injure the person of another transmitted in interstate or foreign commerce, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

It is alleged in court documents that Barry J. LaFleur, 57, of Cranston, a retired Warwick Fire Department Lieutenant with 23 years of service, made threats of violence (e.g. to kill, shoot,commit work-place slaughters; terror incidents, and mass killings), directed mainly towards public officials in the City of Warwick, in tens-of-thousands of messages he authored and transmitted primarily via emails and online postings. Charging documents allege that LaFleur transmitted the threats both while employed and after his retirement from the Warwick Fire Department.

LaFleur, arrested without incident, appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond and was released on unsecured bond to home detention with electronic GPS monitoring.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.

The matter was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force  (JTTF) at the FBI Providence Resident Agency, with the assistance of the Rhode Island State Police and the Warwick and Cranston Police Departments.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI’s JTTF thank the United States Secret Service and Cranston Police Department for their assistance in the arrest of Lafleur.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man who admitted to stealing both the identity and U.S. Mail of at least two individuals, including checks that he deposited into his own bank accounts after forging the check endorsement, has been sentenced to two years and one day in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Marquis D. McNair pleaded guilty on September 30, 2021, to two counts of aggravated identity theft, five counts of possession of stolen mail, and two counts of bank fraud.

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, in December 2017, an individual filed a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that a Change of Address form had been filed in that person’s name without their consent. Subsequently, the investigation determined that the complainant’s mail was being forwarded to McNair’s residence.

 Further investigation determined that several checks addressed and made out to the complainant were forwarded to McNair’s residence, fraudulently endorsed, and deposited into bank accounts he opened in his own name. The money was quickly withdrawn from ATMs.

According to information presented to the court, a court-authorized search of McNair’s residence in April 2018 resulted in the seizure of approximately 110 pieces of first-class mail addressed to individuals other than McNair; a binder with the names and personal identifying information of about 20 individuals; and check stubs of individuals whose mail had been stolen and whose checks had been fraudulently endorsed and cashed by McNair.

At sentencing on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced McNair to two years and one day in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. He was ordered to pay restitution totaling $7,548.13.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.

The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man has admitted in federal court to fraudulently filing applications with five states for unemployment benefits provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Keishon Brown 33, pled guilty on Tuesday to wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2022.

According to charging documents, beginning in May 2020, Brown, who worked in Rhode Island, submitted fraudulent online applications with unemployment agencies in Massachusetts, Arizona, Nevada, Virginia, and California for pandemic-related unemployment benefits under the CARES Act PUA Program. In his applications, Brown claimed that he was unemployed, but that he had previously worked in each of those states, when in fact he had not. Brown collected a total of $62,084 in benefits that he was not entitled to receive.

This case, as well as other instances of criminal activity related to fraudulent applications for pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits are being investigated jointly by the FBI, the Rhode Island State Police, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. Cases are jointly reviewed, charged, and prosecuted by a team of prosecutors that include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton, Stacey P. Veroni, and G. Michael Seaman, and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.

Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.

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

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

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PROVIDENCE -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland this week released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

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

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

“Stopping the trafficking and exploitation of our most vulnerable will always be a significant priority in District of Rhode Island,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha, “and doing that effectively means coordinating closely with our state and local law enforcement partners, as well as with advocacy groups to provide training, share resources and develop best practices- to both quickly and effectively prosecute traffickers, and to support their victims.”

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

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

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

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

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

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  The property manager of a Woonsocket, RI, condominium community was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Providence on five counts of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Cheryl S. Sullivan, 67, a real estate broker, tax preparer, property manager, and the chairperson of the Board of Tax Assessors for the Town of Dedham, MA., was arrested earlier today by FBI agents.

An indictment returned on January 26 and unsealed today alleges that Sullivan, acting in the capacity as a property manager for the River Island Condominium Association, devised a scheme to access Association funds for her own personal use. It is alleged that beginning as early as February 2019, Sullivan used a debit card attached to the association’s checking account to withdraw cash for her own use from ATMs located at the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, MA.

According to information presented to the court, a joint FBI and Plainville Police Department investigation determined that Sullivan allegedly defrauded the Association of approximately $46,500.

Ms. Sullivan pled not guilty and was released on unsecured bond following today’s arraignment.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.

