Eastern District of Wisconsin

Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that eight individuals were sentenced after convictions for drug trafficking in Northeastern Wisconsin. The sentences imposed by Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach were the result of guilty pleas by all eight individuals between May 11, 2017 and January 11, 2018:

 

Defendant

Charge of Conviction

Sentencing date

Months of Prison

Months of Supervised Release

Brady Pomeroy

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

9/8/17

120

60

Brady Pomeroy (2nd Charge)

Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes

9/8/17

60 (consecutive; 180 months total)

36

Teng Her

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

8/21/17

120

60

David Ly

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

7/14/17

120

60

Zoey Scott

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

10/3/17

40

60

Curtis Whitaker

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

9/11/17

31

60

Zachary Hietpas

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

11/27/17

18

60

Zachary Kryzaniak

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

9/15/17

12 months and 1 day

60

Omar Sanchez

Distribution of Methamphetamine

3/29/18

40

72

 

The investigation revealed that the defendants conspired amongst themselves and with others, and distributed a large quantity of methamphetamine in the Fox Valley region of Northeastern Wisconsin. The defendants obtained methamphetamine from sources in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Areas of California, who sent several packages containing a half-pound or more of methamphetamine to the defendants. The defendants also obtained methamphetamine directly from locations in Milwaukee and California. The defendants used a residence in Fox Crossing, and a business in Menasha, to repackage and transfer the methamphetamine to local distributors. Several controlled purchases and multiple search warrants led to the recovery of large quantities of methamphetamine, packaging material, drug ledgers, currency, ammunition, and firearms.

Chief Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the offenses the defendants committed, and remarked that the defendants caused immeasurable damage to the community through the sale and distribution of what he called “poison.”

The case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group-Drug Unit and US Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Appleton Police Department, Oshkosh Police Department, Menasha Police Department, Neenah Police Department, Fox Crossing Police Department, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

#    #    #    #    #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 26, 2018, Tyler A. Kuhnke (age: 27) of New London, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl, resulting the death of a close relative in June of 2017. 

Kuhnke admitted travelling with the victim to his drug source in Oshkosh for the purpose of obtaining heroin. The heroin was, unbeknownst to Kuhnke and the victim, an especially potent form of fentanyl. The medical examiner determined that the victim died of acute fentanyl toxicity.    

In pronouncing sentence, Chief U.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the “terribly serious” nature of Kuhnke’s crime and the negative effect that fentanyl has had on the community, calling it “a poison that’s killing people.” He found that Kuhnke was aware of the inherent dangers of distributing illegal substances, and it was noted during the hearing that Kuhnke had previously supplied drugs that led to a non-fatal overdose of the same victim in 2016. Following his release from prison, Kuhnke will serve 8 years on federal supervised release.  

The case was investigated by the New London Police Department and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

 

#  #  #  #  #

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 27, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against a man allegedly involved in an armed assault on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Shawn T. Sanapaw (age: 34) of Keshena, was charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in violation of Title 18 United States Code 113(a) (3). Sanapaw faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.

According to the indictment, on about September 29, 2017, Sanapaw assaulted another person with a firearm. The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

#  #  #  #  #

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 14, 2018, Amalia Gamboa (age 41), of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced in federal court to 5 years in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $4.6 million in tax refund checks. The sentence followed her guilty plea to mail fraud, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 1341, theft of government money, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A.  Gamboa was also ordered to pay $4,681,690.42 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.  Gamboa additionally agreed to be voluntarily deported after her prison sentence to Mexico due to her lack of legal status in the United States.

Gamboa committed her theft by fraudulently obtaining Individual Tax Identification Numbers (“ITINs”) from the IRS.  An ITIN is what the IRS issues to individuals who cannot, due to their immigration status, obtain a Social Security number.  Individuals who obtain an ITIN use it to file their income tax returns.  

To obtain an ITIN, an applicant has to provide the IRS certain personal identifying documents, such as national identifications or voter cards.  Gamboa obtained personal identifying documents from citizens of Mexico, fraudulently applied for ITINs in their names, and then filed false tax returns using the ITINs she obtained. 

In the fraudulent tax returns that she filed, Gamboa claimed the Additional Child Tax Credit (“ACTC”).  The ACTC reduces tax liability dollar for dollar, and the unused portion of a refundable credit is still payable to the taxpayer.  Accordingly, even someone who has no tax liability may qualify to receive the ACTC.  Gamboa falsely claimed dependents in the tax returns that she filed to fraudulently receive the ACTC.

From November 2010 through March 2017, Gamboa received at least $4,681,690.42 in U.S. Treasury refund checks from her scheme.  When handing down the sentence, United States District Judge Pamela Pepper said that anyone who commits tax fraud “steals from every hard working person who pays taxes in the country,” and Judge Pepper stated that her sentence must “send a message” to others that tax fraud offenses are serious crimes that require significant sentences.  Judge Pepper also said, referring to tax fraud cases over which she has presided, that she had “never seen a single person responsible for this much loss in my time as a judge,” and further described the amount that Gamboa stole as “mind blowing.”

“IRS Criminal Investigations is sworn to protect the tax system and bring to justice those who steal from the U.S. Treasury,” said St. Paul Acting Special Agent in Charge Hubbard Burgess. “The IRS and Department of Justice remain determined and vigilant in ferreting out these types of identity theft cases and holding those who engage in similar behavior fully accountable.”

“This case sends a clear warning:  Tax fraud and identity theft are serious crimes and will be prosecuted aggressively.  The honest taxpayers that fund our government deserve to know that cheaters face real punishment.  We commend IRS Criminal Investigation for its excellent work in this case.”  

This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keith Alexander.

 

#   #   #   #

 

For further information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig at (414) 297-1700

Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 5, 2018, Levester R. Brown (age: 33) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution ring in Northeast Wisconsin. 

In the Spring of 2017, Brown repeatedly travelled from his residence in Milwaukee to Phoenix, Arizona, for the purpose of obtaining pounds of pure methamphetamine. Brown then utilized the U.S. Postal Service to ship the methamphetamine to acquaintances in Milwaukee and Brown Deer, Wisconsin. He would then transport the drugs to his main distributor in Green Bay.

On June 6, 2017, Special Agents with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service arrested Brown as he attempted to ship approximately 9 pounds of methamphetamine to his associates in Wisconsin.   

In pronouncing sentence, Chief U.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of Brown’s crime and the negative effect that methamphetamine has had on the community. The judge told Brown that his crime called for a harsh sentence. Following his release from prison, Brown will serve 10 years on federal supervised release.  

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Brown County Drug Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

#  #  #  #  #

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Matthew D. Krueger has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. United States Attorney Krueger was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 15th. He took the oath of office from Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach this afternoon.

“It is truly an honor to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “I am looking forward to working with the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office and continuing our strong partnerships with local, state, and federal officials. Our community faces serious problems, including violent crime, too many deaths from opioids, human trafficking, and various fraud schemes. Working together with federal, state, and local partners, we’ll seek to improve the quality of life in eastern Wisconsin.”

As United States Attorney, Mr. Krueger is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The Eastern District consists of the 28 counties in the eastern portion of the state, and includes the cities of Milwaukee, Green Bay, Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Oshkosh, and Appleton. He will oversee a staff of 77 employees, including 41 attorneys and 36 support personnel. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, firearms, narcotics, child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud, healthcare fraud, and public corruption. The office also represents the United States in affirmative and defensive civil cases, and collects debts owed to the United States.

Before taking office, United States Attorney Krueger was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He has served in that role since 2013, first in the Civil Division and then in the Criminal Division. He prosecuted a variety of federal crimes, including firearm offenses, health care fraud, and other financial crimes. United States Attorney Krueger previously worked as an associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Washington, DC. He also served as a Bristow Fellow in the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General. He clerked for the Honorable Paul V. Niemeyer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. 

United States Attorney Krueger received his B.S., with honors, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School where he served as Editor in Chief of the Minnesota Law Review.  

 

#  #  #  #  #

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Terrell Shankle, a/k/a “King Relly” (age 40), of Milwaukee was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison and 5 years supervised release for sex trafficking crimes. Shankle was found guilty after a federal jury trial on September 6, 2017, of five counts of sex trafficking a minor and sex trafficking a person using force, fraud, or coercion, and one count of conspiracy to transport a minor across state lines to engage in prostitution.

The evidence presented at trial established that Shankle was a violent sex trafficker who, between September 2006 and May 2012, used force, fraud, and coercion to cause a number of minor and adult female victims to engage in prostitution. Victims of Shankle’s sex trafficking testified that he recruited girls as young as 16 years old to engage in prostitution with false promises of money and a better life. He then used physical violence and threats of violence to force them to engage in prostitution in Milwaukee and Chicago for his profit. Shankle even had some of his victims get tattoos of his name to signify his ownership of them.

One victim testified that Shankle beat her nearly every day for three years starting when she was 16 years old. On one occasion, he struck her repeatedly in her face with his “pimp cane,” and he beat her again for seeking medical treatment for the resulting injuries. Shankle often told this victim that he would kill her family if she tried to leave him. Another victim testified that Shankle pressed the barrel of a pistol against her head because he believed she withheld money from him. This victim also saw Shankle fire a gun at another victim’s feet after she purportedly disobeyed him.

