Western District of Washington

            A registered sex offender with prior convictions for molesting two young girls, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  JOSEPH EDGAR BROWN, 30, resided in Seattle at the time of his arrest.  Evidence in the case revealed that he made statements online about raping his unborn child and offering other sex offenders the opportunity to rape his unborn child.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones told BROWN, “you are a danger to the community and the court needs to protect young children from you.”

            “This defendant is the most dangerous of offenders,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “It was horrible enough that he molested two little girls.  Within only three years after his release, and while under supervision, he then engaged in the prolific distribution of horrific videos of toddlers and young children being raped, all the while boasting of his prior offenses and encouraging others to rape their own children.”

            According to records filed in the case, BROWN opened email accounts in the name of a former roommate and between March and July 2013, used the accounts to distribute child pornography to more than 50 people.  BROWN obtained additional images of infants and toddlers being raped and sexually assaulted from three dozen other people.  BROWN was arrested some three weeks before the birth of his child.  A forensic review of BROWN’s electronic devices revealed that he had chatted online with others about raping and molesting his child once the child was born.

“We now know Brown’s penchant for trading images of brutal sexual abuse of toddlers and infants was just the tip of the iceberg,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of HSI Seattle.  “Through our investigation we discovered online chats between Brown and other child predators discussing his soon to be born child, who he planned on abusing.  Fortunately, the cycle of abuse will end here due to the efforts of the investigators and prosecutors who brought this man to justice.”

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

            The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Seattle Police Department as part of the Seattle Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Vaughan.

A Pierce County woman was sentenced to three years in prison today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme that netted her more than $95,000, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  BARBARA HOLLY STAHLMAN, 42, was indicted in February 2013, for a scheme in which she fraudulently claimed tax refunds using other people’s personal information.  STAHLMAN has been in custody since August 2013.  The Honorable Ronald B. Leighton sentenced her to three years in prison for her role in the scheme.

STAHLMAN filed 108 false electronic tax returns between 2010 and 2013, 44 of which were actually accepted and processed by the IRS.  Overall, STAHLMAN claimed false refunds totaling more than $500,000.  All but one of the false returns she filed was in the name of another person (one was in her own name).  In the returns actually accepted and processed by the IRS, she claimed false refunds totaling $223,383.  She directed that the refunds be paid into prepaid debit cards, which she directed be sent to her address and to the addresses of family members.  The IRS paid $87,000 in refunds to STAHLMAN before it detected her criminal pattern, after which the IRS cut off all refunds on the remaining false returns.

In its sentencing recommendation, the United States Attorney noted not only the damage STAHLMAN did to the integrity of the IRS, but also underscored “the damage she inflicted on those whose identities she commandeered.  STAHLMAN committed multiple acts of identity fraud, which has caused innocent victims to become entangled with the IRS, over returns they did not file, and refunds they never received.  It will take years for them to cleanse their names of the stain of Stahlman’s fraud.” 

The Justice Department’s Tax Division, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, has prioritized the investigation and prosecution of individuals who engage in stolen identity refund fraud.  In the last year alone, the Department charged more than 880 defendants involved in stolen identity refund fraud, and the IRS reports that it resolved or closed approximately 963,000 cases involving identity theft victims. 
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Reese Jennings.

            Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Tessa Gorman, at 206-553-7970, or Tessa.Gorman@usdoj.gov.

An Olympia, Washington tax preparer pled guilty this morning, following his arraignment for a tax fraud scheme in which he falsely claimed tax refunds while victimizing his clients, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  KYLE BAXTER, 31, appeared in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, charged with one count of filing a false, fictitious, or fraudulent claim, and admitting to his role in orchestrating the entire three-year scheme.

In his plea agreement, BAXTER admitted that from 2010 through 2013, he represented himself to be a provider of tax preparation services operating under the name “Baxtax.”  BAXTER maintained a website for “Baxtax,” and promoted his services through advertisement in local media, although BAXTER never obtained a Preparer Tax Identification Number, ordinarily required of any person or entity that prepares tax returns for a fee.  During that three-year period, BAXTER, a firefighter, filed tax returns for at least 280 people, many of whom were fellow firefighters, as well as emergency medical technicians and paramedics.  In many filings, BAXTER claimed deductions and credits for which his clients were plainly ineligible, such as child tax credits for clients without children, which had the effect of increasing the refunds paid by the IRS to the clients.  BAXTER provided clients paper copies of tax returns purportedly reflecting their filings.  Unbeknownst to the clients, however, BAXTER actually filed returns with distorted numbers that yielded even larger refunds, and BAXTER secretly diverted significant portions of these refunds to himself.  Over the course of the scheme, BAXTER stole at least $250,000 in taxpayer funds by partially diverting refund payments in this manner.

BAXTER will be sentenced by United States District Judge Robert. J. Bryan on October 3, 2014, at 10:00 a.m.

 Making false and fictitious claims is punishable by up to five years in prison.

The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ehren Reynolds.

Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Tessa Gorman at (206) 553-7970 or tessa.gorman@usdoj.gov.

CONNECTZONE.COM, LLC, a Lynnwood, Washington electronics company, and its owner, DANIEL OBERHOLTZER, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  Company owner DANIEL OBERHOLTZER was sentenced to 37 months in prison, and three years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to forfeit $716,778.55 in proceeds from the sales of counterfeit goods.  The company was sentenced to five years organizational probation and also ordered to forfeit $716,778.55 in proceeds from the crime.

According to the evidence introduced as part of the case, CONNECTZONE.COM, LLC operated websites that advertised and sold computer networking products.  These included products bearing trademarks owned by U.S. company Cisco; but the investigation revealed that CONNECTZONE.COM, LLC instead obtained its products from multiple foreign suppliers of counterfeit goods including a Chinese firm, SHENZHEN XIEWEI ELECTRONIC, LTD, headquartered in Shanghai, and its representative, MAO MANG, aka “BOB MAO.”

At sentencing, the Honorable Richard A. Jones commented that OBERHOLTZER’s crimes were aggravated by the fact that because of the quality problems with the counterfeit goods, OBERHOLTZER “had no idea what might happen when the counterfeit Cisco products he sold failed.”  Judge Jones also noted that the sentence of 37 months should “send a message to anyone else thinking about being involved in counterfeit goods.”

“Innovation and our economy demand that the intellectual property of businesses be protected,” said U. S. Attorney Durkan.  “Here, the defendants used the hard earned brands of others and slapped it on inferior products.”

“Counterfeiting high dollar goods can be very lucrative for enterprising criminals,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. “Their illicit activities ultimately come at the expense of trademark owners and consumers.  They don’t contribute to research and development and the knockoffs they sell generally don’t match the quality and safety of genuine items.”

In total, four individuals and two companies were charged in the Indictment returned in January 2013, including SHENZHEN XIEWEI ELECTRONIC, LTD, and BOB MAO .

Defendant EDWARD VALES was sentenced on June 13, 2014, to two years of probation and five months of home confinement for one count of Mail Fraud.  Defendant LANCE WILDER was convicted of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, two counts of mail fraud and four counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods following a jury trial on April 7, 2014.  Mr. WILDER is scheduled to be sentenced before The Honorable Richard A. Jones on July 25, 2014.

The evidence admitted at trial established that as early as 1997, while the company was operating under a different name, Electro Products, Incorporated, it was distributing counterfeit equipment manufactured in China.  DANIEL OBERHOLTZER, LANCE WILDER and EDWARD VALES would advise BOB MAO and XIEWEI ELECTRONICS and other Chinese companies regarding how to manufacture products that would look like genuine Cisco trademarked goods.  Some of the goods would be labeled “samples” when shipped to the U.S. to try to deceive U.S. Customs officials.  The U.S.-based conspirators falsely advertised the counterfeit goods as genuine and offered it for sale at a much lower price than genuine Cisco equipment.  The evidence included numerous emails sent between the conspirators as they ran their scheme including e-mails describing a plan for “Operation Cisco” in which the defendants laid out their plan to obtain counterfeit Cisco products.

This case was investigated by the Seattle-Tacoma Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and comprised of officers and investigators from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations; the U.S. Secret Service; the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; the FBI; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Seattle Police Department and the Port of Seattle Police Department.  BEST Seattle investigates smuggling and related crimes and combats criminal organizations seeking to exploit vulnerabilities at the Seattle and Tacoma seaports and adjacent waterways.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Norman Barbosa and Justin Arnold.

            Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Tessa Gorman, at 206-553-7970, or Tessa.Gorman@usdoj.gov.

A member of the Lummi Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for use of a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  WESLEY JOHN GIBBS, 53, of Bellingham, Washington was arrested in September 2013, following a fight with another tribal member.  At sentencing Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman said that GIBBS’ use of guns and his threatening others within the community has got to stop.

According to records filed in the case, on September 3, 2013, GIBBS and the victim were socializing at a home on the Lummi Reservation.  The men got into an argument.  GIBBS went into a bedroom of the home, grabbed an assault rifle and returned, pointing the loaded, but inoperable rifle at the victim and threatening to shoot him.  GIBBS cocked the weapon so that it appeared he was ready to fire.  The victim was able to flee the house without injury.

The case was investigated by the Lummi Tribal Police and the FBI.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.

A Russian man, indicted in the Western District of Washington for hacking into point of sale systems at retailers throughout the United States was arrested this weekend and transported to Guam for an initial appearance, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  ROMAN VALEREVICH SELEZNEV, 30, of Vladivostok, also known as “Track2” in the criminal carding underground, was indicted in March 2011, for operating several carding forums that engaged in the distribution of stolen credit card information.  At his first appearance in Guam today, SELEZNEV was ordered detained pending a further hearing scheduled for July 22, 2014.

“Cyber crooks should take heed: you cannot hide behind distant keyboards.  We will bring you to face justice,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan, who leads the Justice Department’s Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Enforcement Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.  “I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service for their work in investigating this case and in apprehending the defendant.  I also want to give credit to the work of the Electronic Crimes Task Force, and Seattle Police Department in particular, and our partners in the United States Attorney’s Office in Guam, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.”

The indictment, unsealed today following his arrest on July 5, 2014, details a bank fraud scheme in which SELEZNEV is charged with hacking into retail point of sale systems and installing malicious software on the systems to steal credit card numbers.  The illegal hacking outlined in the indictment occurred between October 2009, and February 2011.  The indictment alleges that SELEZNEV created and operated infrastructure to facilitate the theft and sales of credit card data and used servers located all over the world to facilitate the operation.  This infrastructure included servers that hosted carding forum websites where cybercriminals gathered to sell stolen credit card numbers.  The charges in the indictment include five counts of bank fraud, eight counts of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer, eight counts of obtaining information from a protected computer, one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices (stolen credit card numbers), two counts of trafficking in unauthorized access devices and five counts of aggravated identity theft.

“The arrest of Roman Seleznev is yet another example of how the Secret Service continues to successfully combat data theft and financial crimes,” said Robert Kierstead, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Seattle Field Office.  “The Secret Service utilized state-of-the-art investigative techniques to dismantle this criminal network.  Our success in this case and other similar investigations is a result of the extraordinary work of our investigators and our close work with our network of law enforcement partners.”