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PROVIDENCE – An accounts payable clerk previously employed at a Providence small business today admitted in federal court that he engaged in a scheme to defraud the business by misappropriating more than $300,000 for his personal use, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Grant Devillez, 38, of Dayville, Conn., charged by indictment with ten counts of wire fraud, pled guilty to all charges. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.

In pleading guilty, Mr. Devillez admitted that from at least February 2016 through July 2018, he engaged in a scheme to defraud Décor Craft, Inc., of approximately $302,000, by misappropriating funds from the business’ bank accounts and transferring those funds to his own personal bank accounts, to his creditors to pay personal bills, and to the bank account of another person in Massachusetts.

Mr. Devillez admitted that he was given access to the Décor Craft, Inc. bank account to make authorized payments to vendors.  He admitted that, instead of making those payments, he would either make a partial payment to the vendors, or no payment at all, and would transfer the remaining funds for his own use.  Afterwards, he altered company records to reflect that full payment had been made to vendors.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on April 29, 2022.

Wire fraud is punishable by statutory maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of twice the gross/gain loss, and 3 years’ supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton.

The matter was investigated by the FBI.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal grand jury on Wednesday returned a three-count indictment charging a South Kingstown man with possessing and distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

The indictment charges William Schock, 27, with two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Charging documents allege that Schock shared sexually explicit images of prepubescent females with others, using an online social media app. Additionally, it is alleged, Schock downloaded and stored video files depicting child pornography.

According to court documents, in May 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Ottawa provided information to HSI agents in Providence of an IP address that was used to upload an image of child pornography. HSI Providence agents determined that the IP address belonged to Shock’s residence, and that on at least two occasions it was allegedly used to upload child pornography.

In August 2020,  HSI agents, assisted by the Rhode Island State Police and members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, executed a court-authorized search of Schock’s residence. A forensic review of Schock’s cell phone allegedly revealed numerous videos depicting child pornography.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The United States Attorney’s Office is joining with three Project Safe Neighborhoods community outreach partners in the launch of a 20-week in-school mentoring program for students at Blackstone Academy Charter School. The program focuses on community leadership in nonviolence and substance use prevention. The launch of the program this week coincides with the recognition of National Mentoring Month.

Coordinated by LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) Rhode Island, students assume the roles of community leaders (Mayor, Police Chief, School Principal etc.), and, working alongside mentors from LISC, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nonviolence Institute, and Project Weber/RENEW, students  prepare proposals on Nonviolence and Substance Use Prevention. They will engage in training on Nonviolence and anti-stigma, and hear from people working on the frontlines to end cycles of violence and substance abuse. Students will use what they learn in the classroom and through direct action serving the community to build solutions for a healthier city. They will deliver their proposals to elected and civic leaders.

“Fighting the devastation visited on our communities by gun violence and substance abuse means more than just effective prosecution strategies,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “It means building effective community partnerships to mentor, support, and provide alternatives before lives and communities are destroyed.  Our office is proud to join in this critical effort.” 

Becki Marcus, Assistant Program Officer at LISC, said, “LISC is thrilled to provide coordinating support for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Project Weber/ RENEW, and the Nonviolence Institute to teach a class on Community Leadership in Nonviolence and Substance Use Prevention at Blackstone Academy Charter School. LISC is the backbone agency of the Pawtucket Central Falls Health Equity Zone, a community-driven collaborative devoted to addressing social determinants of health. We are excited for this class to engage youth as visionaries and leaders of change to build solutions for nonviolence and health in their communities.

"The Nonviolence Institute (NVI) is very excited to have an opportunity to work with Blackstone Academy in our mission to spread the nonviolence message through a Nonviolence Educational Training curriculum. NVI believes that we are all part of the solution, and it is the language, principles, steps, and components that connect and build our Beloved Community by spreading and sharing the practice of Nonviolence,” Said Cedric Huntley, Executive Director of NVI.

“Much of Project Weber/RENEW's (PWR) work is focused on harm reduction and evidence-based approaches to combat the overdose epidemic through needle exchange, Narcan distribution, and advocating for other proven efforts like harm reduction centers. However, we know through our own lives that the opposite of addiction is connection: we aim to foster this connection with people through our shared lived experiences,” noted Ashley Perry, Pawtucket Program Manager. “At PWR we use our voices and experiences to advocate for better systems to treat people with dignity and respect, and work to move forward from counterproductive policies. We are so excited to work with the next generation and have the youth at Blackstone Academy learn more about our experiences so they can do the crucial advocacy and work to help address violence and overdose in their communities.”