United States Attorney Haanstad stated that “Sex traffickers prey upon some of the most vulnerable members of society, subjecting victims to extraordinary levels of violence and brutality to force them to engage in commercial sex acts.  This prosecution is the result of an outstanding joint investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Milwaukee Police Department.  The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to vindicate the rights of sex trafficking victims and to protect citizens from these violent and predatory offenses.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin W. Proctor and Erica J. Lounsberry.

  

#  #  #  #  #

For additional information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 13, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a thirteen count indictment against Kimberly Bagneski (47) formerly of Waupun, Wisconsin. The Indictment alleges that Bagneski prepared and filed false tax returns to the IRS that claimed false and fictitious claims for taxpayer refunds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2 and 287.

According to the indictment, Bagneski prepared and electronically filed at least 20 false federal income tax returns seeking more than $90,000 in federal tax refunds. On these returns, Bagneski claimed false deductions, tax credits and false business income/losses. In addition, virtually all of the fraudulent tax refunds were diverted to bank accounts under her control.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jacobs.       

#    #   #   #   #

For additional information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 2, 2018, Dimas Chavez-Pina (age 29), of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, pled guilty to theft of government money, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A.  Chavez-Pina agreed to pay $1,058,827.69 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.  Chavez-Pina additionally agreed to be voluntarily deported from the United States and return to Mexico due to his lack of legal status in the United States.

According to the plea agreement, Chavez-Pina fraudulently obtained Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITIN) from the IRS.  An ITIN is what the IRS issues to individuals who cannot, due to their immigration status, obtain a Social Security number.  Individuals who obtain an ITIN use it to file their income tax returns. 

To obtain an ITIN, an applicant has to provide the IRS certain personal identifying documents.  Chavez-Pina admitted to obtaining personal identifying documents from citizens of Mexico, fraudulently applying for ITINs in their names, and then filing fraudulent tax returns using the ITINs that he obtained. 

In the fraudulent tax returns that he filed, Chavez-Pina claimed the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC).  The ACTC reduces tax liability dollar for dollar, and the unused portion of a refundable credit is still payable to the taxpayer.  So, when an individual has no income tax liability, a person may still file a tax return and receive a refund for the ACTC.  Chavez-Pina falsely claimed dependents in the tax returns that he filed to receive the ACTC.

From 2011 through June 2014, Chavez-Pina received $1,058,827.69 in U.S. Treasury refund checks from his scheme.  Chavez-Pina faces a mandatory minimum two years in prison, and a maximum of twelve years in prison for his offenses. He will be sentenced by United States District Judge Lynn Adelman on May 1, 2018. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keith Alexander.

#    #   #   #   #

For additional information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 13, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a fourteen count indictment against four former tax preparers. Karen Tompkins (57), Shalonda Burns (40), Latoya Bush (37), and Lori Ann Stringfellow (55), are all residents of Milwaukee, and were employed as tax return preparers at a Liberty Tax Service Branch located at 3929 N. Humboldt Boulevard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to knowingly defraud the United States by preparing and filing with the IRS false tax returns that fraudulently claimed tax refunds to which the individuals were not entitled, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Tompkins, Bush and Stringfellow were also charged with three counts each of willfully aiding in the preparation and filing of false federal income tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.

Burns was charged with two counts of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2 along with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code 1028A and Title 18, United States Code 1343. If convicted of the charges, Tompkins, Bush and Stringfellow could face up to 14 years in prison. Burns could face a total of 33 years in prison including a mandatory sentence of two years.

The indictment alleges that the defendants fabricated their client’s business income, which fraudulently inflated the Earned Income Credit each client could claim and thereby increased each client’s refund. In addition, the indictment alleges that the defendants also created false business income and expense invoices and received kickbacks from the tax refunds.

“Tax season is upon us and so are disreputable tax return preparers,” said IRS Criminal Investigation, St. Paul Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Hubbard Burgess. “When these four allegedly conspired to submit false tax returns, they failed to take into account they were committing fraud and stealing from the US government, but more importantly they were stealing from the pockets of all taxpayers.”

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation division and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Taibleson.       

 

#  #  #  #  #

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on January 29, 2018, Chao Thao (age 37) of Milwaukee pleaded guilty to falsely labeling illegal wildlife parts that he imported from the United Kingdom in violation of the Lacey Act, Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(d)(1) and 3373(d)(3)(A)(i). Under the terms of the plea agreement, Thao acknowledged that he sought out and imported into the United States three taxidermized feet of black rhinoceros. Thao arranged with the shipper to falsely label the package containing the rhinoceros feet as “antique ornaments” in an effort to avoid detection by U.S. authorities.

Black rhinoceros is one of the most endangered species in the world. They are protected under United States and international law. Trade in rhinoceros parts is regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty signed by over 180 countries around the world to protect fish, wildlife and plants that are or may become imperiled due to the demands of international markets.

Thao’s offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The sentencing hearing is set for April 26, 2018 before United States District Judge Lynn Adelman. This case was investigated by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin W. Proctor.

#    #   #   #   #

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 8, 2018, Anthony R. Chaplin (age: 41) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine to an Appleton woman, Joy Strader, resulting in her death in May of 2017. 

Chaplin admitted dealing what he believed to be heroin to the victim on numerous occasions. The heroin was, unbeknownst to Chaplin and the victim, an especially potent form of fentanyl. At the same time he sold the fatal dose of fentanyl, Chaplin also sold the victim methamphetamine. The combination of fentanyl and methamphetamine were determined to be the cause of death according to the medical examiner’s findings.  

In pronouncing sentence, Chief U.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of Chaplin’s crime and the negative effect that fentanyl and methamphetamine has had on the community. He found that Chaplin was aware of the inherent dangers of distributing illegal substances, but continued to do so despite the risk to others. Following his release from prison, Chaplin will serve 5 years on federal supervised release.    

The case was investigated by the Appleton Police Department and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble prosecuted the case.

#   #   #

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad has announced that yesterday, a federal jury found Otis Hunter (age 24) and Deshawn Evans (age 21) guilty of all charged counts.  Otis Hunter was found guilty of conspiracy, three business robberies, two carjackings, and five counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  Deshawn Evans was found guilty of conspiracy, a business robbery, a carjacking, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

The evidence presented at trial showed that between November 17, 2016, and December 4, 2016, the defendants were part of a robbery crew that committed five business robberies and two carjackings, all at gunpoint.  Most of the crimes occurred on the southside of Milwaukee.  The evidence established that the defendants brandished handguns, robbed employees and customers, and, on two occasions, pistol-whipped their victims.    

Sentencing for both defendants has been scheduled for April 27, 2018, before United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller.  At sentencing, Mr. Hunter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 107 years in prison and Mr. Evans faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 32 years in prison for their convictions on the counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. 

Mr. Hunter’s and Evans’ co-defendants, Kelly Scott, Anthony Lindsey, and Dominique Rollins, have pled guilty to their involvement in some of the robberies and are awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret B. Honrath and Rebecca L. Taibleson.

           

#   #  #  #  #

For additional information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 26, 2018, Kyle D. Herwald (age: 27) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute Methamphetamine in Northeast Wisconsin. 

 

Herwald conspired with a Bellevue, Wisconsin woman, Cory L. Daul, to distribute methamphetamine that she received in bulk from an out-of-state supplier via the United States Postal Service. Daul is currently serving a 5-year term in federal prison for her role in the offense. 

 

In pronouncing sentence, Chief United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of Herwald’s crime and the negative effect that methamphetamine has had on the community. The judge condemned Herwald’s prior record, which includes convictions in state court for distribution of illegal narcotics and several violent felonies. Following his release from prison, Herwald will serve 10 years on federal supervised release.  

  

The United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Brown County Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble prosecuted the case.

 

 

#   #   #

For further information contact:

Activing Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski, (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 16, 2018, a jury found Adrian Harper (age 39), of Milwaukee, guilty of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

 

On July 3, 2017, Harper was found in possession of a fully loaded Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield 9mm pistol.  Harper had been previously convicted of five felonies in cases that stretch back to the early 1990s.  Most recently, in 2010, Harper was convicted in federal court of possession of a firearm while shooting a gun into the air with a crowd of people nearby.

 

On April 13, 2018, Judge Adelman is scheduled to sentence Harper for his most recent unlawful possession of a firearm.  Harper faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

 

 The case was investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keith Alexander and Benjamin Taibleson.

 

# # # #

 

For additional information contact:          

 

Acting Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski, 414-297-1700  

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 17, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against a man allegedly involved in an assault and firearms offense on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The indictment named Ronald J. Cloud (age: 34) of Neopit, which is located on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Count One of the indictment charged Cloud with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in violation of 18 United States Code 113(a)(3).  Count Two charged Cloud with Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, in violation of 18 United States Code 924(c). In Count One, Cloud faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. In Count Two, Cloud faces a mandatory 10-year consecutive sentence and up to life in prison.

 

According to the indictment, on about April 9, 2017, Cloud discharged a firearm in furtherance of an armed assault committed against another person

           

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

 

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

# # # #

 

For additional information contact:

Acting Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski at 414 297-1700

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on January 12, 2018, Judge Pamela Pepper, sentenced Joel Rivera (age: 29) to 36 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for his role in armed robberies of local Family Dollar stores. 