Bank Fraud is punishable by up to thirty years in prison and a $2 million fine.  Intentionally causing damage to a protected computer resulting with a loss of more than $5,000 is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Obtaining information from a protected computer is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Possession of more than 15 unauthorized access devices is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Trafficking in unauthorized access devices is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Aggravated identity theft is punishable by an additional two years in prison on top of any sentence for the underlying crimes.  In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

SELEZNEV is also charged in a separate indictment in the District of Nevada with participating in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO) and conspiracy to engage in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization as well as two counts of possession of fifteen or more counterfeit and unauthorized access devices.  Those charges carry maximum penalties of up to 20 years in prison for RICO and RICO conspiracy and up to 10 years in prison for possession of fifteen or more counterfeit and unauthorized access devices.

Credit card fraud costs financial institutions $40 billion annually.  In the Western District of Washington more than 180,000 stolen credit card numbers have been identified in recent cyber cases.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force which includes detectives from the Seattle Police Department.  The Office of International Affairs, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Guam provided substantial assistance.  Assistant United States Attorney Norman M. Barbosa is prosecuting the case in the Western District of Washington.

For additional information please contact Todd Greenberg, Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-7970.

The former owner of a San Juan Island coffee shop named “Criminal Coffee,” was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to15 months in prison for conspiracy, mail fraud and making false statements, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  The defendant was also ordered to pay full restitution of $42,088 and to pay a $10,000 fine.  CORY MICHAEL EGLASH, 52, was found guilty of a scheme to defraud the Social Security Disability program following a four-day jury trial in January 2014.  EGLASH’s long-time girlfriend Ramona Hayes, 41, was also charged in the case.  She pleaded guilty prior to trial and was sentenced to one year in prison in February 2014.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that EGLASH had resources –money, family and education – but demonstrated “nothing but the utmost selfish type of behavior… stealing from the destitute… those unable to work.”

According to filings in the case and testimony at trial, both EGLASH and Hayes filed claims with the Social Security Administration stating they were disabled and unable to work.  In addition to his own application, EGLASH made statements as verification for Hayes’s disability claim.  Hayes’s application, filed in early 2011, claimed she was unable to deal with the public and could not venture outside.  EGLASH’s application, filed in November 2011, stated that he was so disabled that he was “almost home-bound,” and could not work or play sports.  The investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General revealed that both EGLASH and Hayes worked at the coffee shop they owned, and that EGLASH also earned $17 an hour working at a public aquarium on San Juan Island.  In fact, in the same week that he submitted his application saying he could not be physically active, he participated in two full-court pick-up basketball games at the community center.  At trial, prosecutors showed videos of EGLASH and Hayes working at the ‘Criminal Coffee’ shop.  The videos were drawn from video surveillance conducted by undercover agents.

EGLASH’s application was identified as fraudulent by a caseworker before his benefits were approved.  Hayes wrongfully collected more than $42,000 before the fraud was detected.

The case was investigated by the Social Security Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) Cooperative Disability Investigation Unit and was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson and Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Woods.  Mr. Wilkinson prosecutes Social Security fraud cases in federal court as part of a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office and the Social Security Administration Office of the General Counsel.

            A Bellevue, Washington man was sentenced today to nine years in prison and 25 years of supervised release for distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  WILLIAM MERRILL ORR, 53, was arrested in Iowa in June 2012, and pleaded guilty in January 2014.  ORR had relocated to Iowa after the Bellevue residence he shared with his parents was searched in 2011.  Agents seized over seven terabytes of digital storage from the home, and forensic analysis revealed more than 800,000 images and videos of children being raped and sexually assaulted.  Both the data storage capacity and the volume of child pornography were the largest seized in the Western District of Washington at that time.  In line with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour ordered restitution for the identifiable children who requested it from ORR.  At sentencing, Judge Coughenour referenced the life-long therapy the victims will require to cope with the horrific sexual abuse depicted in ORR’s collection.

            According to records filed in the case, ORR came to the attention of law enforcement when he used a peer to peer file sharing network to provide images of child rape and abuse to an undercover Homeland Security Investigation agent.  Even after the search warrant was served at ORR’s Bellevue home, and he moved to Iowa, he continued to collect child pornography on a new computer.

            “Every one of the more than 800,000 images and video files in Orr’s possession depicted a child being victimized,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations in Seattle.  “We must not forget these are real children – real victims – who are subjected to sexual violence.  Those who trade child pornography over the Internet are a part of a disturbing cycle of violence against children.  HSI will continue to aggressively target those who prey on and sexually exploit children.  We owe it to youngsters, who will carry the emotional and physical scars of these crimes with them for the rest of their lives.”

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

            The case was investigated by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth.

            A 39- year-old Auburn, Washington man, who lived less than a block from an elementary school, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for distributing images of children being raped and sexually molested by adults, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  HANK HIRST, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography in February 2014.  He was arrested in June 2013 following a search of his home and electronic devices.  The search revealed HIRST had more than 2,700 images and 447 videos showing children being raped and sexually molested.  HIRST had a 170 page manual on his computer about pedophilia and how to groom children for sexual abuse.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour imposed 25 years of supervised release and ordered HIRST to register as a sex offender following his release from prison.

            According to records filed in the case, HIRST came to the attention of law enforcement after he emailed another person in Ohio a video of a toddler being raped by an adult man.  In addition to the videos of child sexual assault found on HIRST’s computers and other electronic devices, investigators found videos on HIRST’s computer taken from his window of children playing in the neighborhood.  The manual HIRST had downloaded onto his computer described how pedophiles should conduct such surveillance of children looking for those vulnerable to sexual abuse.

            The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Auburn Police Department.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ehren Reynolds.

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

            A Tacoma, Washington man who claimed more than $1.8 million in false income tax refunds pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  SEENEY RISTICK, 33, faces up to five years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on September 8, 2014.

            According to the plea agreement, between 2008 and 2013, RISTICK presented various fraudulent papers and forms to different tax preparation firms in Western Washington and directed the filing of bogus tax returns in his own name and the names of others, to include relatives and friends.  To facilitate the scheme, RISTICK created false income journals and falsely claimed self-employment income and various tax credits, all with the intent to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.  RISTICK typically approached the tax preparers by himself and presented fraudulent, and sometimes forged, powers of attorney, which purported to allow RISTICK to represent the named tax-filer in financial matters.  At other times, he would accompany individuals to the tax preparation firms and assist them in filing the false tax return.  RISTICK then charged the person for filing the false tax return between $500 and $1500 for the service he provides.

In all, RISTICK was involved in filing 524 fraudulent federal income tax returns, claiming a total of $1,826,944 in refunds.  The U.S. Treasury paid out $1,584,398 before the fraud was uncovered.  None of the money has been repaid.

            The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Masada.

Defendant was Shot and Critically Wounded While Fleeing from Marijuana Distributor in Maple Valley Neighborhood

            A second defendant who was shot while fleeing from the robbery of a marijuana distributor was sentenced today in U.S. District court in Seattle to 12 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  FERDINAND CLAY, 32, of Seattle and Melvin Charles Slaughter, 31, tied up and robbed Maple Valley marijuana dealer  Jason Loken on August 13, 2013.  The two men stole guns, and marijuana from Loken; Loken had been restrained but was able to free himself.  He raced out of the house with a gun he had hidden under his mattress, and fired multiple shots at the fleeing robbers.  CLAY was shot in the face, neck and hip but recovered from his wounds.  U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik also imposed 3 years of supervised release.

            “Drug dealing is a volatile business, where guns and violence threaten public safety.  All those involved in this crime are paying with their freedom for their criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “The two robbers who have extensive criminal history, will serve the longest sentences.  But the drug dealer who attracted this violence to his quiet neighborhood will also spend years in prison.”

            After shots were fired the robbery team sped away tossing bloodied items from the car, including some of the stolen firearms.  They were recovered by police along the highway.  The two who were injured went to different hospitals for treatment.  Slaughter and the other female member of the robbery crew later turned themselves in to police.

            Slaughter was sentenced to 14 years in prison on April 25, 2014.  Loken was sentenced to 32 months in prison on May 27, 2014.

            The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.

            A repeat felon was sentenced to an additional 27 months on top of an eight year sentence for possession of dangerous weapons at the Federal Detention Center, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  JOHN CHRISTIAN PARKS, 38, of Belfair, Washington was sentenced in January 2014 to eight years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms.  PARKS was found guilty of that charge following a jury trial in October 2013.  On April 10, 2014, PARKS pleaded guilty to providing or possessing contraband in prison.  Chief Judge Marsha J. Pechman ordered the 27 month sentence to run consecutive to the eight year sentence saying that the crime is “very, very significant because it presents such a danger to everyone at the Federal Detention Center – guards and inmates.”

            According to filings in the case, guards at the prison observed what appeared to be the passing of contraband between PARKS and a visitor.  PARKS appeared to be in a drugged state following the visit, so he was put in a special cell and his cell was searched.  At the bottom of a box of PARKS’ papers were two sharpened black metallic objects that appeared to be homemade weapons.  Both weapons are between four and five inches in length, with one wrapped in a fabric in such a way as to provide a handle.  Both weapons resemble what is commonly referred to as a “shank.”

            PARKS has eight prior felony convictions. He was most recently arrested on March 30, 2013 while target shooting in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.  U.S. Forest Service officers heard multiple shots and were directed to the group by a witness who said he had encountered the armed men.  Law enforcement recovered eight firearms, including four assault rifles.  Evidence introduced at trial revealed PARKS had illegally purchased and possessed two of the assault rifles.

            This most recent case involving weapons in the federal facility was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons.  The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.  Mr. Hobbs is a Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute firearms cases in federal court.

            In two separate cases, federal defendants have been sentenced to prison terms for conducting fraudulent car sales over the internet, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  The two cases involve the theft and sale of stolen cars, and the sale of non-existent vehicles by using various websites.

            JUAN CARLOS DE LA CRUZ PIOTE, 48, a native of Spain, was sentenced Tuesday June 3, 2014, to 32 months in prison.  DE LA CRUZ PIOTE was a member of a scheme to scam prospective purchasers of cars, boats, and RVs by using false internet postings and fake payment processing programs.  He was arrested in New York on July 22, 2013, when he tried to enter the U.S. from Romania.  DE LA CRUZ PIOTE and his co-schemers opened multiple bank accounts in the Western District of Washington, which were used to accept more than $700,000 from victims who thought they were using a secure payment method to purchase vehicles advertised on the internet.  In fact, the advertised vehicles were never delivered, and the money was quickly wired out of the country or withdrawn from the accounts as cash.  The conspirators set up the accounts with business names such as GMC AUTOS, LLC, CARS CONSULTANTS, LLC, AUTO FINANCIAL, LLC and MGA ENGINES, LLC, and would advertise various vehicles on legitimate websites such as Craig’s List or Autotrader.com.  The conspirators created counterfeit PayPal paperwork and web pages, or would have the victims make the payment through a service they created and called “Amazon Payments” – but the service was in no way associated with Amazon.com.  The use of these names was a way to lull the purchasers into thinking they were dealing with a legitimate online seller.