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

For additional information about United States Attorney’s Office’s PSN outreach programs visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri or contact Community Engagement & Crime Prevention Coordinator David Neill at (401) 709-5035 or at David.Neill@USDOJ.gov.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man admitted in federal court today that he fraudulently filed an application for unemployment benefits provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Deeshawn Gadson, 32, pled guilty to wire fraud.

According to charging documents, in April 2020, Gadson, who lived and worked in Rhode Island, submitted online applications to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RIDLT) for benefits made available by the CARES Act. In May 2020, Gadson began receiving benefits from RIDLT. He received approximately $20,302 in unemployment benefits.

In June 2020, Gadson submitted a fraudulent online application to the Arizona State Department of Economic Security, falsely stating that he lived and worked in Arizona. Gadson was paid $7,170 in PAU program benefits that he was not legally entitled to receive.

Gadson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2022.

This case, as well as other instances of criminal activity related to fraudulent applications for pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits are being investigated jointly by the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. Cases are jointly reviewed, charged, and prosecuted by a team of prosecutors that include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton, Stacey P. Veroni, and G. Michael Seaman, and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.

Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.

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

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

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Brown Dermatology has agreed to resolve allegations that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in its care and treatment of patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. Brown Dermatology is a private medical practice that provide clinical services at 10 locations across Rhode Island.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office began the investigation after a complainant alleged that Brown Dermatology failed to provide her family member, who is deaf, with sign-language interpreters during scheduled medical appointments. As a result, the complainant alleged that she was forced to interpret for her family member’s medical appointments, a position for which she is not qualified. The U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated and found that Brown Dermatology failed to provide the deaf patient with a qualified sign language interpreter necessary to provide effective communication for at least 12 medical appointments between 2018 and 2021. The investigation also revealed that Brown Dermatology failed to provide at least seven other deaf patients with a qualified sign language interpreter necessary to ensure effective communication during their medical appointments.

Under the settlement signed today, Brown Dermatology agreed to: (1) adopt policies and procedures that ensure that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing receive auxiliary aids and/or services (including sign language interpreters when necessary) that ensure effective communication; (2) train its staff on the ADA’s effective communication requirements; and (3) pay $31,000 in settlement. Under the terms of the agreement, $17,500 will be paid to the patient who is deaf; $3,500 will be paid to her family member (for association discrimination), and $10,000 will be paid as a civil penalty to the United States. Brown Dermatology fully cooperated with the investigation and settlement of this matter.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Amy Romero in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is committed to investigating alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA, including a Business Brief on Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings, at www.ada.gov/hospcombr.htm. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit www.ada.gov  or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).

Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that the office of a health care provider or any other place of public accommodation or public entity in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at  https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/civil-rights-enforcement or 401-709-5000.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Boston-area contractor who frequently traveled to Rhode Island to cash business checks at a check-cashing business as part of a scheme to not report or pay taxes on nearly     $2 million in income was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Richard Karski, 60, owner and operator of K.C.O. Builders,  pleaded guilty on October 7, 2021, to attempt to evade or defeat tax.

In pleading guilty, Karski admitted that for tax years 2015 through 2018, he failed to declare any income or pay any taxes on approximately $1,917,658 in business and personal income.

Karski admitted that as part of his scheme, he frequented a Pawtucket, RI, check-cashing business where he cashed checks he received from clients. The income was never reported to the Internal Revenue Service. In total, Karski failed to pay $179,182 in taxes.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Karski to two years federal probation and ordered him to pay $179,182 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.

The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  A Providence man today admitted in federal court that he submitted fraudulent online applications seeking pandemic related unemployment benefits from eight states while collecting benefits from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Vallah Brown 30, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, admitting that he filed fraudulent online applications seeking Families First Coronavirus  Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funded unemployment benefits from Massachusetts, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, California, Texas, New York, and Louisiana. Brown claimed on each state’s benefit application that he was a resident of that state, was unemployed, and was entitled to benefits in that state.

An investigation determined that Brown fraudulently collected $48,902 dollars in FFCRA and CARES Act funding from those eight states.

Brown is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on April 22, 2022.