Rivera was convicted in federal court in September by a jury that found him guilty of two business robberies, known as “Hobbs Act Robberies,” violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951, and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of the robberies, violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Each robbery offense carried a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years. Together, the two firearm counts required an additional mandatory sentence of 32 years.  

The offenses were part of a crime spree that consisted of five Milwaukee area business robberies, which began on January 4, 2017 and continued until January 17, 2017. The criminal activity targeted several restaurants in addition to the Family Dollar stores.   During the robberies, Rivera’s accomplice wielded a loaded, semi-automatic handgun provided by Rivera, and the two men subsequently split the robbery proceeds, which they used primarily to purchase drugs.

During the sentencing hearing, Pepper, noted that Rivera, who has a prior armed robbery conviction dating back to 2007 and who had been charged but never convicted of two additional bar robberies, had achieved a new level of criminal sophistication in the instant case.  She discussed at length, Rivera’s role in these armed robberies where he, as the leader and organizer of the criminal activity, minimized the risk to himself while making his accomplice the front man for the crimes.

In sentencing Rivera, Pepper considered all of the federal sentencing factors and concluded that the lengthy prison sentence was warranted in order to protect the public from further criminal conduct on his part.

This case was investigated by the Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force, a collaboration of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Milwaukee Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carol L. Kraft and Benjamin A. Wesson.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

 

# # # #

 

For additional information contact:

Acting Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski at 414 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 11, 2018, the corporate owner of the now shuttered Grede foundry located in Berlin, Wisconsin, paid a maximum fine of $200,000 and pled guilty to a criminal violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 7413(c)(4), a provision of the Clean Air Act.

 

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Grede L.L.C. acknowledged that in January of 2012, foundry management negligently ordered numerous employees to remove asbestos-containing insulation material from the roof of an inactive industrial oven. The work on the oven released chrysotile asbestos fibers into the air. The company failed to provide the workers with adequate personal protective equipment, or follow standard asbestos abatement procedures, placing the workers in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.

 

In addition to the fine, Grede L.L.C. agreed to provide the eleven (11) affected workers with over $340,000 to provide for future medical monitoring for mesothelioma and similar lung conditions. 

 

"It is well known that asbestos exposure is hazardous to human health,” said Brad Ostendorf, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program for Region 5.  “If materials containing asbestos aren’t handled safely – and legally – workers and the community can be placed at great risk.  EPA and its partner agencies are committed to protecting both the environment and public health.”

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources investigated this case. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office jointly prosecuted the case for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

 

 

#   #   #

For further information contact:

Activing Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski, 414-297-1700   

Defendant forced multiple young women and girls to engage in commercial sex and to perform at exotic dance clubs on Indian reservations in Northern Wisconsin

 

WASHINGTON – Paul Carter, 47, of Milwaukee was sentenced today to 21 years in prison, reduced by three years for time served, after pleading guilty on Oct. 6, 2017, to four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of conspiracy to commit forced labor and sex trafficking, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Gregory Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge James M. Gibbons.

 

According to documents filed in court and in connection with the defendant’s guilty plea, for over a decade, from 2001 to 2013, the defendant recruited young women and girls to dance at clubs using false promises of money and a better life. He then used a combination of physical violence, isolation, emotional manipulation, sexual assault, and threats to harm the victims’ families to exert control over the victims and compel them to engage in commercial sex acts.

 

For example, on one occasion, the defendant used a heated wire hanger to brand a “P” on a victim’s buttock to demonstrate his ownership of her. When he learned that another victim was considering leaving, he put the barrel of a gun in her mouth and threatened to “blow her head off.”

 

On another occasion, the defendant, believing that a victim had hidden money from him, responded by searching her genitals and then forcing her to engage in sexual intercourse with him. In another instance, the defendant required her to choose between two punishments: drowning or jumping out of a window. After the victim jumped out of the window and fell to the ground, the defendant kicked her several times in the head, threw the victim to the ground, and stepped on her head hard enough to break her teeth.

 

President Donald J. Trump recently January 2018 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, which culminates on February 1, 2018 with the annual celebration of National Freedom Day. In February 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order, which directed the Attorney General to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, including those involved in human trafficking.

 

“Combatting sex trafficking—a heinous crime that often times preys on the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society—is one of the highest priorities of the Justice Department,” said Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand. “We will continue to work tirelessly to vindicate the civil rights of victims of human trafficking.”

 

“Sex traffickers target and prey upon some of the most vulnerable members of our society, threatening victims and subjecting them to extraordinary levels of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “Sex traffickers use violence not only to coerce victims into engaging in commercial sex acts, but also as a way to keep victims from cooperating with trafficking investigations and prosecutions. The United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to vindicate the rights of sex trafficking victims and to protect citizens from these violent and predatory offenses.”

 

“This case is an example of the ruthlessness of human traffickers who are willing to do anything, including victimizing women and girls, to make money,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge James M. Gibbons. “Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and HSI will continue to collaborate with community partners to bring justice to those impacted by this terrible crime.”

 

Two of Carter’s co-defendants previously pleaded guilty. Defendant David Moore pleaded guilty on October 27, 2015, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and trafficking with respect to forced labor.  Sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2018.  Defendant Najee Moore pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and use of an interstate facility to promote a prostitution business enterprise on June 9, 2014, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on December 22, 2016. 

 

This prosecution is the result of the joint investigation by the Eastern District of Wisconsin’s Human Trafficking Task Force and cooperative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice, the Milwaukee Police Department, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karine Moreno-Taxman and Laura Kwaterski of the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

 

# # #

 

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Dillon Peters (30) of Neopit was sentenced on January 8, 2018 to 77 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release after a conviction for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The sentence was the result of a guilty plea in October 2017 before Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.

 

The investigation revealed that Peters pointed a handgun at a woman during a May 2017 argument at a residence in Neopit. After pointing the handgun at the woman, Peters fired a round through the couch on which the woman was sitting.

 

In sentencing Peters, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, noting the high level of danger involved in firing a firearm inside a home. The court also referred to Peters’ prior tribal convictions for offenses involving multiple victims.

 

The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case.

 

#  #  #

 

For additional information contact:

Acting Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski at 414 297-1700

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on January 5, 2018, Ronald Van Den Heuvel (age: 62) of De Pere was sentenced to three years in federal prison.  Van Den Heuvel had pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Horicon Bank, a federally insured financial institution, by obtaining loans based on false representations in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.  Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach also ordered Van Den Heuvel to serve three years of supervision after his release from prison and to pay $316,445.79 in restitution to the bank.

 

The conspiracy occurred in 2008 and 2009 during which Van Den Heuvel held himself out as a successful businessman in the Green Bay area.  In January 2008, Van Den Heuvel persuaded a Horicon Bank loan officer, Paul Piikkila, to approve a $250,000 loan to one of Van Den Heuvel’s companies.  Thereafter, Horicon Bank officials instructed Piikkila not to loan any additional funds to Van Den Heuvel or his businesses because Van Den Heuvel posed too great a credit risk.  To skirt that instruction, Van Den Heuvel and Piikkila arranged a series of loans, totaling over $1 million, to straw borrowers for the benefit of Van Den Heuvel and his business entities.  The straw borrowers had no intention of paying back the loans and believed that Van Den Heuvel would be responsible for the loans. 

 

The straw borrowers included Van Den Heuvel’s live-in nanny, who depended upon the Van Den Heuvels for her livelihood.  Another straw borrower was Van Den Heuvel’s administrative assistant, whom he named an officer of a limited liability company for the purpose of taking out the loan.  The loans generally were not used for the business purposes represented on the loan applications.  Van Den Heuvel failed to repay many of the loans.  Horicon Bank incurred substantial losses even after trying to recover the collateral pledged for the loans.  Piikkila has also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced next month.  

 

During sentencing, Chief Judge Griesbach emphasized the seriousness of the offense and admonished Van Den Heuvel for trying to deny responsibility for his conduct.  The Court stated:  “Mr. Van Den Heuvel presents himself as a selfless entrepreneur and philanthropist even today.  It is a lie.” 

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Mel S. Johnson and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger.

 

Van Den Heuvel also faces additional federal criminal charges in a separate case, United States v. Van Den Heuvel, 17-CR-170.  The indictment in that case alleges that from 2011 to 2015, Van Den Heuvel engaged in a scheme to defraud lenders and investors related to his Green Box business plan.  Van Den Heuvel has pleaded not guilty in that case.  The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.

 

# # # #

 

For additional information contact:                                                                   

Acting Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 3, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against a man who allegedly attempted to entice a minor female into performing sex acts for money. The indictment named Mario Escalante (age: 41), an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, who currently resides in Keshena on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin.

 

The indictment charges Escalante with Attempted Child Enticement in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). Escalante faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison; up to a $250,000 fine; and between 5 years and a lifetime of supervised release. The charge also carries a $5000 special assessment.

 

According to the indictment, on November 14, 2017, Escalante allegedly used his phone to attempt to persuade a minor female to meet him at a location within the exterior boundaries of the Menominee Indian Reservation, where he intended to engage in sexual activity with the minor in exchange for money.

 

The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

 

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

#####

 

For additional information contact:

Acting Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski at 414 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 3, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against a man allegedly involved in an assault on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The indictment named Anthony Kitchenakow (age: 46) of Green Bay.