            On Friday, May 30, 2014, DUC LONG TRAN VU, 26, of Vancouver, Washington was sentenced to nine months in prison for his role in a scheme to steal cars in Oregon, create fake title documents, and sell them to unsuspecting customers in Washington State after advertising them on Craigslist or other internet sites.  VU, a former engineering student at the University of Washington, was involved in at least two sales of stolen cars.  A 2007 Volvo XC 90 was stolen right out of the driveway of a Portland home and sold via Craigslist to a couple in Tacoma.  The couple took precautions – examining the title, checking the VIN number and getting VU’s identification when they met him in a public place.  Still, when they went to transfer title they discovered the car had been reported stolen.  The couple was out $15,000.

In a second incident, two Seattle brothers were stopped by Kent police in a 1998 Honda Civic that had been stolen in Oregon and advertised on Craigslist.  Not knowing whether the brothers were involved in the theft, police did a felony stop – ordering the men out of the car with guns drawn.  Fortunately, the brothers had made a cell phone video of the man who sold them the car and took a photo of his identification.  Police were able to identify VU even though the identification used a fake name.  The stolen car was returned to the owner.

            The case against DE LA CRUZ PIOTE and his co-schemers was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI.  The VU case was investigated by the FBI, the Washington State Patrol and the Kent Police Department.

            Both cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Reese Jennings.

            A convicted bank robber who absconded from supervised release, was arrested in Hillsboro, Oregon, Monday June 2, 2014, after being on the run for nearly five years, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  BRADLEY STEVEN ROBINETT, 45, fled following a car chase on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in September 2009.  The last time law enforcement saw ROBINETT was in November of 2009, when Washington State Patrol detectives encountered ROBINETT at a park & ride facility in Bellevue.  At the time, ROBINETT was operating a stolen vehicle.  ROBINETT attempted to ram a WSP vehicle before fleeing the area.  The WSP trooper driving the vehicle managed to avoid the collision, but ROBINETT was able to escape.

            ROBINETT is wanted in the Western District of Washington on an indictment for escape, being a felon in possession of a firearm and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.  ROBINETT remains in custody in Oregon.

            According to the indictment and other court filings, ROBINETT was convicted of bank robbery and in 2004 was sentenced to seven years in prison.  In August 2009 he was released from a federal prison in Arizona and put on a bus to Seattle with the requirement that he was to report to a designated halfway house within 48 hours.  ROBINETT never reported to the halfway house and a warrant was issued for him for escape.  In September 2009, police on Bainbridge Island, Washington attempted to stop a car that led them on a high speed chase.  ROBINETT fled from the car and got away.  Inside the car officers found a Glock 9mm pistol and a ballistic vest.  Both items were stolen from the Seattle Police Department several years earlier.  The vehicle ROBINETT was driving was also reported stolen in Oregon.

            ROBINETT was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm for the gun found in the car.  In addition to his bank robbery conviction, he has prior felony convictions for possession of stolen property (King County and Clallam County), unlawful possession of a machine gun, car theft and burglary (King County).

            In 2011, ROBINETT was featured on the programs Washington’s Most Wanted and America’s Most Wanted.

            On Monday afternoon Hillsboro police were patrolling the Fred Meyer parking lot with an automated license plate reader.  Plate readers match license plates to those of stolen cars that have been entered into the system’s database.  The reader noted a Kia with plates stolen in Portland while the car was reported stolen in King County, Washington.  The police officers waited for the driver to return to the vehicle.  They arrested ROBINETT without incident.

            The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) has led the search for ROBINETT’ along with the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bainbridge Island PD, and the Hillsboro, Oregon Police Department.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Dion.

            A long-time tax and financial adviser in Bellingham, Washington was arrested today on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  JEFFREY M. KNUTSEN, 43, owned and operated Bellwether Financial Services dba Bellwether Wealth Management.  In July 2005, KNUTSEN was barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) from associating with any broker-dealer as a stock broker because of a customer complaint that he had embezzled from his account.  Despite being barred, KNUTSON continued to work with clients – many of them elderly – and now is alleged to have stolen more than $250,000 from client accounts.

            “The elderly are particularly vulnerable to this type of fraud because some are less familiar with online trading and computer access to accounts,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “It is critical that trusted friends or family members assist them in tracking their resources and determining who has access to their accounts, so that they do not fall victim to this type of predatory conduct.”

            According to the criminal complaint, after being barred by FINRA, KNUTSEN did not tell his clients that he had been barred, but simply told clients he was moving to a different online brokerage to reduce the fees they would have to pay.  He set up online accounts with TD Ameritrade and later E*Trade in his clients’ names and retained full access and control over the accounts, including check-writing privileges.  He allegedly told the clients he would charge them a management fee of one percent or less per year to manage their accounts.  However, the criminal complaint alleges he embezzled far more than that from customer accounts, taking some $260,000 from as many as 17 victims.   

            KNUTSEN made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle today.  Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

            The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

            The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has online resources to allow clients to check on their advisor’s disciplinary history here.  The BrokerCheck website is a free tool to help investors research the professional backgrounds of current and former FINRA-registered brokerage firms and brokers, as well as investment adviser firms and representatives.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI and Bellingham Police Department.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Masada and Justin Arnold.

            Key law enforcement leaders in the areas of cybercrime and intellectual property are meeting in Seattle this week to share the latest information on cyber threats and efforts to combat them, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  The Attorney General’s advisory subcommittee on cybercrime and intellectual property will tour the Microsoft Cyber Crime and IP Center and will get a briefing from the FBI’s cyber threat center. 
           
            “This is a great opportunity to share strategies on countering cybercrimes which know no geographic boundaries,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan who chairs the AG’s Cybercrime subcommittee.  “Recent indictments by the Department of Justice show that this must be a global battle.  Meeting in Seattle gives U.S. Attorneys from across the country the opportunity to appreciate the impacts on every sector of our economy – and to hear from our strong high-tech community.”

            Some of the U. S. Attorneys participating in the conference handle high profile computer hacking and intrusion cases, such as the prosecution of the hacktivist group ‘Anonymous,’ and the prosecution of those who seek financial gain through hacking and identity theft.

            Participating U.S. Attorneys include Rod Rosenstein from the District of Maryland, Sarah Saldaña from the Northern District of Texas, Melinda Haag from the Northern District of California, Carmen Ortiz from the District of Massachusetts, Laura Duffy from the Southern District of California, Carter Stewart from the Southern District of Ohio, Karen Loeffler from the District of Alaska and John M. Bales from the Eastern District of Texas.  U.S. Attorney David Hickton of the Western District of Pennsylvania will join the conference via video link.  On Monday U.S. Attorney Hickton announced indictments and an injunction in a computer malware scheme known as Cryptolocker.  More information on the case is available here.

            The U.S. Attorneys will be joined by a variety of experts from the FBI and DOJ’s National Security Division including Josh Goldfoot, Deputy Chief, Law and Policy National Security Division, Mick Stawasz, Deputy Chief, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Tim Wallach Supervisory Special Agent, FBI.  Kev Kubiak the Director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center will brief the group via video conference.

            A federal grand jury in the Western District of Washington indicted seven people late yesterday for an illegal drug distribution scheme involving an internet pharmacy, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  The originator of the scheme, JUAN GALLINAL, 41, of Pembroke Pines, Florida will be summoned to appear for arraignment in Seattle.  The internet pharmacy distributed drugs to some 200 customers in Washington State between 2009 and 2012.  The indictment alleges that the pharmacy shipped hundreds of thousands of pills of hydrocodone, phentermine, alprazolam (Xanax) and codeine (Tylenol 4) to people across the country who did not have valid prescriptions for the narcotics.  The group is alleged to have brought in more than $9 million in revenue from the sale of pills during the three year scheme.  The pharmacy operated four internet sites through which they solicited customers and allowed customers in Washington State to order drugs, including the website www.frontierpharmacies.com.  The conspirators allegedly laundered the proceeds of their sales through a brick-and-mortar pharmacy in Florida called Discount Pharmacy of Pines.  In June 2012, the DEA shut down the operation by seizing the conspiracy’s websites, computers, and drug inventory.

            “These criminal conspirators harnessed the power of the internet to become virtual drug dealers.  They lined their pockets by feeding the devastating addictions in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “They shipped drugs to hundreds of customers in Washington State, most of whom did not have a valid prescription, had never seen a doctor, and had no legitimate medical purpose.  Once these criminals knew that Western Washington law enforcement agents were on to their scheme, they tried to simply shift their criminal conduct to other regions of the country.  I commend the dedicated DEA and FDA agents and prosecutors who continue to investigate this case.”

            “Pill mills and rogue internet pharmacies are set up to sell addiction,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Matthew G. Barnes.  “These defendants raked in over $9 million in illicit drug proceeds and contributed to the nationwide prescription drug and heroin epidemic.  I appreciate the ongoing commitment and cooperation of our federal, state and local partners.”

            GALLINAL, a former police officer from Virginia, is charged in all five counts of the indictment: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances by means of the internet; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; conspiracy to introduce misbranded prescription drugs into interstate commerce; conspiracy to commit money laundering; and destruction, alteration, and concealment of records.  In addition to GALLINAL, six other conspirators are charged in some of the counts:

            JORDAN TRUXELL, 25, of Davie, Florida served as the registered agent for Discount Pharmacy dba frontierpharmacies.com.  He is charged in four counts of the indictment.
ALI LOVINS, 41, of Cooper City, Florida is a registered nurse and was the office manager for Discount Pharmacy.  She is charged in four counts of the indictment.
THOMAS BROOKE, 52, of Cooper City, Florida was the bookkeeper for Discount Pharmacy.  He is charged in four counts of the indictment.
CRAIG GREER, 40, of Hollywood, Florida, a former police officer, worked to promote the internet pharmacy scheme.  He is charged in four counts of the indictment.
KEVIN KOGAN, 44, of Cedar Park, Texas, set up the websites and servers for the online pharmacy, and attempted to hide the conspiracies databases from investigators.  He is charged in four counts of the indictment.
JERRY DELMAN, 81, of Miami, Florida, a pharmacist who ostensibly oversaw the prescriptions going out the door to customers.

            According to the indictment, the conspiracy would continue to refill prescriptions even if no valid prescription existed.  In some instances the conspirators simply looked for a physician in the same geographic area as the customer with a similar name and filled the prescription using the physician’s DEA number without his or her knowledge.  The pharmacy charged as much as ten times the usual price for the medications.

            The conspirators are alleged to have engaged in a money laundering conspiracy to hide their ill-gotten gains.  The destruction of evidence count alleges GALLINAL and KOGAN destroyed records after the first search warrants were served in the case in June 2012.  After the execution of the search warrants, the conspirators attempted to continue the internet pharmacy scheme until the Drug Enforcement Administration ordered them to cease in August 2012.  The conspirators made additional efforts to resume their online pharmacy scheme under alternative names, but refused to take any orders from or make any shipments to Washington or Oregon.

            If convicted the defendants face up to 20 years in prison.