Wire fraud is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison and three years federal supervised release.

These matters and other cases of alleged criminal activity related to fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits due to the pandemic are being investigated jointly by the FBI and Rhode Island State Police, and U.S. Department of Labor, with the assistance of other federal agencies. Cases are jointly reviewed, charged and prosecuted by a team including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton, Stacey P. Veroni, G. Michael Seaman, and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.

Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.

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

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

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal grand jury on Wednesday returned an indictment charging two Providence men in connection with the alleged robbery and assault of a U.S, Postal Service carrier and the alleged trafficking of more than 500 grams of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

The indictment charges Juan Bautista Rosario-Sandoval, 29, with conspiracy to assault and rob a U.S. mail carrier, assault and robbery of a U.S. mail carrier, and conspiracy to possess more than 500 grams of cocaine. Duralline Azcona Rodriguez, 24, is charged with conspiracy to possess more than 500 grams of cocaine.

The indictment alleges that on September 18, 2021, Rosario-Sandoval and another unknown person approached a U.S. mail carrier and conspired to forcibly take a Priority Mail Express Parcel addressed for delivery to a Providence address. When the postal carrier refused to hand over the package, Rosario-Sandoval and the second person allegedly opened the doors to the carrier’s Postal Service vehicle, began to pull at and punch the carrier, and then stole and fled with the package. It is further alleged that Rodriquez was in a nearby vehicle to assist in obtaining the package from the Postal Service carrier.

It is alleged that the package contained more than 500 grams of cocaine.

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

Conspiracy to possess more than 500 grams of cocaine is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 40 years imprisonment and supervised release up to life. Conspiracy to assault and rob a U.S. mail carrier and assault and rob a U.S. mail carrier are each punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and 3 years of federal supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.

The matter was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service agents, with the assistance of Providence Police and the Rhode Island State Police.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  An East Providence man who played a critical role in an international money laundering conspiracy that moved nearly $1.8 million to Nigeria obtained through various scams perpetrated in the United States was sentenced today to 42 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Samson Ikotun, 34, pleaded guilty on September 29, 2021, to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents and information presented to the court, victims were defrauded of $1.784,654 through romance scams, lottery frauds, rental property frauds, email compromises, and other schemes. Ikotun moved more than $888,000 of that money to co-conspirators in Nigeria, using various banking methods and the purchase of used vehicles that were shipped to Nigeria and resold.

According to court documents, as an FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Tallmadge, Ohio, and Moscow, Idaho Police Department investigation into Ikotun and others criminal activity was concluding, Ikotun was apprehended by FBI agents at the airport with a one-way ticket to Nigeria.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Ikotun today to  42 months in federal prison to be followed by two years federal supervised release. The court is expected to issue a restitution order at a later date.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.

United States Attorney Cunha thanks United States Customs and Border Patrol; United States Secret Service; Rhode Island State Police; Providence, North Providence, East Providence, and Johnston, RI, Police Departments; Seekonk, Newton, Norfolk, and Hull, MA, Police Departments; New York State Police; Murphysboro, IL, Police Department; Greybull, WY, Police Department; Grand Island, NE, Police Department; Boca Raton, FL, Police Department; Lake County, FL, Sheriff’s Office; Brecknock Township, PA, Police Department; East Ridge, TN, Police Department; and San Angelo, TX, Police Department for their assistance in the investigation of the defendants involved in this conspiracy.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Tiverton man allegedly found to be in possession of more than 150 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse was arrested on Tuesday on a charge of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

David Burke, 63, was arrested following a court-authorized search of his residence by members of the FBI Boston Division’s Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force that resulted in the alleged discovery of 160 images and videos depicting child pornography downloaded to a desktop computer.

According to charging documents, an ongoing FBI Project Safe Childhood investigation into the use of an online peer-to-peer software program determined that in June 2021, an IP address associated with Burke’s residence requested that files containing child pornography be downloaded from the peer-to-peer network. It is alleged that a video file containing approximately 23 minutes and 15 seconds of child sexual exploitation, and second containing a 13-minute video were downloaded.

Burke made an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on Tuesday and was released on $50,000 unsecured bond.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This Project Safe Childhood case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.