 

The indictment charged Kitchenakow with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in violation of 18

U.S.C. Section 113. Kitchenakow faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.

 

According to the indictment, on November 29, 2017, the defendant used a knife and assaulted a man outside a residence in Neopit, which is on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

 

The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

 

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

#####

 

For additional information contact:

Acting Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski at 414 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 27, 2017, Sheila Madosh (age: 53), a woman who was involved in the trafficking of synthetic cannabinoids on the Menominee Indian Reservation, received a sentence of 24 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. The sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, and followed a September 2017 guilty plea to a charge of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Analogue in violation of Title 21, Untied States Code, Sections 841 and 813.

 

The investigation revealed that the defendant obtained and sold synthetic cannabinoids from her residence in Neopit, which is on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Abuse of synthetic cannabinoids on the Menominee Indian Reservation was a public health crisis during the same period of time, with numerous calls for medical service to assist users who had adverse reactions to synthetic drugs like those distributed by the defendant. Examples of symptoms suffered from those who abused the substances included seizures, extremely high blood pressure, high body temperature, catatonia, and disorientation.

 

In sentencing the defendant, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, which involved the sale of a “poison” that caused great harm to the Menominee Indian community. Chief Judge Griesbach indicated his intent to deter the defendant and anyone else from preying on the weaknesses of others in the community. Chief Judge Griesbach further noted Madosh’s motive for selling synthetic cannabinoids, which originated not out of a desire to feed an addiction but instead to make a profit at the expense of the health of her fellow tribal members.

 

The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation (Native American Drug and Gang Initiative), the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 19, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment against seven individuals allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the Fox Valley area of Northeastern Wisconsin. The indictment named the following individuals:

 

Name

Age

Residence

Robert Losse

34

Menasha, Wisconsin

Lee Carter

38

Fox Lake, Wisconsin

Craig Hannemann

34

Appleton, Wisconsin

Joshua Murphy

38

Bruce, Wisconsin

Zachary Dittmer

23

Black River Falls, Wisconsin

Andrew Thede

30

Appleton, Wisconsin

Anthony Cabrera-Santiago

30

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 

            All seven are charged in Count One with Conspiracy to Distribute Greater Than 500 Grams of Methamphetamine in violation of Title 21 United States Code Section 846. Each defendant faces a sentence on this count of a minimum of 10 years, and up to life, in prison; up to a $10 Million fine; and between 5 years and a lifetime of supervised release. Losse, Carter, Thede and Cabrera-Santiago also face charges of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime in violation of Title 18 United States Code Section 924(c). This charge has a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 5 years, and up to life in prison; up to a $250,000 fine; and up to 5 years of supervised release. Additional drug charges were issued against Carter, Hannemann, Thede, and Cabrera-Santiago.

 

            According to the indictment, the defendants conspired amongst themselves and with others to obtain and distribute methamphetamine in the Fox Valley area of Northeastern Wisconsin.

 

            The case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group – Drug Unit, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Winnebago County District Attorney’s Office, Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office, and Calumet County District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

 

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

#    #    #    #    #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 20, 2017, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced Jaboree Williams (age: 31) to 30 years in federal prison for sex trafficking. 

 

On September 1, 2017, a jury found Williams guilty of 18 counts related to sex trafficking, interstate transportation of a victim for purposes of prostitution, conspiracy to distribute heroin, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation and witness tampering, contempt of court, and sending an extortionate threat.

 

The trial evidence established that Williams enticed and recruited victims into sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion. Multiple victims testified that Williams forced them to perform sex acts with “customers” for Williams’ benefit and to turn over all of the money they received to Williams.  The evidence established that Williams trafficked his victims using a particular website and forced the victims to travel to locations outside of Wisconsin, including Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.  The victims further explained that if they broke Williams’ rules, he would severely beat them.

 

The trial evidence also established that during the investigation, Williams attempted to intimidate witnesses, directed witnesses to provide false testimony to a grand jury, and directed witnesses to destroy evidence.  Despite a no-contact order entered by a federal magistrate judge, Williams also gained access to the internet from jail and used social media to threaten and intimidate witnesses and victims.

 

United States Attorney Haanstad commended the efforts of law enforcement in bringing Williams to justice, noting, “Jaboree Williams not only subjected his victims to extraordinary levels of violence and brutality but also attempted to use threats of additional violence to intimidate witnesses and obstruct this investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and our state and local law enforcement partners are committed to working relentlessly to protect the community from these types of violent and predatory offenses.”   

 

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Human Trafficking Task Force and the Racine Police Department, and with the assistance of the Oshkosh Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karine Moreno-Taxman and Laura S. Kwaterski.

           

#  #  #  #  #

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that two Shawano men were recently sentenced to prison sentences after convictions for firearms offenses in Northeastern Wisconsin. On December 12, 2017, Gary W. Hancock (age: 24) was sentenced to 15 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. On December 18, 2017, Jesus Zepeda (age: 29) was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison and 24 months of supervised release. The sentences were the result of guilty pleas in September 2017 to a count of Making False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm, a violation of Title 18 United States Code, section 922(a)(6). The two men received the sentence from Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.

 

The investigation revealed that on three separate dates in 2014, Hancock engaged in the straw purchase of three firearms at the urging of Zepeda, who assisted Hancock in obtaining the firearms from licensed dealers in the Green Bay area. Hancock made false statements on forms required as part of the firearms background check, and transferred the firearms, with assistance from Zepeda, to individuals who were prohibited from possessing the weapons under federal law. Two of the firearms were among a total of 16 recovered by US Customs and Border Patrol in August 2015 from a vehicle attempting to transport them into Mexico from the United States. Another was recovered in August 2015 as part of a drug-related search warrant executed at a residence in California.

 

In sentencing Hancock and Zepeda, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, stating to Hancock “you didn’t pull the trigger, but your actions could have allowed someone else to.” During the sentencing hearing for Zepeda, Chief Judge Griesbach remarked that “a message needed to be sent to those who would buy firearms in order to transfer them” to people who cannot possess them lawfully.

 

The case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; United States Customs and Border Patrol; and Shawano County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Milwaukee, WI

We are now adding 40 slots across the country, but this is just the beginning of our push to increase the tooth-to-tail ratio at this Department to drive down violent crime.  We plan to push out an additional 260 AUSAs in the months to come.  

To do that, we are asking Congress to support these efforts, and to invest in you, too.

And as we’ve sadly seen in New York City just in the last two months, these are national security issues as well. So I urge Congress to take these matters seriously, to support our law enforcement in the work that we’ve asked them to do, including our immigration officers, and not to shut down the government to obstruct the President’s agenda to reduce crime and have a lawful system of immigration.  We need to keep the government open—and we need to fund these priorities.

Violent crime has been increasing here in Milwaukee, and that is deeply troubling.  But thanks to our law enforcement officers, this is not hopeless.  We can make America safe again.

Remarks as prepared for delivery

Thank you, Greg for that introduction, and thank you for 15 years of service to the Department of Justice. 

You’ve got a lot to be proud of.  I’ve heard about that big visa fraud case you prosecuted several years ago.  That was terrific work.

I’ve visited 31 U.S. Attorney’s offices since January and each time I am immediately buoyed by the dedication of career prosecutors and all that you accomplish on a daily basis.  It does my heart good to be out here with the troops on the front line.  Thank you for that—you all are incredible emissaries for the rule of law and the Department that I am honored to lead.

On behalf of the President, I want to thank all of our Assistant U.S. Attorneys, the support staff here, and our state and local law enforcement officers.  Thank you for all you do, day in and day out. 

In particular I want to thank Special Agent in Charge Justin Tolomeo of the FBI, U.S. Marshal Kevin Carr, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn, and South Milwaukee Police Chief Ann Wellens.  And Ann, I want to wish you a blessed retirement.  With nearly three decades of service, you have earned it.

To all of our law enforcement officers: the President and I stand with you.

On Friday the President spoke at the FBI National Academy Graduation ceremony.  He’s the first President to do so in 46 years.  He said, loud and clear, “America’s police have a true friend and loyal champion in the White House…The President of the United States has your back 100 percent.”

President Trump was elected as the law and order President.  He was elected to make America safe again and to have the backs of our men and women in blue. 

That mission has never been more important.

Thanks to dedicated law enforcement officials like you, crime declined in America for 20 years.  It wasn’t easy.  It took important legal reforms, the development of new and innovative policing strategies, and decades of hard and dangerous work—but it saved lives and made a difference in countless communities.

But over the last two years, that trend has reversed.  The violent crime rate is up by nearly seven percent.  Robberies are up.  Assaults are up nearly 10 percent.  Rape is up by nearly 11 percent.  Murder is up by more than 20 percent.

According to the Department of Justice study, nearly a quarter of the increase in homicides is the result of the increase in drug-related homicides.  It’s why I keep saying that drug trafficking is an inherently violent business.

Meanwhile, more Americans are dying because of drugs than ever before.  Last year, an estimated 64,000 Americans died of drug overdose—one every nine minutes.  That’s nearly the population of Janesville.

Millions of Americans are living with the daily struggle of addiction.  And for Americans under the age of 50, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death.

These trends are not a blip or an anomaly.  I fear that, if we do not act now and smartly, this nation could see decades of progress reversed.