            This is the first case brought in Western Washington using the Ryan Haight Act.  You can learn more about the Act here.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The case was investigated by the Portland Tactical Diversion Squad which is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Portland Police Bureau.  Substantial investigative assistance was provided by the Food and Drug and Administration (FDA) – Florida, and DEA Miami Field Division.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Lang and Francis Franze-Nakamura.

            A marijuana grower and dealer who used firearms to confront fleeing robbers, firing a dozen times in a residential neighborhood, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 32 months in prison and three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  JASON LOKEN, 38, of Maple Valley, Washington, thought he had lined up a 6 pound drug deal with a call girl he met via Backpage.com when he was confronted by two robbers who bound him and stole his marijuana, hash oil and guns.  Following the robbery LOKEN was able to free himself, grabbed another gun and started shooting, wounding two people.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “This was a shootout… The sentences for the robbers are much longer, but you bear some responsibility for the decision to sell drugs and have guns.”  Judge Robart noted that even after the robbery, LOKEN continued to grow marijuana and purchased an additional handgun.  “This is not someone who has gained wisdom from the experience,” Judge Robart said.

“This defendant brought gunfire and danger to a quiet neighborhood.  He is not alone.  We are seeing an alarming increase in violence related to the marijuana trade,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “Guns and drugs are a dangerous and illegal mix.  Those that bring that danger to our neighborhoods will face a dear price.”

Last month the lead robber, repeat offender Melvin Charles Slaughter, 41, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the August 13, 2014 robbery.  Slaughter’s associate, Ferdinand Clay, will be sentenced next month.  Clay forced LOKEN to the floor and zip-tied his hands.  However, LOKEN was able free himself and grab a gun from under his mattress.  LOKEN raced out the front door and started firing – hitting one robber and wounding a woman who was driving a car associated with the robbers.  The woman had no idea she was involved in a drug rip-off.  Both people survived their wounds.

After shots were fired the robbery team sped away tossing bloodied items from the car, including some of the stolen firearms.  They were recovered by police along the highway.  The two who were injured went to different hospitals for treatment.  Slaughter and the other female member of the robbery crew later turned themselves in to police.  LOKEN claimed to be a grower for medical marijuana dispensaries, but later admitted that his marijuana manufacturing was in violation of state as well as federal law.

LOKEN pleaded guilty in December 2013 to manufacturing marijuana and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.

The final defendant in a Snohomish County gun trafficking ring was sentenced today to six years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to unlawfully traffic in firearms and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  CURTIS VAN PUTTEN, 44, of Marysville, Washington, pleaded guilty in February 2014 on the eve of trial.  VAN PUTTEN has prior convictions for drug possession and possession of stolen property.  As a felon, he was barred from possessing the three stolen assault rifles that he sold to an undercover officer on December 11, 2012.  The firearms had been stolen from a home in Oak Harbor, Washington just the day before the sale.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said stolen assault weapons “show up in the hands of people who do very bad things.”

            “This defendant believed he was selling guns to the leader of a criminal gang, and expressed no concern about putting powerful firearms in the wrong hands.  He has earned his six year prison term,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “Our country has experienced all too well the terrible destruction that occurs when firearms are put in the hands of the wrong people.  As a result of gun violence, lives are ended, families are destroyed, and dreams are shattered.”

            The leader of the gun trafficking ring, Heather Chancey a/k/a/ Heather Lee Slater, 34, of Marysville, Washington, was sentenced in February 2014 to nine years in prison.  According to records in the case, on multiple occasions between October 2012 and January 2013, Heather Chancey and her co-conspirators sold guns to an undercover law enforcement agent.  Most of the sales occurred in the parking lot of the Tulalip Resort Casino in Marysville, Washington.  Some of the sales occurred in other parking lots of businesses in Marysville or Arlington, Washington or at a Marysville residence.  The ring trafficked 49 firearms.  VAN PUTTEN sold three of the firearms to the undercover officer in a transaction brokered by Chancey at an Interstate 5 rest stop near Arlington, Washington.  VAN PUTTEN sold the undercover officer a Ruger Ranch .223 caliber rifle, a DPMS Panther Arms, model AR-15, .223 caliber rifle and a DPMS Panther Arms, model LR-308, .308 caliber rifle for $1050.

In addition to Chancey, conspirators James Michaels was sentenced to 10 months in prison and Mark Jenkins was sentenced to 42 months in prison for conspiracy to unlawfully sell firearms.

This investigation was conducted by the Snohomish Regional Gang and Drug Task Force, the Seattle Police Department’s Major Crimes Task Force, and the FBI.  During the investigation, those agencies were assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Snohomish County Violent Offender Task Force and the United States Marshal’s Violent Offender Task Force.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Justin Arnold.

            A 40-year-old Bellevue, Washington man who was a prolific drug dealer on the online marketplace “Silk Road,” pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  STEVEN SADLER sold cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine to people who ordered over the internet via the Silk Road site.  He shipped the drugs through the mail.  When sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez on September 4, 2014, SADLER faces a mandatory minimum five years and up to 40 years in prison because of the volume of drugs he sold.

            According to the plea agreement, SADLER, under the screen name NOD, began selling drugs on Silk Road in 2012.  The internet site was dubbed an anonymous marketplace, where the majority of the business was the sale of illegal drugs.  When police searched his apartment on July 31, 2013, they found more than a kilogram of cocaine and heroin each, as well as 400 grams of methamphetamine.  They also found a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol hidden under the mattress in his bedroom.  SADLER is also forfeiting a 2007 BMW 525 and $4,200 cash seized the day the search warrants were served.

            The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Woods.

The Department of Justice congratulates nominee Kathleen O’Toole.  Commissioner O’Toole has a reputation for strong, effective and community based policing.  She has experience running a large police department and also has recently worked with a police department operating under a consent decree with the DOJ.

If confirmed, Commissioner O’Toole will inherit a police department that has dedicated officers and civilian staff, but is undergoing profound change.  In recent months, the Seattle Police Department has adopted new policies that touch every important part of policing:  data collection, use of force, stops and detentions, crisis intervention and bias policing.  SPD is now actively training staff and officers on these policies, which are built to serve communities throughout Seattle.  The sheer logistics and effort to implement these changes cannot be overstated: virtually every officer will undergo intensive training in the coming months.  Entire new data and computer systems must come on-line.  Progress is being made every day but there is still work to be done.

We applaud Commissioner O’Toole’s pledge to continue this work.  Her commitment to the men and women working at SPD is equally important.  We have great respect for SPD officers and are confident they will continue to address issues raised in the DOJ investigation.   On May Day they showed that even as the organization was being remade, they could implement strong and effective policing strategies.

SPD and City leadership understands and has demonstrated that constitutional policing and public safety go hand in hand.  Public confidence and community trust are key elements that ensure officers have the tools necessary to solve crime and protect the community.
2014 is a pivotal year for SPD.  Conducting and finishing training, beefing up supervision and collecting more data will require great effort.  But they are essential to be able to more quickly and transparently monitor progress towards better policing and increasing public safety.
The Department of Justice looks forward to working with Commissioner O’Toole and the City of Seattle in building a police department that is a natural leader in urban policy.

            A 35- year-old Arlington, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  CHRISTOPHER DAVID DOGGETT, faces a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 40 years in prison when sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman on August 15, 2014.  DOGGETT has a 2003 conviction for possession and distribution of child pornography triggering the mandatory minimum sentence.

            According to the plea agreement, when Snohomish County Sheriff’s deputies searched DOGGETT’s home on January 22, 2010, they discovered more than 600 images of child pornography on his digital media devices that he had distributed via computer.  On DOGGETT’s smartphone, investigators found images of him molesting a young child.  DOGGETT was convicted in Snohomish County Superior Court of dealing child pornography and was sentenced to 90 months in prison in February 2011.  Chief Judge Pechman will determine whether the state and federal sentences will run concurrently.

            Under the terms of the plea agreement, DOGGETT will be required to register as a sex offender and will undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation.

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

            The case was investigated by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerrod Patterson.

            A known Seattle gang member who was sentenced in 2009 for drug dealing and possessing a stolen firearm, was found guilty late yesterday for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  JIMMY GENE MILLER, 29, was arrested on June 13, 2013 after Seattle Police responded to reports of a beating behind a nightclub in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.  MILLER was convicted following a three day jury trial.  Jurors deliberated about five hours before returning the guilty verdict.  Sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2014 before U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones.

            According to records in the case and testimony at trial, MILLER encountered a rival gang member at ‘The Garage,’ a bar/pool hall/bowling alley on Capitol Hill in Seattle.  MILLER flashed a firearm in the waistband of his pants as he took the victim out the alley door of the nightclub.  In the alley MILLER assaulted the victim.  Portions of the assault were captured on surveillance video.  The victim was found stripped naked and beaten.  The surveillance cameras photographed MILLER jumping into the passenger seat of a distinctive black Camaro.  Seattle Police moved quickly after getting reports on the assault, locating the car a few miles from the club.  MILLER and his associates were found nearby.  The victim’s wallet was found in the front passenger seat.  A court authorized search of the car revealed a .40 caliber Glock pistol in the glove compartment in front of where MILLER had been sitting.  Text messages introduced at trial reveal MILLER discussing an extended magazine for the semi-automatic weapon with an associate in the weeks before the assault.

            MILLER faces up to ten years in prison on this conviction and an additional two years in prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release on the prior conviction.  MILLER was out of prison for about six months before reoffending.

            MILLER was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.  Unveiled in May 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), is a comprehensive and strategic approach to gun law enforcement.  PSN is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America by networking both new and existing local programs that target gun crime and then providing them with the resources and tools they need to succeed. Implementation at the local level -- in this case, in King County-- has fostered close partnerships between federal, state and local prosecutors and law enforcement.

            The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and FBI.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vince Lombardi and Jerrod Patterson.

            A Tacoma man and his nephew were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to lengthy prison terms for the scheme to smuggle and distribute thousands of pills of oxycodone, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  DION K. MARTIN, 54, of Tacoma was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release.  MOROCCO T. MARTIN, 39, of Los Angeles, California was sentenced to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release.  The men were arrested in September 2013 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone in January 2014.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton noted that he hoped the sentences would deter others from this criminal conduct.

            “These defendants exploited a horrible addiction that destroys lives and families,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “I congratulate the South Sound Gang Task Force for terminating this pipeline of illegal prescription narcotics to our communities.”

            According to records filed in the case, DION MARTIN distributed thousands of oxycodone pills in the Tacoma area, and transferred the drug proceeds to the suppliers in California by depositing payments in accounts in Tacoma, which were later withdrawn in Southern California.  The conspirators were careful to keep the cash deposits below limits that would trigger further scrutiny.  MOROCCO MARTIN shipped pills from California to his uncle in Tacoma, often hidden in stereo speakers.  The shipments were sent to various relatives of DION MARTIN to try to conceal them from investigators.  The men stopped using the mails after some of the shipments were seized.  On September 8, 2013, the two men were stopped in a rental car headed from Los Angeles to Tacoma.  In the trunk was a stereo speaker packed with 7500 oxycodone pills.  A search of DION MARTIN’s Tacoma residence uncovered another 1,000 pills and more than $57,000 in cash.