The matter was investigated by the FBI Boston Division’s Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes detectives from the Providence and Warwick Police Departments. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Tiverton Police Department for their assistance on Tuesday at the residence of Mr. Burke.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The former owner of a Providence-based business that affixed price tags to jewelry for other companies was sentenced today to two years federal probation and ordered to pay the Internal Revenue Service more than $550,000 in back taxes and interest for failing to report more than $1.2 million in business revenue, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Gladys Rossi, sole owner and operator of the now defunct R.I.J. Inc, pleaded guilty on October 6, 2021, to two counts of filing false tax returns.

According to charging documents, an investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation determined that from 2012 through 2015, Ms. Rossi routinely cashed checks issued to her business by clients, but failed to report the income to the IRS. Ms. Rossi paid employees under-the-table and failed to maintain or prepare business records that accurately tracked expenditures, gross income, net income, profits, and dividend disbursements.

Ms. Rossi failed to report income totaling $1,226,707.21, resulting in an underpayment of taxes of at least $407,767. Accrued interest on the amount of taxes due the IRS totals $147,848.45. As part of the sentence, Ms. Rossi was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $555,615.45, which is made up of the underpayment sum with interest added.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Haverhill, MA, man today became the sixth defendant to admit his role in a wide-ranging scheme to defraud financial institutions in several states of more than $2.4 million dollars by obtaining and attempting to obtain car loans with the use of stolen personal identifying information of others and fraudulent documents, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Fernando Diaz, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Diaz admitted that in December 2017, he used the stolen identity of a Connecticut resident to apply for and obtain a $50,000 personal loan from an online finance company. The proceeds were deposited into a TD Bank account opened with the use of the same stolen identity. Diaz and others withdrew the funds from the TD Bank account.

Additionally, Diaz admitted that in June 2019, he filed online applications for used car loans in the amounts of $35,000, $35,574, and $36,000, each time falsely representing that he sought to purchase a 2016 Porsche Cayenne. Each application was accompanied by counterfeit documents created by one or more members of the conspiracy, including a fraudulent Massachusetts Automobile Title and a fraudulent bill of sale.

Diaz becomes the sixth person convicted in U.S. District Court in Providence for their roles in the scheme. Among the defendants awaiting sentencing is a Massachusetts used car dealer, Roland E. Estrella, 33, of Dracut, MA., who admitted to being the leader of the conspiracy. 

Estrella is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24, 2022. Diaz is scheduled to be sentenced on April 5, 2022.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.

The investigation into the fraud ring which operated throughout the northeast was conducted by the Social Security Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  A Providence man who admitted to participating in two deliveries of around 50 grams of fentanyl each was sentenced today to six years in federal prison.

Andre Monroe, 32, previously admitted to the court that on June 19, 2019, he secured a $3,000 payment for 49.59 grams of fentanyl sold by an individual who was under surveillance by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Additionally, on July 24, 2019, he accepted a $2,700 payment for two bags containing a total of 50.45 grams of fentanyl supplied by him and another individual to the same person that purchased fentanyl in June.

Monroe pleaded guilty on February 12, 2020, to two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Monroe was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 72 months in federal prison to be followed by four years of federal supervised release, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.

The FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha today announced the appointment of Sara Miron Bloom, a veteran federal prosecutor who amassed a diverse and exceedingly distinguished record of accomplishment while serving in the United States Attorney’s Office for District of Massachusetts for over two decades, to lead his team of supervisors in the District of Rhode Island.

As an Assistant United States Attorney and supervisor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, Ms. Bloom investigated and litigated complex financial crime cases in the Securities, Financial, & Cyber Fraud Unit, and served as Chief of the Civil Division’s Affirmative Litigation Unit and as Senior Litigation Counsel to the Criminal Division.  In those roles, she led and prosecuted groundbreaking civil and criminal pharmaceutical marketing fraud cases against Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and other companies that resulted in approximately $6 billion in total criminal and civil recoveries; she also served with distinction an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division, litigating defensive and affirmative matters on behalf of the United States.

Ms. Bloom succeeds Assistant United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus as First Assistant, following Mr. Myrus’ term as Acting United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island from February 2021 to December 2021. AUSA Myrus continues in his role as a prosecutor in the office’s Criminal Division, as well as in a newly created position as Counsel to the United States Attorney.