Sadly, this beautiful city has not been immune to these problems.  In Milwaukee, rape is up 21 percent in just two years.  Assault is up nine percent.  And murders are up an astonishing 57 percent. We cannot accept these trends.

As we all know, these are not just numbers—these are moms, dads, daughters, spouses, friends, and neighbors.  These are empty places at Christmas dinner this year and holes in the hearts and souls of victims’ families that will never close.

The victims include Clarence Taper, a 60-year-old father, grandfather, and hardworking employee at a restaurant here in Milwaukee, who was robbed and shot to death in September while making a delivery.

Almost a year ago today, a young man in Milwaukee was beaten to death by three attackers, who forced him to eat cat litter and feces.  The assailants filmed themselves taking turns beating and urinating on him before leaving him to die in a snowbank.

And early last year, Tamecca Perry, a 23-year-old mother of two who was nine months pregnant with her third child, was shot to death in her home because of a dispute over loud music.  Her young children watched her die, just days before her unborn baby was due.

But let me tell you this: we will not allow the progress made by our women and men in blue over the past two decades to simply slip through our fingers now.  Plain and simple: we will not cede a community, a block, or a street corner to violent thugs or poison peddlers.

As soon as I was sworn in as Attorney General, President Trump sent me an executive order to reduce crime in America. 

At the Department of Justice, we embrace that goal.  And you and I know from experience that it can be achieved.

Over these last 10 months, the Department has taken aggressive action to implement the President’s agenda.

This year alone, we have secured convictions against more than 1,000 gang members.  With our Central American partners we have charged 4,000 members of the vicious MS-13.  We have secured 200 human trafficking convictions, as well as four convictions for material support of terrorism.

I could go on.  There’s a lot more we could talk about. 

These are major accomplishments that benefit the American people.

And these are your accomplishments.  We could not have done it without you.

Many of our successes have been achieved in this office.  Earlier this month, a man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for stealing a 73-year-old woman’s car after threatening her at gunpoint.

Last month, a man was found guilty for distributing heroin that took at least one life.  He now faces a mandatory life sentence.

And in September, five siblings were sentenced to prison for robbing several banks and businesses at gunpoint.  Thanks to you, they now face a total of 50 years of prison time.

I’m grateful for the hard work of those in this office who prosecuted these cases, especially dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys like Maggie Honrath, Laura Kwaterski, Daniel Humble, and Andrew Maier.  Great job.

We are right to be proud of these victories.  But we still have more work to do.

As we know, 85 percent of law enforcement is state, local, and tribal.  To be effective, we must utilize this force multiplier.  These are the authorities that have the critical street level intelligence regarding the criminal element.

We are most effective when these experienced state and local investigators are united with the resources and expertise of the 15 percent that are our federal law enforcement.  Put simply, this combined task force model is what truly works to reduce violent crime and that is precisely what we have established with our reinvigorated Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

PSN brings together Federal, State, Local, and Tribal collaboration, targeting the violent offenders who commit a disproportionate amount of violent crime.

Led by our 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Neighborhoods task forces are hitting the streets across America to apprehend and bring violent criminals to justice.  I’ve asked Congress for additional funding for these task forces next year because I believe nothing will be more effective.

Under this program, I am asking a great deal of our U.S. Attorneys.  I am empowering them—but I’m holding them accountable for results. 

To put them in the best position to impact and reduce violent crime, through a re-allocation of resources, we will enlist and deploy 40 additional violent crime prosecutors across the United States—including two right here in this office.

These additional Assistant United States Attorneys can make an immediate impact.  I know: as a former AUSA myself, I have seen it firsthand. 

A committed AUSA can supervise multiple investigations, who in turn can apprehend and dismantle multiple criminal organizations simultaneously.  And that means fewer violent criminals on the streets, which means it’s even easier to concentrate resources on the bad actors who are left. That is how you reduce crime.

I know this is an investment that will pay dividends for years to come and one that will make a discernible impact in communities struggling with violence.

We are in tight budget times. Crime is rising.  I am determined to move resources to the most productive areas.

We have a saying around my office that a new federal prosecutor is “the coin of the realm.”  That means when we can eliminate less productive or wasteful spending, we ask whether this will allow us to deploy another AUSA to a violence-plagued district.

We are now adding 40 slots across the country, but this is just the beginning of our push to increase the tooth-to-tail ratio at this Department to drive down violent crime.  We plan to push out an additional 260 AUSAs in the months to come. 

To do that, we are asking Congress to support these efforts, and to invest in you, too.

And as we’ve sadly seen in New York City just in the last two months, these are national security issues as well. So I urge Congress to take these matters seriously, to support our law enforcement in the work that we’ve asked them to do, including our immigration officers, and not to shut down the government to obstruct the President’s agenda to reduce crime and have a lawful system of immigration.  We need to keep the government open—and we need to fund these priorities.

Violent crime has been increasing here in Milwaukee, and that is deeply troubling.  But thanks to our law enforcement officers, this is not hopeless.  We can make America safe again.

I want to personally express my deep appreciation and profound thanks to all the women and men of law enforcement—state and local—and their families, for sacrificing so much and putting your lives on the line every day, so that the rest of us may enjoy the safety and security you provide.  We love you and honor your work.

Know this: we have your back and you have our thanks.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

# # #

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 14, 2017, Manish Patel (age: 26) was sentenced to 38 months imprisonment, and ordered to pay $1,101,901.61 in restitution for committing wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.  Additionally, Nikita Shukla (age: 26) was sentenced to one year and one day imprisonment, and ordered to pay $149,531.28 in restitution for committing wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.

 

According to the plea agreements and other court documents, unknown members of the scheme located in India called victims and made material misrepresentations to them, which caused the victims to send a MoneyGram, which is an electronic, interstate transfer of money to a specific location and to a specific, fictitious name. One misrepresentation that the callers made was that they were from the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and that the individuals (legal immigrants) had to pay for new passports or other items in order to avoid being sent to jail or deported.  The caller would then instruct the victim to send a MoneyGram for a certain amount of money to a specific location and to a specific, fictitious name.  The callers made numerous other misrepresentations to the many victims of this scam.    

 

Manish Patel and others possessed fraudulent driver’s licenses that included the fictitious names of the MoneyGram recipients, but contained a photo of themselves.  They used these fraudulent driver’s licenses to pick up MoneyGrams throughout the country.  Patel frequently picked up several MoneyGrams a day from various locations using fraudulent driver’s licenses.  For at least part of the scheme, Nikita Shukla drove Manish Patel throughout the country, including in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  Patel and Shukla were allowed to keep a certain percentage of fraud proceeds, but then deposited the remaining cash into various bank accounts or handed the cash off to unknown individuals. 

 

Using 134 different fraudulent identifications, Patel picked up $1,101,901.61 in fraud proceeds in 1,081 transactions, from 780 victims from September 28, 2016 through May 10, 2017.  Shukla aided and abetted by driving Patel to pick up $149,531.28 in fraud proceeds from 100 victims.  When they were arrested in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Patel and Shukla possessed 147 fraudulent driver’s licenses with fake names and Patel’s photo in them.  Law enforcement also found $21,672 in cash in the car.       

 

The case was investigated by the Greenfield Police Department, the United States Secret Service Financial Crimes Unit, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Digital Forensics and Analysis Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Corey. 

 

The public should be aware that neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the Internal Revenue Service (or any other federal government agency) will ever ask you to pay money to them via MoneyGram, RIA, Western Union, or especially iTunes or Steam (online gaming) gift cards.  

 

#    #    #    #    #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced today that Resit Tavan, age 40, of Istanbul, Turkey, was arraigned in federal court in Milwaukee on an indictment returned June 27, 2017. Tavan, owner and president of Ramor Dis Ticaret, Ltd. (Ramor), a Turkish company, and Fulya Oguzturk are charged, along with Ramor, with conspiring to defraud the United States and to smuggle American made products to Iran in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Pursuant to IEEPA, American goods may not be shipped to Iran without prior approval and specific licensing by the United States government.

The indictment charges that Tavan, Oguzturk, and Ramor arranged the purchase and acquisition of marine products manufactured in Wisconsin, for shipment to and use by Iran. The indictment alleges that the goods, specifically outboard engines, generators, and propulsion systems, were shipped first to Turkey and then to Iran without the knowledge of the manufacturers, and without the permission and license of the United States. The indictment further alleges that the marine products were intended for use by the Iranian navy.

In addition to the conspiracy charge, 18 U.S.C § 371, the indictment charges three counts of violating IEEPA, 50 U.S.C. § 1705(a); three counts of smuggling, 18 U.S.C. § 554(a); and six counts of money laundering, 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A). If convicted, Tavan faces up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine on the conspiracy count; up to 20 years and a $1,000,000 fine on each IEEPA count; up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine on each smuggling count; and up to 20 years and a $500,000 fine on each money laundering count.

Tavan was arrested in Romania in June 2017, on an international arrest warrant issued at the request of the United States. Upon his arrest, the United States requested Tavan’s extradition from Romania. That process has ended with his arraignment today.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Kanter and William Mackie, Trial Attorney, Counterintelligence & Export Control Section, National Security Division, U.S. Department of Justice.