            MOROCCO MARTIN supplied the pills to his uncle and arranged for the cash deposits and withdrawals to pay co-conspirators.  DION MARTIN supplied the pills to others in Western Washington.

            This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved.  The case was investigated by the South Sound Gang Task Force with agents and officers from the FBI, Tacoma Police Department and the Washington State Department of Corrections.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Werner and Gregory Gruber.

            A felon, who photographed his repeated sexual molestation of a 10-year-old girl, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  STEVEN MAURICE WILLIAMS, 43, of Seattle, will serve the sentence for production of child pornography and illegal possession of a firearm, concurrently with a state court sentence for three counts ofchild rape.  WILLIAMS will be sentenced in King County Superior Court on the rape charges in about three months.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said the “crimes are horrible and deserving of severe punishment.”

            “This defendant violated a young child, shattering her trust and that of her family,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “This long prison sentence is needed to protect the public from someone who has repeatedly shown no respect for the law or the safety and well-being of others.”

            According to records filed in the case, the horrific three year molestation of the young girl began when she was just 7-years-old.  The abuse first came to light when WILLIAMS was moving out of the house he shared with the mother of his two sons.  One of the boys grabbed a SD card to record a video game and discovered images of his father molesting the young girl.  The boy and his mother recognized the child and alerted her mother.  WILLIAMS had shared a home with the girl and her mother and had been the caretaker for the child while the mother was at work.

            The police investigation revealed that WILLIAMS had 76 images of the girl being molested and possessed additional child pornography in a storage locker that was searched by law enforcement.  WILLIAMS also illegally possessed two firearms.  As a convicted felon with convictions for burglary, theft, possession of stolen property and domestic violence, WILLIAMS is prohibited from possessing firearms.

            WILLIAMS will be on 15 years of supervised release following his release from prison.  He will be required to register as a sex offender and will undergo sex offender treatment.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Way Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roscoe Jones.

A 47-year old Olympia, Washington man was found guilty late yesterday of production and possession of child pornography following a two day bench trial in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  MICHAEL T. LAURSEN, supplied a 16-year-old with drugs and photographed her in sexually explicit conduct.  U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan found LAURSEN guilty and set sentencing for August 8, 2014.  LAURSEN faces a mandatory minimum 15 years to 30 years in prison.

            According to records filed in the case, the victim was known to LAURSEN through her relatives.  She first met LAURSEN when she was 12-years-old.  After she turned 16 years old in 2012, LAURSEN initiated a sexual relationship with her, supplied her with drugs, and encouraged her to miss school.  In June 2012 and October 2012, LAURSEN took photographs of the victim, including photographs of his sexual conduct with her.  LAURSEN encouraged the victim to run away from home, and then had her stay with him in motel rooms, apartments, and other person’s homes, while also directing her to engage in sexually explicit acts and taking photographs of her.

The case was investigated by the Washington State Patrol-Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-South Sound Investigative Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ye-Ting Woo and Special Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.

            Four men who trafficked firearms stolen from the Snohomish, Washington Fred Meyer store were indicted this week and will appear in the U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  MATTHEW ELSHAUG, 35, of Monroe, Washington is currently in the Snohomish County Jail and will come to federal court next week.  CASEY YOUNT, 26, also of Monroe; LEVI HERZ, 30, of Everett, Washington; and RAYMOND BARON, 52, of Marysville, Washington all appeared in the U.S. District Court on the indictment today, and are being detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac pending further court hearings.

            According to the indictment, in the early morning hours of November 17, 2013, ELSHAUG burglarized the Snohomish Fred Meyer store, using a crowbar to steal 29 firearms from the gun case.  ELSHAUG and YOUNT then sold the guns for cash or drugs.  HERZ bought nine of the stolen firearms and BARON bought other stolen firearms.  ELSHAUG, YOUNT, and HERZ all are prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior convictions.  ELSHAUG has prior convictions in Snohomish County for burglary, theft, and illegal firearms possession.  YOUNT has prior convictions in Snohomish County for theft and drug crimes.  HERZ has prior convictions in Snohomish County for drug crimes.

            The thirteen count indictment charges all four men with conspiracy to receive, possess, barter, and sell stolen firearms.  ELSHAUG is charged with Possession and Sale of Stolen Firearms, Theft of Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee, and being a Felon in Possession of Firearms.  YOUNT is charged with Possession and Sale of Stolen Firearms, and being a Felon in Possession of Firearms.  HERZ is charged with Possession and Sale of Stolen Firearms, being a Felon in Possession of Firearms, and Distribution of Controlled Substances (methamphetamine and heroin).  BARON is charged with Possession and Sale of Stolen Firearms, Distribution of Controlled Substances (methamphetamine and heroin), Possession of a Firearm with Obliterated Serial Number, and Possession of a Firearm Not Registered to Possessor in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

            The conspiracy count is punishable by up to five years in prison.  The firearms related charges are punishable by up to ten years in prison, except for the count involving an obliterated serial number, which is punishable by five years in prison.  The drug distribution charges are punishable by up to twenty years in prison.

            The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.      

The case was investigated by the Snohomish Police Department, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department, the Marysville Police Department, the Everett Police Department, the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Snohomish Fugitive Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).  The Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement on the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham.

            A 46-year-old Bainbridge Island woman who worked for the Suquamish Tribe in Kitsap County, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release for embezzling from a tribal entity, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  RENEE PEARL PELETI worked in the Suquamish Indian Tribe’s Indian Child Welfare Department for more than five years.  Over that time she embezzled more than $146,496 from the tribe using fraudulent checks, vouchers and gift cards for groceries, and checks written for her own utility payments.  At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan imposed $146,496 in restitution.

            According to records filed in the case, the Suquamish Tribe became aware in April 2013, that benefit checks for seven clients of the Indian Child Welfare Department had been altered and cashed.  The investigation revealed that PELETI, who was an Administrative Assistant in the Indian Child Welfare Department, had engaged in a lengthy embezzlement scheme.  PELETI caused more than 260 fraudulent tribal checks totaling more than $90,000, to be written in the names of others which she then cashed and used for her own bills.  PELETI caused 14 tribal checks to be written to Puget Sound Energy to pay more than $2,800 of her own utility bills.  PELETI issued more than 125 Albertsons food vouchers that she then cashed and used for more than $36,972 in groceries for her own use.  Finally, PELETI embezzled multiple vendor gift cards worth more than $11,127.

            PELETI, who is a member of the Nooksack Tribe, said she took the money to pay for her own family expenses.         PELETI pleaded guilty on February 14, 2014.

            Tribal leaders spoke at the sentencing hearing, telling the court that the embezzlement meant that needy tribal children were denied money for food, clothing, sports equipment, or Christmas presents.  The speakers noted that because of the theft, these vulnerable children had missed opportunities for fun or education that would not come again.

            The case was investigated by the Suquamish Police and the FBI.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.

            The tenant who rented the basement of a home in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, and his heroin supplier, have both been charged with gun and drug crimes after selling heroin and a firearm to a person working with law enforcement, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  At the time of the arrests last week, law enforcement seized a dozen weapons including a Mac-11 submachine gun and silencer.  JORGE CARLOS CAMPS, 34, made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle last week on charges of distributing heroin and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  ROGER LEE HIDDLESTON, 44, of Seattle, made his initial appearance in federal court today.  He is charged with distribution of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm.  Both men are being held at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac pending further proceedings in the case.

            According to the criminal complaint, on April 28, 2014, CAMPS allegedly sold heroin and a firearm to a person working with law enforcement.  CAMPS or his cohorts also sent pictures of various weapons via text message, along with a price list for the guns.  CAMPS has a prior felony conviction for violating a domestic violence court order and is prohibited from possessing firearms.  HIDDLESTON allegedly supplied the heroin to CAMPS and was present and participated in the sale to the person working with law enforcement.  Police stopped HIDDLESTON’s car after he left the Magnolia home.  Inside they found heroin, methamphetamine, drug distribution materials, and $2,225 in currency.  In the trunk they recovered a Sig Sauer Model P230 9mm Kurz semi-automatic pistol.  HIDDLESTON is the subject of a domestic violence protection order and therefore is prohibited from possessing firearms.

            Distribution of heroin is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.  Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by up to 40 years and has a five year mandatory minimum sentence.  Felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to ten years in prison.

            The charges contained in the criminal complaints are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

            The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).

            The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

            A 28-year-old member of the Tulalip Tribes was sentenced today to four and a half years in prison for aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. 
RYAN DELBERT MOSES, was 27-years-old when he engaged in sexual conduct with a 14-year-old girl.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said to MOSES, “You were 27 and this is a young girl who is 14-years-old…. This is criminal.  It was illegal and you had no basis to be involved with a person of that age.”

            According to records in the case, between November 2012 and January 2013, MOSES engaged in sexual acts with the 14-year-old.  MOSES gave the child gifts and rides home from middle school to manipulate her into the sexual conduct.  Because MOSES is a tribal member and the conduct occurred on tribal land, the case is prosecuted in federal court.

            MOSES pleaded guilty January 6, 2014.

            The case was investigated by the Tulalip Tribal Police and the FBI.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.

            A former Bellevue resident who set fire to a Seattle nightclub just after midnight on New Year’s 2014, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to arson, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  MUSAB MOHAMMED MASMARI, 30, was originally charged in King County Superior Court, but pleaded guilty today to a criminal charge filed yesterday in federal court.  Under the terms of the plea agreement, both sides will recommend the mandatory minimum five years in prison when MASMARI is sentenced on July, 31, 2014.  U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez is not bound by the recommendation and can sentence MASMARI up to the maximum 20 years allowed by law.

            “This defendant violated people’s right to gather safely: he put more than 700 lives at risk when he purposely started a fire at a crowded nightclub on New Year’s Eve,” said U.S. Attorney Durkan.  “Thankfully, the staff and patrons at Neighbours moved quickly to evacuate the club and extinguish the flames.  Federal prosecution ensures a five year mandatory minimum sentence – one that is more than double the potential sentence faced in state court.”

“The collaboration in this case between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the King County Prosecutor’s Office and state and federal law enforcement authorities has resulted in swift and serious consequences for the defendant,”  noted King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. “Although the fire was quickly put out, Mr. Masmari’s actions put hundreds of people at risk. The sentence he faces in federal court reflects the inherent danger of his actions.”

            According to the facts admitted in the plea agreement, MASMARI carried a one gallon tank of gas into the club in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood around 11:30 PM on December 31, 2013.  He concealed the gas tank in a shopping bag.  Just after midnight, MASMARI poured some of the gasoline on a staircase in Neighbours and hid the gas container behind a planter at the top of the stairs.  The container was still more than half full of gasoline.  At 12:06 AM, MASMARI lit the gas he had poured on the stairs and hastily left the club.  MASMARI was identified as a suspect following a review of surveillance videos.  He was arrested by the Seattle Police Department and FBI on February 1, 2014 as he was preparing to travel to Sea-Tac Airport for international travel.  He has been incarcerated in King County since his arrest and was transferred to federal custody today.

            The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the FBI.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg and Senior Deputy King County Prosecuting Attorney Susan Storey.