 “I consider myself, and more importantly, this Office, to be extremely fortunate to have a prosecutor of Sara Bloom’s talent and hard-earned reputation join our team,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha.  “Her work leading and handling large and complex investigations and holding the powerful to account is second to none. That background, and her experience handling and supervising virtually every category of case prosecuted or litigated by the United States perfectly complements the talented and dedicated staff of public servants in this Office who serve the people of Rhode Island every day.  I would also like to thank Richard Myrus for his exceptional service as Acting United States Attorney, and distinguished work as a prosecutor in this Office for fifteen years.  I value his experience and judgment and am pleased that he will be taking on this new role on my leadership team.”

Mr. Cunha today also announced the appointment of Assistant United States Attorney Bethany N. Wong to serve as Chief of the Civil Division. Ms. Wong was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney in the office’s Civil Division in August 2014. In addition to representing the United States in a wide range of civil affirmative and defensive matters, Ms. Wong has also served as the office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement coordinator since October 2018. Ms. Wong succeeds United States Attorney Cunha as Civil Chief.

 “Bethany Wong is a superlative civil litigator, whose talents as an attorney are equaled only by her sound judgment and dedication to the public interest,” U.S. Attorney Cunha remarked. “I am confident that she will continue and expand the critical and impactful work of the Civil Division, particularly in the vital area of affirmative litigation.”

Additionally, Mr. Cunha today announced that the remainder of current leadership team will continue in their respective capacities:

Sandra R. Hebert has led the Criminal Division since December 2020. In addition to prosecuting a wide variety of criminal matters, including several significant drug and white-collar crime cases, Ms. Hebert previously served as OCEDTF Chief and Criminal Division Deputy Chief. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island, Ms. Hebert served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Texas - Midland Division beginning in 2004. Prior to her appointments as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ms. Hebert served as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps.

Lee H. Vilker, who has served as Deputy Criminal Chief since December 2020, joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island in June 2002, after serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey for nearly three years. In his more than two decades as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Vilker has specialized in investigating and prosecuting complex white-collar fraud cases. Mr. Vilker has prosecuted a wide variety of criminal conduct, including Ponzi schemes, investment fraud and corporate embezzlement, as well as narcotics offenses and crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.

Lauren S. Zurier will continue to serve in her role as Chief of Appeals, a position she has held since December 2019. Ms. Zurier litigates the District’s criminal cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Prior to being named an Assistant United States Attorney, Ms. Zurier served as an appellate prosecutor for over two decades in the office of the Rhode Island Attorney General.

 “We are fortunate to have such a deep bench of talented and dedicated attorneys in positions of leadership in this Office,” said Cunha.  “I have every confidence that this team has the experience, judgment, and skill that will enable us to continue and expand on our mission to protect the public safety, to serve all Rhode Islanders, and to maximize the impact and effectiveness of our enforcement efforts in every area.” 

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – According to an information and plea agreement filed today in U.S. District Court in Providence, the vice president of two Providence businesses, who also acted as the business/finance manager of a trust, will plead guilty to charges that he allegedly failed to turn over to the Internal Revenue Service more than one million dollars in federal payroll taxes, including Medicare, and Social Security taxes withheld from employees’ paychecks. 

It is alleged in charging documents that Mark Carlson, as Vice President of American Pride Insulation and of Atlantic Abatement Construction, and a manager of finances for the Leo Byrnes Trust, failed his responsibility to collect, truthfully account for, and turn over payroll taxes from the three entities.

Carlson is charged by way of an information with 14 counts of failure to truthfully account for and pay over withholding and FICA taxes and one count of filing a false tax return.

Court documents allege that, throughout calendar years 2015 through 2018,  the three entities withheld taxes from their employees’ paychecks, but Carlson failed to file the appropriate IRS documents, failed to truthfully account for, and failed to turn over to the IRS the federal payroll taxes withheld and FICA taxes due to the United States on behalf of the businesses and their employees. In total,  Carlson is alleged to have failed to turnover $1,086,816.50.

Court documents also allege that Carlson created 2018 W2s from American Pride and the Leo Byrnes Trust that falsely represented that a total of $8,946 dollars had been withheld in employment taxes on his behalf and paid over to the IRS, when in fact no money had been paid to the IRS. In May 2019, Carlson allegedly filed an individual tax return falsely stating that $8,946 had been paid to the IRS on his behalf.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.