An indictment is merely the formal method of charging an individual and does not constitute inference of his or her guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until such time, if ever, that the government establishes his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

#     #     #     #     #

 

For additional information contact: 

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig (414) 297-1700

 

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 5, 2017, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against James A. Huskisson, also known as Jason Desantes (age: 45) of Ozone Park, New York.

 

Huskisson faces charges alleging he sexually exploited a minor and coerced or enticed that minor to engage in illicit sexual activity contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and 2422(b). Huskisson was previously convicted of two separate charges of 1st degree forcible rape in the State of New York. He spent time in prison for those crimes and is a lifetime sex offender registrant under the laws of that state. As such, he faces a third charge for the commission of a felony sex offense by an individual required to register as a sexual offender contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A. If convicted of the charges, Huskisson will serve at least 25 years in federal prison and up to a life sentence.

 

Huskisson is alleged to have initiated an online relationship with a minor using popular online messaging systems to correspond. Shortly after establishing contact with the minor, he began sending digital images of his genitalia, as well as demanding sexually explicit photographs from the minor. Within two weeks of contacting the minor online, Huskisson allegedly travelled from his home in Ozone Park, New York to Wisconsin for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity with the minor victim.

 

When local authorities learned of the allegations, they contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Green Bay Office for assistance. In coordination with the F.B.I.’s New York Field Office, Huskisson was arrested near his home in New York, and is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal Service for transportation to the United States District Court in Green Bay.

 

This case was investigated by the F.B.I.’s offices in Green Bay and New York City, the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, the Shawano Police Department, the Brown County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the New York Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

 

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.    

 

 

#   #   #

For further information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig  (414) 297-1700

 

 

United States Attorney Gregory Haanstad announced today that the following nineteen (19) defendants have been charged in federal court with offenses related to a conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, as well as money laundering and bankruptcy fraud:

 

Clifton Morrison, age 51

Jose Rodriguez, age 67

Miguel Rodriguez, age 68

Samuel Flores-Morales, age 39  

Luis Nevarez, age 27   

Brenda Y. Valverde, age 29

Ronnie McFadden, age 47

Dewayne Alexander, Sr., age 48

Frederick R. Perry, age 56

David Wilder III, age 50

Tommie Stevens, age 41

Germaine D. Johnson, age 35

Daniel S. Carter, age 43

Don D. Walker-Cruse, age 41

Ricky Christopher, age 49

David D. Coleman, age 39

Kellin R.L. Morrison, age 33

Janine R. Hegwood, age 51

Dewayne Alexander, Jr., age 24

 

The defendants currently reside in the greater Milwaukee area, Chicago, Illinois, and Burlington, Iowa. This case is a part of a long-term federal drug and money laundering investigation based out of Milwaukee.  

 

The defendants are charged with various drug, money laundering and bankruptcy fraud offenses, including: distribution of and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy. If proven that the offenses involved either more than one kilogram of heroin or five kilograms of cocaine, defendants charged with drug offenses will face up to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison.   

 

Today, law enforcement officers arrested all of the above defendants. In addition to today’s arrests, law enforcement officers executed 17 federal search warrants in Wisconsin and Illinois and one state warrant in Iowa targeting members of this organization. Law enforcement recovered approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine and a half kilogram of heroin. Law enforcement also seized 21 guns (including 3 rifles), 8 vehicles and an undetermined amount of cash.  Over 250 federal, state, and local officers participated in these arrests and search warrants.

 

In making today’s announcement about the federal charges, searches, and arrests, United States Attorney Haanstad stated: “The large-scale distribution of cocaine, heroin, and other controlled substances is a continuing and urgent threat to public health and public safety.  Countering that threat requires the sustained, concerted attention of  federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and by task forces like the one whose efforts led to these charges and arrests.  The United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice are committed to continuing to make efforts like these a top priority.”

 

Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Bell commended local, state and federal law enforcement agents for strategically and successfully dismantling this high-level heroin trafficking organization.  “This very organized criminal network profited by perpetuating addiction and suffering – by victimizing others.  To save lives and reduce levels of addiction, law enforcement agents and federal prosecutors will continue to purposefully bring predatory drug traffickers to justice.” 

 

“Once again DOJ’s DCI agents worked together with federal, state, and local law enforcement to take down a major crime organization that has been flooding southeastern Wisconsin with fentanyl, heroin, and guns,” said Attorney General Schimel. “Today’s bust will put a major dent in this criminal organization’s ability to prey on and profit off of people’s addiction. This is a significant win in the fight against the opioid epidemic and efforts to reduce gun violence.”

 

The defendants were charged after a lengthy investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice - Division of Criminal Investigation, Wauwatosa Police Department, Greenfield Police Department, Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department and Metro Drug Unit, Milwaukee Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, South East Iowa Drug Task Force and the Iowa State Patrol. In addition to the above law enforcement agencies the following agencies participated in today’s arrests and search warrants: Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department, Oak Creek Police Department, Kenosha County Drug Unit, Racine County Drug Unit, West Allis Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Lake County Illinois Sheriff’s Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, United States Marshals Service,  Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigation / Enforcement Removal Operations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth M. Monfils and Gail J. Hoffman.

 

A criminal complaint is merely the formal method of charging an individual and does not constitute inference of his or her guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until such time, if ever, that the government establishes his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

#     #     #     #     #

 

For additional information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 28, 2017, Dean D. Young (age: 60) formerly of Green Bay, Wisconsin and currently living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced in Federal Court in Green Bay to 21 months in prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $201,521.41 after his guilty plea to wire fraud contrary to Title 18 United States Code Section 1343.

 

According to the plea agreement and other court documents, beginning in approximately November 2002, and continuing thereafter until at least September 2015, in the State and Eastern District of Wisconsin, Dean Young devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of pension and compensation benefits by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses.

 

Young’s scheme was essentially to defraud the VA of compensation and pension benefits by providing materially false information to the VA, at its Regional Office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and elsewhere, concerning his physical and mental condition. In particular, Young provided materially false information to the VA, upon which the VA relied in awarding pension and compensation benefits that he was not entitled which totaled $201,521.41. One such claim stemmed from an August 30, 2013, VA doctor appointment during which Young claimed he required use of a wheelchair and that he could only walk a few steps due to extreme back pain. Following the appointment, the VA doctor observed Young walk across the VA parking lot without use of the wheelchair and with a normal gait. Young then folded up his wheelchair and placed it in his car. Further, law enforcement obtained video of Young that same day walking down the hallway of his apartment complex and standing in the elevator while carrying a box, all without the aid of a wheelchair or cane. 

 

While handing down the sentence, Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach described the offense as a “massive and blatant fraud” that went on for many years. He also noted that it involved public funds intended for truly deserving veteran. Judge Griesbach added that the sentence imposed was also intended to serve as a deterrent for others thinking of committing VA fraud.   

 

This case was investigated by the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Roach.  

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad has announced that yesterday, Broderick A. Moore (age 25) was sentenced to 16 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for his involvement in an armed carjacking.  In July 2017, a federal jury found Mr. Moore guilty of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.    

 

The evidence presented at trial showed that on July 16, 2015, at about 10:20 a.m., Mr. Moore carjacked a 73 year-old woman, across the street from Wick Field, in Milwaukee. The evidence established that Mr. Moore pointed a loaded gun at the victim’s head, threatened to shoot her, and demanded the keys to her Toyota Avalon.  Mr. Moore’s co-defendant, Robert Ellis, orchestrated the sale of the car immediately after the carjacking.  Robert Ellis and co-defendant Sean Harvey then drove to the victim’s home and stole her Honda Accord. 

 

Mr. Moore’s co-defendants, Robert A. Ellis and Sean Harvey pled guilty to aiding and abetting Mr. Moore in the carjacking.  Mr. Ellis was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.  Mr. Harvey was sentenced to 4 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.   

 

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret B. Honrath and Laura S. Kwaterski. 

           

#   #  #  #  #

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that pursuant to criminal complaints and arrest warrants issued by a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Wisconsin four suspects in an Internal Revenue Service impersonation scam were arrested by local and federal law enforcement.  Moin Gohil of Dunwoody, Georgia (age: 22), was arrested by local law enforcement authorities on November 24, 2017.  Pratik Patel of Hoffman Estates, Illinois (age: 26), Parvez Jiwani of Tucker, Georgia (age: 39), and Nakul Chetiwal of Dunwoody, Georgia (age: 27), were arrested on November 28, 2017 by federal law enforcement authorities.  All of these arrests were based on charges of violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343, 1349, 2 (Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, and Aiding and Abetting).  Each of these charges carries a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.    

 

According to the criminal complaint, Gohil, Chetiwal, and Jiwani were “runners” who used fraudulent identification cards to pick up fraud proceeds for a scheme likely originating from India.  Patel aided and abetted at least one of the runners.  In this scheme, which is sometimes referred to as an “IRS impersonation scheme,” members of the scheme (likely in India) call victims and make misrepresentations (typically, that the victim owes taxes) and cause the victims to wire money through a wire service, such as MoneyGram.  Other members of the conspiracy (known as “runners”), such as Gohil, Chetiwal, and Jiwani, then use fraudulent identification cards to pick up the fraud proceeds.  According to the complaint, Gohil, Chetiwal, and Jiwani picked up $666,537 sent from 784 victims during the period from January 25, 2016, through August 8, 2017.  The false identities used by Gohil, Chetiwal, and Jiwani are linked to an additional 6,530 fraudulent transactions totaling $2,836,745. 