            A recently released prison inmate was arrested yesterday for plotting to blow up a large store and gas station as part of his bank robbery scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  LARRY GILLETTE, 53, of Shelton, Washington, is charged with solicitation to commit a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  GILLETTE allegedly began plotting the bombings and bank robberies while still serving a state prison sentence for identity theft.  After being released from prison on April 14, 2014, GILLETTE described his plot in detail to someone he thought would assist him with his crimes.  In fact the person he met with was an undercover officer working for the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.  GILLETTE will appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma at 2:30 today.

            According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement learned that GILLETTE told others in prison of his plan to rob banks in Shelton using bombs at various businesses as a diversion during which he would commit violent takeover style robberies.  Following his release from prison, an undercover officer posed as someone who could assist GILLETTE in obtaining weapons and explosives for his plot.  On two different occasions in April 2014, GILLETTE was recorded on audio and video describing his plot to the undercover officer as they drove around Shelton.  As described in court documents, the plot involved powerful bombs at Walmart, and Arco and Chevron gas stations.  The plot allegedly anticipated that while first responders were busy with the bombings, GILLETTE would rob three banks.  GILLETTE indicated he wanted the maximum loss of life to occur in the bombings and the bank robberies.  At one point in the investigation, GILLETTE took possession of four Glock firearms.  GILLETTE did not know the firearms had been modified so they would not fire.  GILLETTE was arrested yesterday afternoon when he met again with the undercover officer, and attempted to ignite a car bomb.  The “bomb” was inoperable.

            Solicitation to commit a crime of violence is punishable by up to twenty years of imprisonment.  Being a felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to ten years of imprisonment.

            The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

            The case is being investigated by the Seattle Safe Streets Task Force -- which includes special agents from the FBI and task force officers from the Seattle Police Department (SPD) -- and the SPD Major Crimes Task Force.  SPD SWAT, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and Shelton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) partnered with the task forces on the arrest and the serving of search warrants.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey A. Backhus.

            A federal felon who was still under court supervision when he committed an armed robbery of a marijuana distributor was sentenced today to 14 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  MELVIN CHARLES SLAUGHTER, 31, was on supervision for a bank fraud conviction in August 2013, when he robbed a Maple Valley, Washington marijuana trafficker.  After robbing the marijuana dealer at gunpoint, two of SLAUGHTER’s cohorts were shot by the dealer as they tried to flee.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik noted that federal prosecution of the case was fully appropriate.

            “A neighborhood became a shooting range because this defendant and his drug trafficker brought their violent business into its quiet streets,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “This is the fourth case we have charged in less than a year that involved gunfire used in connection with a marijuana business.  Guns and drugs do not mix.  Those who put lives and community safety at risk will be held accountable.”

            On August 13, 2014, SLAUGHTER and three cohorts drove in two cars to the Maple Valley home of a person they knew distributed marijuana.  One of the people with SLAUGHTER waited in the car thinking the other three were simply purchasing drugs.  In fact, SLAUGHTER and another man robbed the drug trafficker of marijuana and numerous firearms at gunpoint, tying his hands with zip ties.  As SLAUGHTER and two others left the house, the trafficker was able to free himself, grab a firearm he had hidden under the mattress of his bed, and started shooting.  The woman who waited in the car was hit, as was SLAUGHTER’s co-defendant Ferdinand Clay.  Clay was shot in the face, neck and hip but recovered from his wounds.  Clay pleaded guilty to robbery and brandishing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and faces a mandatory minimum seven years in prison when sentenced on June 6, 2014.

            After shots were fired the robbery team sped away tossing bloodied items from the car, including some of the stolen firearms.  They were recovered by police along the highway.  The two who were injured went to different hospitals for treatment.  SLAUGHTER and the other female member of the robbery crew turned themselves in to police.

The marijuana dealer has also been charged.  Jason Loken has pleaded guilty to drug and firearms charges and will be sentenced for his criminal conduct on May 27, 2014.

            The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.

            A former Belfair, Washington resident who once served as the president of an elementary school PTA pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to four child pornography offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  DAVID MICHAEL NAVARRO, 38, was arrested in August 2013, after investigators traced a video posted on the internet to NAVARRO.  The video showed the rape of an 8-year-old child.  Under the terms of the plea agreement, both sides will recommend a sentence of between 20 and 25 years in prison when NAVARRO is sentenced on July 21, 2014.  NAVARRO pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.  The production counts carry a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years.  U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle is free to impose any sentence between that mandatory minimum and the maximum of 30 years in prison.

            According to the facts in the plea agreement, between November of 2011 and May of 2013, NAVARRO produced multiple videos of himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a young child.  Some of the videos seized from the defendant also depicted him engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a second young child, and one video depicted NAVARRO engaged in sexually explicit conduct while seated next to an unidentified child on an airplane.  Law enforcement analysis revealed more than 700 images of child pornography and 157 videos of child pornography on NAVARRO’s electronic devices including cameras, computers, thumb drives, and smartphones.  NAVARRO admits that he shared much of the child pornography he produced over the Internet, trading for other images of child pornography.

            Under the terms of the plea agreement, NAVARRO must register as a sex offender following his release from prison.  Prosecutors will recommend he be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.

            The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth.

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

A south King County man pleaded guilty to using a firearm during a drug crime in an attempted drug robbery that turned into a fatal shooting, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  LENNY BRIKN, JR, 19, of Federal Way, pleaded guilty today to Using a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence and Drug Trafficking Crime.  The charge carries a mandatory minimum seven year prison term.  Both prosecutors and the defense will recommend a seven year term when BRIKN is sentenced on August 1, 2014 by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik.

“Unfortunately this case proves once again: Guns and drugs are a deadly mix,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “The use of guns in the drug business endangers the public and will not be tolerated.”

According to the records filed in King County Superior Court as well as the indictment, David Ross, 35 of Renton, Washington, and an associate arrived at a Federal Way apartment complex to sell marijuana to two men – BRIKN and his brother, Deshawn Boykin.  Ross was armed with a gun, despite having two previous felony drug convictions that prohibit him from possessing a firearm.  BRIKN and Boykin drew “Mac 10” style semi-automatic pistols, ordered Ross and his associate to lie on the ground, and attempted to rob them of the marijuana they brought to the drug deal.  BRIKN and Boykin ultimately ran away, and Ross drew his gun and fired multiple times at the fleeing men.  Boykin was hit twice and died of his wounds at St. Francis Medical Center.

Ross is charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum ten year sentence in addition to any other sentence imposed in the case.  Ross is scheduled for trial in June 2014.

The case was investigated by the Federal Way Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

            A former Army soldier and Marine was sentenced Monday to 17 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production and distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  ARRON D. BURTON, pleaded guilty in January 2014, admitting that he made and distributed a video of his molestation of a three-year-old child.  U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle imposed the sentence.

            According to the plea agreement, BURTON was living at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in late 2012, when he came to the attention of law enforcement because of the child pornography he distributed via the internet.  Search warrants were executed on BURTON’s computers, and analysis showed more than 100 images and 27 videos of child pornography.

Following his release from prison, BURTON will be required to register as a sex offender.

The case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis Franze-Nakamura.

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

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department reached an agreement today with SK Food Group Inc., a company based in Seattle, resolving claims that the company used discriminatory document practices when verifying the work authority of non-citizens. 
           
The department’s investigation, which was initiated based on a referral from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), found that SK Food required work-authorized non-U.S. citizens to produce specific Department of Homeland Security documents to prove their work authority in connection with the company’s employment eligibility verification process, but did not make similar demands of U.S. citizens.  Such discriminatory practices are prohibited under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Under the agreement, SK Food must pay $40,500 in civil penalties to the United States; identify and provide back pay to any individuals who suffered lost wages as a result of the company’s alleged discriminatory documentary practices; undergo training on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA; and be subject to monitoring of its employment eligibility verification practices for one year.

“Employers cannot create discriminatory obstacles for work-authorized non-U.S. citizens in the employment eligibility verification process,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division.  “In this case, we commend the company for its full cooperation during the investigation and for its efforts to address and resolve the deficiencies in its employment eligibility verification process.”

“No one who is legally authorized to work in the United States should be denied that opportunity based on suspicion or stereotypes,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan for the Western District of Washington.  “The agreement filed today ensures training for human resource workers and outreach to employees to promote and safeguard equal treatment for all new workers.”

The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA.  This case was handled by OSC Trial Attorney Luz V. Lopez-Ortiz.

For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired), call OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired), sign up for a free webinar at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/webinars.php, email osccrt@usdoj.gov or visit the website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.
  
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to different documentary requirements based on their citizenship status, immigration status or national origin or  discrimination based on their citizenship status, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral should contact the worker hotline above for assistance.

A former hard money lender who resides in University Place, Washington pleaded guilty Friday to Conspiracy to Submit False Statements in Loan Applications and to Make False Statements to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Submitting False Statements in Loan Applications, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  EMIEL A. KANDI, 37, was indicted last June for a mortgage scheme that caused a loss of more than $800,000 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Prosecutors agree to recommend a sentence of no more than 78 months in prison when KANDI is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton on September 5, 2014.  However, Judge Leighton is not bound by that recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.

According to records in the case, between 2008 and 2009, KANDI submitted false information to obtain home mortgage loans.  Some of these fraudulent home mortgageloans were designed to let KANDI cash out of properties that KANDI owned through his hard money lending.  KANDI’s lending activities were typically secured by a borrower’s home and charged a high rate of interest.  The hard money loans were structured, in some instances, to allow KANDI to seize control of a home if the borrower missed a single payment.  Other fraudulent home mortgage loans included an inflated and often disguised commission payment to KANDI.  In at least 19 loans, KANDI and his co-schemers submitted false information regarding the borrowers’ employment, salary, and intention to live in the home.  Some of the loan paperwork included inflated appraisals so that KANDI could maximize the money he obtained in the scheme.  The false statements were designed to make the loans appear legitimate and ensure that they would meet federal lending standards.  Many of the loans were processed by Pierce Commercial Bank and were insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a unit within the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

            False statements were made in loan applications for various properties in Western Washington, including properties in Pierce, King, and Clark County.  Under the terms of the plea agreement, KANDI agrees to make restitution of $831,607 due to HUD.  The court will decide whether he also owes an additional $169,358 to individual borrowers who KANDI represented as a mortgage broker.

Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.  With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud.  Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations.  Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Werner and Special Assistant United States Attorney Hugo Torres. Mr. Torres is a King County Deputy Prosecutor specially funded by the Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) to handle mortgage fraud cases in state and federal court.

A former Vancouver, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  JOSEPH SCHESSO, 36, now of Portland, Oregon, was indicted in May 2011.  Under the terms of the plea agreement, he must be sentenced to twelve years in federal prison, or the plea agreement can be voided and the case could continue to trial.  Sentencing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan on July 11, 2014.