The matter was investigated by of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Johnston man who admitted to downloading and sharing images of child pornography was sentenced today to three years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Anthony Lapierre, 29, pled guilty on September 13, 2021, to possession of child pornography.

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) developed information that in January 2019, an IP address later determined to be associated with Lapierre’s residence was used to upload and share child pornography using an online messenger service. HSI agents determined that Lapierre utilized at least two online messenger service accounts. Court-authorized access to the accounts revealed 22 videos and 10 images depicting child sexual abuse.

Lapierre was sentenced today by U. S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 36 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of federal supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zechariah Chafee and John P. McAdams.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded the Woonsocket Police Department a three-year, $819,109 grant to implement their proposed Law Enforcement Assisted Deflection, Engagement, and Retention (LEADER) in Treatment program, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

The LEADER in Treatment program will divert individuals with a substance use disorder or co-occurring disorders before formally entering the criminal justice system at the post-arrest/pre-prosecution stage.

The LEADER in Treatment program establishes a pre-prosecution treatment program that serves individuals at high risk for overdose or suffering from substance use disorder. The Woonsocket LEADER in Treatment program will begin accepting referrals within six months and will serve an anticipated 80 individuals per year.

The program, to be based out of the city of Woonsocket, is expected to also serve residents of Lincoln, Cumberland, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Providence who are routinely arrested by the Woonsocket Police Department due to geographic proximity.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An East Greenwich man today admitted to a federal court judge that he possessed videos and images of child pornography he accessed from Dark Web sites and forums, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

John D. Macintyre, 32, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

According to charging documents, Homeland Security Investigations, working with the FBI and a foreign law enforcement agency, learned that an IP address associated with Macintyre's residence had  had accessed a known Dark Web site that facilitated the sharing of child sexual abuse and exploitation material. A court-authorized search of the defendant’s residence was executed on March 17, 2021, during which several computers and hard drives were discovered in the defendant’s bedroom. An onsite forensic preview of a laptop belonging to Macintyre revealed several videos of child pornography, to include juvenile males engaged in sexual acts with other juvenile males. A subsequent forensic review of the devices revealed additional videos and images depicting child sexual abuse.

At the time of his guilty plea, Macintyre admitted to the court that he accessed the Dark Web to view child pornography two to three times a week for the at least the previous six years.

Macintyre is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on July 12, 2022.

Possession of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and lifetime federal supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Pawtucket man has been ordered detained in federal custody for allegedly conspiring to take possession of more than a kilogram of cocaine shipped from Colombia found packed inside an old-model-tube television.

Jomar Cruz-Aponte, 25, is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute.

It is alleged in charging documents that on December 22, 2021, for the second time in nine days, U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package shipped to Rhode Island from Colombia, manifested as containing an “old TV without commercial value.” The first package, addressed to a Central Falls residence, was found to contain an older, dial-operated television with 300 grams of cocaine stored inside. The second package, earmarked to be delivered by UPS to a Pawtucket residence, was found to contain a second tube model TV that contained 1093 grams of cocaine stored inside.

On December 29, 2021, after removing the cocaine from the second television, Homeland Security Investigations coordinated a controlled delivery of the package with the Pawtucket Police Department. An undercover Pawtucket Police Officer, posing as a UPS driver, delivered the package to the front steps of the residence. A female retrieved the package then quickly placed it back on the steps. A short time later, Cruz was allegedly observed by members of law enforcement walking around the neighborhood at the same time as a vehicle was seen slowly making its way through the area.  Later, Cruz approached the front of the residence from the backyard, retrieved the package, and walked back through the rear of the property to a nearby street where he got into the vehicle seen earlier by law enforcement. Pawtucket officers observed the vehicle leave the area and, after a brief surveillance, effected a car stop. Cruz allegedly quickly opened the passenger door and lunged from the vehicle, with the package in hand. He allegedly then threw the package to the ground and attempted to flee but was unable to do so because of the large police presence.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Rhode Island man today pled guilty to his role in a conspiracy to file  fraudulent applications for COVID unemployment relief funds in at least eight states, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Courtney Hilaire, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, fourteen counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to possess more than fifteen unauthorized access devices, and possession of device making equipment.

Hilaire admitted that, beginning around March 1, 2020, he conspired with others to file fraudulent claims seeking funds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) Program administered by the Small Business Administration. The EIDL program was created to assist individuals who were unemployed due to the pandemic. Hilaire admitted that he and others used stolen Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and other personal identifying information when filing electronic applications for pandemic relief funds from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, California, Florida, Nevada, and Tennessee.