 

The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Mid Atlantic Division and Southern Field Division as well as the Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin Police Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of the Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted Assistant United States Attorney Zachary J. Corey.

 

A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

The public should be aware that the Internal Revenue Service (or any federal government agency) will never ask you to pay money to them via MoneyGram, RIA, Western Union, or especially iTunes or Steam (online gaming) gift cards. 

 

#    #    #    #    #

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 21, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Basil L. O’Kimosh (age: 39), of Keshena, Wisconsin. The indictment alleges that O’Kimosh used an internet chat app to attempt to exploit a minor female on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

 

Count One charges O’Kimosh with Attempted Child Exploitation in violation of Title 18 United States Code § 2251(a). On this count O’Kimosh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and a maximum sentence of life in prison; up to a $250,000 fine; and between 5 years and a lifetime of supervised release. The charge also carries a $5000 special assessment.

 

Count Two charges O’Kimosh with Attempted Child Enticement in violation of Title 18 United States Code § 2422(b). On this count O’Kimosh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison; up to a $250,000 fine; and between 5 years and a lifetime of supervised release. The charge also carries a $5000 special assessment.

 

According to the indictment, on November 1, 2017, O’Kimosh attempted to obtain images of a minor female engaged in lascivious behavior. Additionally, between January 1, 2017 and November 2, 2017, O’Kimosh used his phone to attempt to persuade the minor female to engage in sexual activity at a location within the Menominee Indian Reservation.

           

The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice - Division of Criminal Investigation (NADGI and ICAC Task Forces). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

 

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

#    #   #   #   #

 

For additional information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 6, 2017 Trulunda Stenson (age 35) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, United States District Judge Pamela Pepper ordered restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. On June 30, 2017, Stenson was convicted by a jury on each of the following 34 counts charged in the indictment: (1) ten counts of filing false tax refund claims, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 287; (2) eleven counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and (3) eleven counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A.

 

As proven at trial, beginning in January 2011, Stenson pursued a scheme to file false income tax returns that claimed refund payments from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Stenson and others gathered individuals’ social security numbers and other personal information. Stenson then prepared federal income tax returns that fraudulently claimed wages and federal tax-withholding amounts from several employers, even though in many cases, those employers had not actually paid wages or withheld taxes for the individuals. Stenson submitted the returns electronically to the IRS, signing the returns for individuals, many of whom she had never met. Stenson filed over 80 fraudulent tax returns seeking more than $300,000 in tax refund payments. In addition, the jury also found Stenson guilty of filing fraudulent 2011 and 2012 income tax returns in her own name.

 

This case resulted from an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Jacobs and Matthew Krueger.

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 20, 2017, Anthony R. Chaplin (age: 40) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in the death of another, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C).

 

In pleading guilty, Chaplin admitted that he was responsible for selling an Appleton area woman fentanyl and methamphetamine in May of 2017. Chaplin received the fentanyl from his drug supplier in Oshkosh and, later, sold a portion to the deceased. The supplier’s batch of fentanyl has been linked by law enforcement to four additional overdose deaths in the Fox Valley. Investigation into those overdose deaths continues.

 

Fentanyl is an opioid estimated to be 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. The charge to which Chaplin pleaded guilty carries a mandatory sentence of 20 years imprisonment and up to a life sentence. Chaplin is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, 2018 before Chief Judge William C. Griesbach. He remains incarcerated pending that hearing.   

 

The distribution of “fentanyl, and other controlled substances presents an urgent threat to the safety and well-being of communities in the Eastern District of Wisconsin” according to U.S. Attorney Haanstad.    

 

The case was investigated by the Appleton Police Department, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, the Fond du Lac County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 7, 2017, Gary Schroeder, of Janesville, was indicted by a federal grand jury of dealing firearms without a license and transferring a firearm to an out-of-state person.

 

The indictment alleges that Schroeder, 65, engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a license from at least April 2014 until at least January 2017. According to the indictment and other documents filed in court, Schroeder sold hundreds of firearms at gun shows in Wisconsin and elsewhere and displayed signage at the shows advertising that he did not collect taxes on his sales or conduct background checks on his customers. Revenue from Schroeder’s gun sales appears to have exceeded $100,000.

 

As part of the investigation, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives executed a federal search warrant at Schroeder’s residence.  Among the items seized by the agents were:

• 52 firearms;
• Over 200 handwritten receipts documenting the sale of firearms to about 200 customers;
• Records showing gun sales revenue of more than $100,000;
• Sales records for approximately twenty out-of-state customers;
• Approximately 1,000 business cards advertising “Gary Schroeder: Buy and Sell Guns”; and
• Dozens of ATF forms 4473 bearing Schroeder’s signature immediately below a sentence that reads, “I further understand that the repetitive purchase of firearms for the purpose of resale for livelihood and profit without a Federal firearms license is a violation of Federal law.”

 

According to documents filed in court, a number of firearms sold by Schroeder were later involved in separate crimes. 

 

“Federal law requires gun dealers to obtain a license and to conduct background checks on their customers,” said United States Attorney Haanstad. “The principal purpose of those requirements is to prevent guns from falling into the hands of dangerous people. When someone circumvents the license-and-background-check framework by engaging in the business of unlicensed dealing, that person increases the threat to public safety. The United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice are committed to countering that public safety threat as a part of its broader strategy to combat violent crime.”

 

If convicted, Schroeder faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. The United States has also sought to forfeit all of the firearms found in Schroeder’s home during the search warrant execution.

 

An indictment is a formal method of charging an individual with a criminal offense.  The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations.  Schroeder is presumed innocent until and unless the government establishes his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

 The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Taibleson.

 

 

For additional information contact:   

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 9, 2017, Judge J.P. Stadtmueller, sentenced former Neshkoro banker Geffrey Sawtelle, (age: 64), to two years in prison following his conviction on three counts of bank fraud, in violation of Title 18 United States Code section 1344; one count of false bank entry, in violation of Title 18 United States Code section 1005, and one count of false statement to federal bank examiners, in violation of Title 18 United States Code section 1001. The court also imposed a $20,000 fine, $500 in special assessments, and ordered Sawtelle to pay $338,000 in restitution. Following his prison sentence, Sawtelle will also serve two years of supervised release. Sawtelle pled guilty on July 19, 2017, to the five counts of conviction and acknowledged that the court would consider counts that were dismissed pursuant to the plea agreement as relevant conduct for sentencing purposes.

 

The former president and CEO of Farmer’s Exchange Bank, and a shareholder in the bank holding company, Sawtelle had been charged in a 45-count indictment, which alleged that over a ten-year period, he devised and executed a scheme to obtain bank funds for his personal use. Sawtelle used many of the funds to support his hobby of auto sports racing, and he created false bank entries and made false statements to federal bank examiners in order to hide his theft and misapplication of the bank funds. In addition, the indictment alleged that Sawtelle took unauthorized salary bonuses and created nominee loans for his own benefit, and that upon the sale of the bank in 2015, he attempted to defraud his holding company partners through a wire fraud scheme that resulted in multiple money laundering counts. Farmer’s Exchange Bank was sold to Hometown Bank in November 2015. 

 

Sawtelle’s conduct was initially discovered during a routine bank examination by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Banking. He was removed from the bank in May 2014, after a more in depth investigation by regulators from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  

 

In sentencing Sawtelle, Stadtmueller noted that the two-year prison sentence was fair, just, reasonable, and appropriate because the core facts of the defendant’s conduct were inconsistent with the level of trust that had been placed in him. Stadtmueller noted that it should also serve as a message to the community.

  

“Bank executives who intentionally falsify bank records to deceive regulators must be brought to justice for their actions,” said Mark Bialek, Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “Such actions impact the safety and soundness of financial institutions. I commend our agents and their federal law enforcement partners for their hard work and persistence, which ultimately led to this conviction.” 

 

The criminal case was investigated by agents from the Office of Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carol L. Kraft and Rebecca Taibleson.

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 7, 2017, Toronse Carter (age: 20) of Milwaukee was indicted for rioting, arson, and arson connected with a federal felony in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2101(a)(2), 844(i), and 844(h). If the defendant is convicted of arson connected with a federal felony, he faces a 10-year mandatory prison sentence; if convicted of arson, the defendant faces a 5-year mandatory prison sentence; and if convicted of rioting, the defendant faces a 5-year maximum prison sentence.

 

“This case reflects that the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Department of Justice are committed to aggressively pursuing those who took part in violent and criminal conduct during the August 13, 2016 riots in Sherman Park,” explained U.S. Attorney Haanstad. 

 

“We continue to work diligently on pursuing this joint investigation into the Sherman Park arsons,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joel Lee of the St. Paul Field Division. “After a more than year-long investigation, we are proud of our team’s results, bringing justice to this community. These businesses, and more importantly this community, needs to know that these vandals will be held accountable for their actions and that we will continue to pursue the prosecutions of the remaining individuals involved in last summer’s riot-related arsons.”

 

This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Milwaukee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by United States Attorney Gregory Haanstad and Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Ladwig.