According to records filed in the case, SCHESSO first came to the attention of authorities when investigators in Germany discovered an individual in the U.S. distributing child pornography through a file-sharing program.  The information was passed from German law enforcement to investigators with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who traced the computer’s internet protocol address to SCHESSO’s residence.  In June 2010, agents executed a search warrant on SCHESSO’s Vancouver home.  Investigators found more than 3,100 images and 500 movie files of child pornography on SCHESSO’s computers.  They also located a media card for a digital camera.  Forensic examination of the media card revealed photos of a young child in sexually explicit poses.  Agents identified furniture and blankets in the photos as items in SCHESSO’s home, and identified the child as one who had visited SCHESSO’s home.

SCHESSO is required to register as a sex offender following his release from prison.  SCHESSO has served almost three years of a 40-month sentence in state court for attempted child molestation.  The 12-year federal prison term begins with the sentencing hearing in July and will run concurrent to the remaining state prison sentence.

The case was investigated by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth.

            A Florida resident who threatened family members over a $20,000 debt and used firebombs to torch one home and threaten another, pleaded guilty today to a variety of charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  SANG NGOC UNG, 54, of Margate, Florida pleaded guilty to Collection of Extension of Credit by Extortionate Means, Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering Activity, Unlawful Possession of a Destructive Device and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.  In his plea agreement UNG admits that in the early morning hours of June 10, 2013 he set fire to his relative’s home on S. Cloverdale Street in Seattle.  The fire extensively damaged the home and forced the homeowner, her adult children and a friend to flee through a window and the garage.  Shortly after that fire, investigators went to a second home associated with the family and discovered a destructive device that had not ignited.  When sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on July 25, 2014, prosecutors will recommend no more than 25 years in prison and the defense can recommend no less than 5 years.  Judge Jones is not bound by the recommendations and can impose any sentence allowed by law.

According to records in the case, UNG had been pressuring family members in Seattle about $20,000 he believes is owed to him.  Family members had attempted to pay some of the money, but UNG reportedly continued to threaten them if the debt was not paid.  In mid-May 2013, UNG arrived in the Seattle area and again began pressuring the family to repay the debt.  On June 9, 2013, UNG was observed attempting to contact people at both homes.  The fire and the destructive device that failed to ignite were discovered the next day.  Cell phone records place UNG in the Seattle area during the time the fire and destructive device were set.  Evidence on the destructive device ties him to the scene.  UNG returned to the Seattle area in July 2013 and was arrested by Seattle Police and ATF agents.  At the time of his arrest UNG had a firearm in his possession and admits that he was armed during the criminal conduct in this case.

The case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

          The leader of a marijuana manufacturing and distribution conspiracy was sentenced today to five years in prison for drug and money laundering charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  SCOTT JOHNSON, 48, of Bellingham, Washington also forfeited property in Whatcom County and Priest River Idaho, as well as multiple luxury vehicles, snowmobiles, boats and jet skis.  JOHNSON also forfeited gemstones, a sculpture valued at $12,000, and seventeen firearms.  JOHNSON and his cohorts admit they entered the marijuana conspiracy because of their greed.  At sentencing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart told JOHNSON, “you broke the law in a flagrant manner… you are a drug dealer and a criminal.”

            According to filings in the case, JOHNSON was the leader of a group of marijuana cultivators and undertook sophisticated steps to market the marijuana across the country.  He used others to transport the marijuana hidden in a motorhome.  JOHNSON flew to New York on multiple occasions to finalize the sale to buyers in that city.  Another leader in the organization, JAY WRIGHT, 50, also of Bellingham, was sentenced to three years in prison today.  WRIGHT assisted in running the marijuana grows and served as the “number two” leader behind JOHNSON.  Judge Robart told WRIGHT that he and others had been “ensnared by the lure of money, and there must be jail time to counteract that.”

            Items forfeited in the case include: fourteen gemstones valued at $9,279; a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 LTZ; a 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL550; a 2009 Acura TL Sedan; a 2008 Honda Civic; a 2007 BMW 328i sedan; a 2004 Cadillac Escalade SUV; a 1997 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer SUV; a forklift, backhoe, tractor, and snow blower;  two motorcycles; seven snowmobiles; a 2000 Maxum Sport boat; a trailer valued at over $10,000; two wave runners; and 17 firearms seized in Bellingham and Priest River including hand guns, shot guns, and rifles.

            This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved.

            The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshal Service, and Washington State Patrol.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Parrent.

A Longview septic tank pumping business and its owner were sentenced today for multiple felony criminal violations of the Clean Water Act, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  RAY CALDWELL, 60, and his company, ALL-OUT SEWER AND DRAIN SERVICE, INC., were found guilty in December 2013, following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle.  CALDWELL was sentenced to 27 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for twenty-five counts of violating the Clean Water Act, six counts of mail fraud, and two counts of making false statements.  The company shares in the $250,000 fine and will be on probation for three years.  In May, Judge Settle will determine the amount of restitution owed by CALDWELL and the company.  At the sentencing hearing Judge Settle said, “You saw an opportunity to essentially deprive public entities of money they were entitled to receive…. It’s very important to communicate to the community that if you engage in fraud on local government, you will realize consequences.”

“This defendant illegally dumped more than two million gallons of waste and pollutants into the sewer system,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “The company and its owner stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in public services and then embarked on an extended campaign of deceit to conceal the scheme.  The crimes damaged the honest rate payers who dutifully paid for the services they used.”

According to records filed in the case, the defendants’ scheme to defraud the City of Longview, Cowlitz County, and the Three Rivers Regional Wastewater Authority went on for more than ten years.  ALL-OUT was engaged in the business of pumping, hauling, and disposing of septic tank waste, grease trap waste, and industrial wastewater.  Federal, state, and local regulations require that all trucked and hauled wastes of the type handled by ALL OUT be discharged to approve treatment facilities.  It was ALL OUT’s practice to transport the waste to its facility in Longview where it was minimally treated and stored in a 10,000 gallon storage tank.  While some of the tank contents were appropriately trucked to approved treatment facilities, a majority of the commingled waste was routinely dumped down an unauthorized sewer port located on the ALL OUT facility.

Based on video surveillance footage seized by law enforcement authorities, CALDWELL and his business partner, Randy Dingus, undertook the illegal discharges in the early morning hours, under the cover of darkness, to avoid being detected by passersby or unsuspecting employees.  When a records review conducted by the City of Longview in 2010 threatened to expose the scheme, the defendants began submitting false documents underreporting the true volume of trucked and hauled waste.  This deception worked until August 2012 when law enforcement surveillance activities prompted by citizen complaints revealed the early morning dumping.

On August 17, 2012, EPA criminal agents executed a search warrant at the ALL OUT facility and seized video footage from the company’s surveillance system.  The footage depicted twenty-four separate illegal dumping incidents over a six week period in July and August of 2012.  EPA criminal agents returned to the ALL OUT facility in the early morning of December 18, 2012 after receiving reports that the illegal dumping was still occurring.  The agents arrested CALDWELL after observing him using large flexible hoses to dump waste from the storage tank directly into the sewer port.

CALDWELL was convicted of illegally dumping waste on each of the days captured on the video footage as well as the December 18, 2012 dumping event.  CALDWELL was also convicted of using the mail system to further his scheme of defrauding the public utilities. Finally, CALDWELL was convicted for making false statements in a mandated user survey seeking information regarding ALL OUT’s discharges to the sewer system, and for lying to EPA agents when confronted in August 2012.

CALDWELL’s business partner, Randy Dingus, 54, had previously pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act for his participation in the illegal dumping scheme.  He was sentenced in January 2014 to 30 days in prison, two months of home detention, one year of supervised release, 40 hours of community service, and a $15,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Washington State Department of Ecology, Cowlitz County, the City of Longview, and the Three Rivers Regional Wastewater Authority.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jim Oesterle and Lawrence Lincoln.

            A Pierce County woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to a wire fraud and aggravated identity theft scheme that netted her more than $95,000, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  BARBARA HOLLY STAHLMAN, 42, was indicted in February 2013, for a scheme in which she fraudulently claimed tax refunds using other people’s personal information.  STAHLMAN has been in custody since August 2013.  She faces at least a mandatory minimum two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge when she is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton on July 11, 2014.

            “Just days ahead of the April 15 tax filing deadline, this case exemplifies the kind of damage we see from these tax refund identity theft schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “Whether it is a one person fraud operation, or a sophisticated cyber hack, we are prioritizing these cases to protect taxpayers and the important resources they provide.”

The Justice Department’s Tax Division, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, has prioritized the investigation and prosecution of individuals who engage in stolen identity refund fraud.  In the last year alone, the Department charged more than 880 defendants involved in stolen identity refund fraud, and the IRS reports that it resolved or closed approximately 963,000 cases involving identity theft victims.

“This is an increasingly urgent problem,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Its impact can be devastating to families that are counting on legitimate tax refunds that are diverted by identity theft. And especially in recent years, the Justice Department has seen the scale, scope, and execution of these fraud schemes grow significantly.”

According to records filed in the case, STAHLMAN used the Social Security numbers and other personally identifying information to file fraudulent tax returns without the knowledge of the people whose information she was using.  STAHLMAN used the tax identification numbers of different companies to claim employment and withheld wages – even though no employment had occurred.  In some instances STAHLMAN invented dependents on the tax returns to increase the refund.  In all between 2010 and 2013 she submitted 108 false tax returns via turbotax.com and taxACT.com.  Forty-four of those returns were accepted by the IRS who fraudulently paid out $95,331.  The payments were made to prepaid debit cards and STAHLMAN used them for her own benefit.

“Identity theft is devastating for the victims as it steals the very essence of who we are,” said Kenneth Hines, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation.  “Protecting our tax system is important to us, but we are even more passionate about bringing to justice those crooks that violate innocent people by stealing their identities.  IRS special agents together with the Department of Justice have made it a top priority to hunt down and prosecute identity thieves.”

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Reese Jennings.

            A Kent, Washington tax preparer was arrested this morning, following his indictment for a tax fraud scheme in which he falsely claimed tax refunds while victimizing his clients, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  RYAN LANH YANN, 60, will appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 PM today on ten counts of wire fraud, four counts of false, fictitious or fraudulent claims, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.  The indictment alleges YANN collected more than $300,000 with his illegal scheme.

            According to the indictment, YANN operated a tax preparation business in Kent and between 2009 and 2012 prepared income tax returns for clients – many of whom were immigrants who were not familiar with the U.S. tax system and did not have strong English language skills.  YANN would provide his clients one version of their tax return, while filing a different version of the tax return with the IRS.  On the filed tax return, YANN would claim additional false deductions, or dependents, inflating the size of the tax refund.  YANN would keep the additional refund money for himself.  In some instances, YANN would allegedly tell a client he owed taxes, and then keep the money the client provided.  He would then file a second version of the return in which he claimed a tax refund, which he kept for his own use. 

The wire fraud counts relate to the false tax returns filed by YANN.  The false claims counts detail specific false tax refund claims ranging from about $500 to more than $2300.  The aggravated identity theft charges relate to his use of his clients’ identifying information as part of his fraud scheme.

            Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two-year prison term in addition to any other sentence imposed in the case.  Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.  Making false and fictitious claims is punishable by up to five years in prison.

            The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

            The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Secret Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Woods.