Hilaire’s participation in the conspiracy first came to the attention of law enforcement in July 2020, after he and others were arrested by Warwick Police when they were found sleeping inside a stolen car parked in a hotel parking lot. Inside the vehicle, Warwick Police discovered 33 counterfeit credit cards, fraudulent drivers’ licenses from multiple states, equipment used to read and transfer information onto credit card magnetic strips, listings of individuals identities and personal identifying information, and approximately $13,000 in crisp, clean $100 and $50-dollar bills.

Hilaire is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court William E. Smith on March 30, 2022.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William J. Ferland.

The matter was investigated by Warwick Police and Homeland Security Investigations.

Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310.

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

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

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man arrested nine days after he assaulted and fled federal agents and task force officers as they attempted to arrest him on charges that he defrauded businesses of more than $800,000, pled guilty in federal court today to charges of wire fraud and assault of a federal officer, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Paul Diogenes, a/k/a Paul Dejullio, 49, admitted to the court that he created a fictitious catering company, listing his alias as president, to obtain credit from food distributors that he used to purchase more than $831,760 in luxury foods, including hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of lobster, sea bass, shrimp, scallops, filet, rib eye steak, and wild boar.

Diogenes admitted that he resold much of the product, in some instances to the same business whose stolen banking information he used to gain credit from the food distributors. In furtherance of the scheme, Diogenes fraudulently claimed that the food he was selling was from a restaurant that he recently closed.

On August 3, 2021, FBI agents, FBI task force officers, and Rhode Island State Police surveilled and followed Diogenes as he drove into a parking lot behind an East Providence business. Diogenes admitted to the court that as the agents and task force officers converged to arrest him, he fled. In the course of his escape, Diogenes rammed his car into an FBI task force vehicle, with a task force officer and State Police trooper still inside; drove his vehicle toward an FBI agent who quickly jumped out of the way to avoid being hit; rammed his car into a delivery van; and then rammed a second FBI task force vehicle that had just been vacated by an FBI agent and a Providence Police officer.

Nine days after fleeing law enforcement, Diogenes was located by the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI at a Middleborough, MA., hotel. At the time of his arrest, Diogenes was in possession of a briefcase containing $116,404 in cash.

Diogenes is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on March 29, 2022.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.

Diogenes’s fraud was investigated by the FBI’s Rhode Island Complex Financial Crimes Task Force, with the assistance of Rhode Island State Police and the Providence, Woonsocket, East Providence, Bourne, and Fall River Police Departments.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Massachusetts man faces between 10 years to life in federal prison when he is sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence after pleading guilty on Wednesday to an indictment charging him with attempted enticement of a minor, attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Cody J. Hansen, 38, of Orange, MA., admitted that he posted an online classified advertisement seeking to connect with “someone that likes to play when the girl is passed out.” In May 2018, he engaged in a series of online communications with a person who responded to his posting; Hansen believed this person to be the father of 12 and 8-year-old girls living in Rhode Island. The father provided Hansen with an email address he could use to contact the 12-year-old girl. In actuality,  Hansen was communicating with an undercover Rhode Island State Police (RISP) detective assigned to the Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

Hansen admitted to the court that he engaged in a series of email communications with someone whom he believed to be the 12-year-old girl, admitting that these email communications turned sexually graphic and included an obscene photo of his genitalia. Hansen then arranged with the RISP detective, still acting as the girl, to travel to Rhode Island on May 21, 2018, to engage in sex with the girl and her younger sister.

According to information presented to the court, on May 21, 2018, the RISP detective and Hansen spoke by telephone, during which time Hansen confirmed that he was traveling to Rhode Island the next day with the intention of having sex with his daughters. When he arrived at the agreed upon location, he parked his car next to the detective’s vehicle and got into the front passenger seat of the detective’s car.  In conversation with the detective, Hansen confirmed that he knew the ages of the girls that he came to meet and to have sex with. He was immediately arrested by members of the ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.

Hansen, who has been detained since his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2022. Attempted enticement of a child is punishable by statutory penalties of a minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release. Attempted transfer of obscene material is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of federal supervised release. Travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct is punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment and a lifetime of  supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.

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