Seattle Mariners All-Star pitcher Felix Hernandez and Grammy Award-winning recording artist Macklemore are joining forces with Seattle area middle schools to help foster a safe and respectful learning environment for all students.  Hernandez and Macklemore launched the #ChangeTheGame campaign on April 10 at Safeco Field by surprising a group of students from Highland Middle School in Bellevue, Washington. The students were brought to Safeco Field to be part of an anti-bullying public service announcement with the Mariner Moose. Then, after a few shots with Moose, Hernandez and Macklemore unexpectedly appeared from the dug out to film the PSA with the students.

"Only together we can change the game and ensure every kid's right to a safe school, free from bullying and intimidation," said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. "Felix Hernandez and Macklemore show the power of celebrating differences and treating others with kindness. The Department of Justice is proud to partner with the Seattle Mariners and community organizations, and thank them for their leadership in working to "Change the Game" and promote safe and healthy schools."

In the PSA, the two superstars from sports and music talk about how they may look different than most people, whether it is their haircuts or the clothes they wear, but just because someone is different doesn’t mean they should be teased or bullied. They ask students to “be kind, stay positive, and support each other,” and to sign an anti-bullying pledge. The PSA ends with the line, “Together, we can change the game.” The 30-second PSA will be distributed to radio and TV stations throughout Western Washington.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe at their school. I hope kids will hear our message and treat each other with respect and kindness,” said Hernandez.

"It's an honor to be working with the Mariners and Felix Hernandez to help spread a message of individuality to our area schools. We hope to encourage our youth to feel free to be themselves and to take care of each other along the way," said Macklemore.

The campaign also consists of an education component for Seattle-area middle schools with posters and activity guides for teachers, as well as online resources at mariners.com/changethegame to provide students, teachers and parents tools to help address the issue of bullying in schools. Parents can help their children complete the activities and take the anti-bullying pledge to be entered into a contest to meet Hernandez and Macklemore prior to the Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees game on Thursday, June 12, which is Macklemore Bobblehead Night at Safeco Field.

Partnering with the Mariners on the campaign are the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center; Committee for Children; U.S. Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, and DOJ’s Community Relations Service; and Copacino+Fujikado.

An enrolled member of the Tulalip Tribes pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to second degree murder and criminal mistreatment in the death of one daughter and the neglect of the second, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  CHRISTINA D. CARLSON, 38, was indicted by the grand jury last May following the October, 2012 death of her 19-month-old daughter and the neglect of her 33-month-old daughter.  Under the terms of the plea agreement, both the prosecution and defense will recommend a prison sentence of eight to thirteen years.  However, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart is not bound by that recommendation and can impose any sentence up to the maximum life sentence allowed by law.  Sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2014.

CARLSON has been in federal custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington, since January 11, 2013.  The criminal complaint and plea agreement describe how on October 8, 2012, emergency crews were called to an address on Marine Drive NE on the Tulalip Tribal Reservation where CARLSON was performing CPR on her 19-month-old daughter who was unresponsive on a blanket on the ground.  The child was unconscious, not breathing and covered in urine and feces.  A second child, a 33-month old girl, was found strapped in her car seat in a nearby vehicle.  The child was pale, unresponsive and covered in urine and feces.  The girl was transported to the hospital and later recovered.  The 19-month old child died and the Snohomish County Medical examiner classified the manner of death as homicide by parental neglect.  According to the report the child was malnourished and dehydrated, weighing only 19 pounds.  The child’s skin in the diaper area was excoriated and infested with maggots.  Her hair was infested with lice.

The investigation revealed that CARLSON had been living in the car with the girls on the property since mid-September.  On October 8, 2012 CARLSON had left the girls in the car while she went to use a phone at the residence on the property.  CARLSON admits in her plea agreement that she was away from the car for several hours, attempting to obtain drugs for her personal use.  About 20 minutes after the neighbors told her to go back to the car and her children, CARLSON returned asking them to call 9-1-1 because the youngest child was unresponsive.

The case was investigated by the Tulalip Tribal Police and the FBI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington filed a civil Complaint today against an Arizona physician who violated the Controlled Substances Act by prescribing narcotic painkillers in Washington State without having a DEA registration number in Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  Dr. Barton Butterbaugh was the Chief Medical Officer for EClinicMD LLC.  EClinicMD is an internet-based company based in Florida.  The Complaint alleges that between 2009 and 2012 Dr. Barton Butterbaugh traveled to Washington State an average of once a month and authorized thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances for Washington residents.  Dr. Butterbaugh did not have a DEA registration number in Washington and, therefore, it was illegal for him to prescribe medications in Washington.

According to the allegations in the Complaint, EClinicMD states on its website that it is a “third party administrator” for a network of physicians.  It operates by partnering with doctors whom it then pairs with patients seeking appointments.  The doctors purportedly obtain patient medical records and forms from EClinicMD before seeing the patients for an initial in-person examination.  The company did not accept insurance, instead charging $285 for an initial appointment and $165 for the “telemedicine consultations” through which patients got their prescriptions refilled.  On the one day a month he was in town, Dr. Butterbaugh rented space from local businesses and met with dozens of patients (many of whom traveled considerable distances from other parts of the state for the appointment).  Through these visits, and subsequent follow-up phone calls for refills, Dr. Butterbaugh authorized thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances for Washington residents.

            Under the Controlled Substances Act, the penalties for violating the Act are as much as $25,000 per violation.  The government alleges that Dr. Butterbaugh’s business practices in Washington are unlawful, have served to allow him to evade DEA monitoring, and have harmed the citizens of this State, while enriching himself.

            The filing of the civil Complaint is just the beginning of the litigation process.  The charges must be proven in court by a preponderance of the evidence.  The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christina Dimock.  The investigation of Dr. Butterbaugh’s prescribing practices was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration –Drug Diversion Unit.

A former hospital anesthesiologist was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for distribution of oxycodone, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  HIEU TU LE, 40, of Snohomish, Washington, a medical doctor licensed in Washington State since 2004, operated medical clinics in Seattle and Everett, Washington.  LE admits that between March 2012 and July 2013 he wrote oxycodone prescriptions for cash and obtained oxycodone that he distributed for cash, all without a legitimate medical need to do so.  At sentencing U. S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly noted the  “potential public danger of the conduct.”

“This defendant essentially operated an open-air drug market out of the parking lot of his medical clinic,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  “As a medical doctor he knew the damage of addiction but sold drugs to feed his greed.”

According to records filed in the case and statements made in court today, LE left his job as an anesthesiologist with Valley General Hospital in Monroe, Washington in March 2012.  From March to September 2012, LE operated a medical clinic on Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood providing medical marijuana authorizations.  In September 2012, LE opened a clinic in Everett called Northwest Green Medical.  Beginning in March 2012 and continuing until July 2013, LE wrote multiple oxycodone prescriptions for cash to people who did not need the prescriptions for legitimate medical purposes.  LE would also hand deliver the prescriptions to an Everett pharmacy, pick up the oxycodone pills, and then sell the pills to people who he knew did not have a legitimate medical need for the pills.  LE knew that some of the people to whom he sold the pills were reselling them to others, feeding drug addiction in the community.  LE’s Everett clinic was the subject of a federal search warrant in July 2013.  At that time, LE voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration, which had authorized him to prescribe controlled substances.

In requesting a lengthy prison sentence, prosecutors highlighted the damage of prescription medication addiction, and LE’s unique culpability.  “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010 there were 16,651 overdose deaths involving prescription opioids, a tally which outnumbered overdose deaths from all other illicit drugs (including heroin and cocaine) combined.  In 2009, for the first year ever, opioid deaths surpassed motor vehicle crashes as a cause of death in the United States. …. As a medical doctor, the defendant ignored the harsh realities of addictive painkillers, suggesting that he lost whatever moral compass he may have had,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.

As part of the plea agreement, LE is forfeiting to the government various brokerage and bank accounts as proceeds of his drug distribution, and a 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid purchased with drug distribution proceeds.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Health and Human Services (HHS), and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Lang and Matthew Diggs.

            A plastic surgeon who practices in Kirkland, Washington has agreed to settle federal civil penalty claims brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on behalf of the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  Based on evidence and information obtained through its investigation, DEA contends that from 2007 through 2011, Dr. Gavin Dry forged at least 265 prescriptions under another physician’s name – and with Dr. Dry’s minor son falsely listed as the patient – so that Dr. Dry could obtain controlled substances (primarily Adderall and other amphetamines) for his own personal use.  DEA also contends that Dr. Dry committed multiple recordkeeping violations.

In 2011, Dr. Dry voluntarily entered into an in-patient chemical dependency treatment program, which he successfully completed.  Since January 2012, Dr. Dry has practiced under the terms of, and in compliance with, a monitoring contract with the Washington Physicians Health Program.  In May 2012, after DEA initiated its investigation, Dr. Dry voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration, which meant that he could no longer prescribe certain medications, including amphetamines. 

            Under the terms of the parties’ settlement, Dr. Dry has agreed to pay the government $125,000 in order to resolve its claims prior to the commencement of litigation.  The settlement is not an admission of legal fault or responsibility by Dr. Dry.

            DEA and the United States Attorney’s Office were assisted in their investigation of this matter by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Bellevue Police Department.

            The man who forged multiple ID documents and financial documents for mail thieves in Snohomish County was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 65 months in prison, five years of supervised release and $59,177 in restitution, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  MICHAEL JOHN SURYAN, 54, formerly of Everett, Washington was arrested in January 2013, in a Shoreline, Washington motel where he had set up a mobile identity manufacturing operation.  Using documents his co-schemers stole from burglaries, mail thefts and car prowls, SURYAN manufactured fake IDs, and forged checks with the co-schemers listed as the payees.  A search of the room revealed more than 50 fake Washington State driver’s licenses, handwritten notes listing the names, addresses and personal information (including dates of birth, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and credit card or checking account information) for numerous victims.  In all the evidence revealed the identities of more than 200 people had been stolen.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted SURYAN was addicted to methamphetamine but his greed and his crime “had a grave impact on the citizens of the community.”

            According to records filed in the case, SURYAN and several co-schemers used stolen identity information to commit various types of bank fraud.  SURYAN would make false checks payable to the co-schemers in their real names, and would also make checks payable to those whose identities had been stolen, providing his co-schemers with fake drivers’ licenses that matched the names on the checks.  The stolen checks recovered in the hotel room exceeded $50,000 in value.  SURYAN also opened lines of credit in victims’ names at various department stores and made more than $30,000 in purchases.  The total monetary loss from the scheme was nearly $113,000.

            In asking for a lengthy prison sentence, prosecutors noted that SURYAN’s operation not only enriched him, but also helped thieves and burglars profit from the information they stole.  SURYAN “served as a lynchpin of identity theft activity in Snohomish County in the latter half of 2012; the forgery service provided by the defendant helped incentivize countless break-ins of mailboxes, homes, and vehicles by criminals searching for victim data.  Moreover, the defendant did not provide his services as a forger for free; the defendant’s business model depended entirely on thieves’ continued victimization of the community,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.

            The case was investigated by the Everett Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ehren Reynolds.