 

The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

#   #   #   #

For further information contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig at (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 27, 2017, Gerardo “Gerry” Garcia (age: 55) of Appleton, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release.  On June 16, 2017, Garcia pleaded guilty to assisting in the preparation and filing of a false federal income tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2). Garcia was also ordered to pay restitution of $355,088 to the Internal Revenue Service.

 

According to the plea agreement, Garcia, who owned the tax preparation business Garcia Enterprises LLC, admitted that he had knowingly prepared fraudulent Federal tax returns that understated his customers' tax liabilities and claimed refunds to which his customers were not entitled. During the period from April 2011 through April 2015, Garcia filed at least 44 false and fraudulent income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service.  The fraudulent tax returns falsely claimed, among other things, ineligible dependents for customers, which resulted in inflated exemptions, child tax credits, and additional child tax credits.  Garcia also claimed improper filing statuses on his customers’ tax returns.

 

During the sentencing hearing, United States District Court Chief Judge William C. Griesbach noted several factors affecting the sentence imposed, including the magnitude and serious nature of the of the offense and the need to send a strong message to other tax preparers who would consider similar conduct. 

In rejecting Garcia’s request for a sentence of probation, Judge Griesbach stated that, “Our tax system relies upon voluntary compliance, and I agree that there is a loss of confidence in our system when somebody engages in this type of behavior, and if they were to be met with straight probation … that seems to me to be counter to the purpose of imposing a just sentence.”  Judge Griesbach further stated, “This is an awful lot of money over a long, long period of time, and I think an argument can be made for a much higher sentence here.  These are public funds, that you’ve deprived the government of. . . this is the kind of thing that a court should send a strong message on.”

          

The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Monfils.

 

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig - (414) 297-1700

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced today that a federal grand jury had indicted the following four men for retaliating against an individual they believed to be a federal informant: Jose E. Lazcon (22) and Rashawn T. Bumpus (22) of Racine, Wisconsin, Derrick L. Harris (26) of Chicago, Illinois, and Michael A. Bonds (29) of Dolton, Illinois. 

 

Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against a witness in a federal case. Harris and Lazcon are also charged with obstruction of justice by attempting to kill the witness in August 2017 and with discharging a firearm during that crime.  If convicted of the conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against the witness, each man faces up to 20 years in prison.  If convicted of attempting to kill the witness, Lazcon and Harris each would face a maximum of 30 years in prison.  Finally, if convicted of discharging a firearm, Lazcon and Harris each would face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, terms which must run consecutively to any other sentence. 

 

All four men are in custody and awaiting trial before United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller. At their detention hearings, United States Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph discussed the severity of an attempted attack on a suspected cooperating witness and noted how these types of crimes can impede the entire justice system, particularly if people are fearful of testifying or cooperating with law enforcement. 

 

“Conduct like that alleged in the indictment strikes at the foundation of our criminal justice system,” said United States Attorney Haanstad.  “That system depends on the ability of witnesses to provide truthful information about criminal activity without fear of retribution.”

 

Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Milwaukee Division, Justin Tolomeo said, “We take any threats to witnesses seriously.  Those who seek to retaliate by intimidating or harming individuals who cooperate with law enforcement will be investigated, arrested and referred to prosecutors without delay.”

 

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) South Eastern Wisconsin Regional Gang Task Force, the Racine Police Department, and the Mount Pleasant Police Department. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret B. Honrath and Bridget J. Domaszek.

An indictment is merely the formal method of charging an individual and does not constitute inference of his or her guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until such time, if ever, that the government establishes his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

                                                                     #  #  #  #  #

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment charging the owner of several Milwaukee-area gas stations with labor-related crimes involving his business that occurred between 2009 and 2011.  Harshinder Bhatia (age: 58), was charged with one count of harboring an alien for financial gain, one count of forced labor involving aggravated sexual abuse, and one count of document servitude. He was arraigned on these charges on October 24, 2017.

 

If convicted, Bhatia faces up to 5 years in prison on the charge of document servitude, up to 10 years in prison on the charge of alien harboring, and up to life in prison on the charge of forced labor.  The indictment also notifies Bhatia of the government’s intention to seek forfeiture of a number of real properties used to facilitate these offenses or acquired as proceeds of these offenses.

 

According to the indictment, Bhatia obtained the labor and services of an Indian national female using force and threats of force, causing her to believe that if she did not perform such labor and services, she would suffer serious harm. The indictment charges that this crime involved aggravated sexual abuse and was furthered by Bhatia’s possession of the victim’s passport. 

 

This matter is being investigated by members of the Federal Human Trafficking Task Force, including special agents and detectives representing Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor, and the Milwaukee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erica J. Lounsberry.

 

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 

#  #  #  #  #

Gregory J. Haanstad, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 23, 2017, Dontaurus Ricks (age: 42), of Milwaukee, was found guilty by a jury of his peers of possessing a firearm despite previously being convicted of a felony.

 

On November 20, 2016, Ricks, 42, was found in possession of a .40 caliber Springfield XD-40 semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine. The firearm was loaded at the time with twenty cartridges, and a round in the chamber. Upon being approached by police, Ricks fled (ditching marijuana, ecstasy, Xanax, and crack cocaine) but was soon apprehended. Ricks has been convicted of nine prior felonies stemming from five cases spanning over two decades.

 

Ricks faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

 

The case was investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Paulson and Benjamin Taibleson.

 

# # # #

 

For additional information contact:          

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

United States Attorney Gregory J. Hanstaad announced that Devon Brantley (age: 18) of Milwaukee was recently sentenced in federal court for charges stemming from an attempted robbery of a Subway Restaurant in Milwaukee on September 24, 2016. United States District Judge Lynn Adelman sentenced Brantley, to seven years and one day in prison.

 

According to the plea agreement, Brantley levelled a sawed-off shotgun at one restaurant employee, and that employee and her coworker fled to the restaurant’s freezer until police arrived. Brantley and his 16-year-old accomplice attempted to open the restaurant cash register but were unable to do so even though Brantley had previously worked at a Subway Restaurant. Brantley was subsequently apprehended after he was spotted walking down the street carrying the sawed-off shotgun.

 

This case was investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Taibleson.  

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact: 

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 24, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against a woman who allegedly stole a vehicle from a residence on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The indictment named Danielle R. Kaquatosh (age: 34), of Keshena, which is on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin. The indictment charges Kaquatosh with Theft in violation of Title 18 United States Code §§ 661 and 1152. Kaquatosh faces a maximum sentence of up to 5 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. The charge also carries a $100 special assessment.

 

According to the indictment, on or about September 23, 2017, the defendant took a motor vehicle from a location in the Menominee Indian Reservation. The vehicle and defendant were later located in New York City.

           

The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department, Menominee County Sheriff’s Office, New York Police Department, New York County District Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.

 

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 19, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Samuel J. Smith (age 56) of Fremont, Wisconsin. The indictment alleges that Smith made false statements on his 2009 and 2011 Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns.

According to the Indictment, Smith falsely stated on his 2009 income tax return that his gross receipts from Fox Valley Roofing and Siding were $757,134 with a subsequent tax obligation of $2,534. Smith also stated that his 2011 receipts were $5,534,382 with a subsequent tax obligation of $425,931. In both years, the indictment alleges that Smith knew that his gross receipts and subsequent tax obligations for Fox Valley Roofing and Siding were substantially greater than the amounts on the returns.

If convicted of these charges, Smith faces up to 6 years in prison and fines of $500,000.  The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bridget J. Domaszek and Matthew L. Jacobs.

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig - (414) 297-1700

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 13, 2017, Gabriel Nwanosike (45) of Milwaukee pleaded guilty to two-counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false federal income tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2).

 

According to documents filed in court, Nwanosike operated a Milwaukee tax return business under the name CBeyond Global Resources, LLC, doing business as CBeyond Tax Services. During the period from January 2013 through April 15, 2015, Nwanosike prepared and submitted numerous false income tax returns to IRS fraudulently seeking tax refunds of more than $550,000. To accomplish this, Nwanosike filed tax returns falsely claiming that the taxpayer had earned self-employment income, which fraudulently increased the taxpayer’s Earned Income Credit and the resulting fraudulent tax refunds.

 

 More particularly, during this period, Nwanosike prepared and filed more than 700 tax returns with the IRS.  Of the returns, more than 300 included a Schedule C reporting business income, but no expenses, from a sole proprietorship.

 

As part of the plea agreement, Nwanosike agreed to pay the IRS restitution of $197,777.76, which represents the amount he collected in fees in preparing the tax returns filed with the IRS.  He faces up to six years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine.  Nwanosike’s

sentencing has been scheduled for January 25, 2018, before the Honorable Pamela Pepper, U.S. District Judge.

           

This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jacobs.

 

#  #  #  #  #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 2, 2017, Gene B. Schneider (age: 52) of Albany, Wisconsin, was sentenced by Chief District Judge William C. Griesbach to 15 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a). Upon his release the defendant will be on federal supervised release for 8 years and will have to register as a sex offender in the jurisdiction in which he resides.    

 

Schneider used his cellular telephone and social media platforms to exchange texts, instant messages, and sexually explicit images with underage girls located across Wisconsin, the United States, and Great Britain. Ultimately, he was arrested after arranging to meet whom he thought was a 13 year-old girl at a hotel in Antigo, Wisconsin. The “girl” was in fact a law enforcement officer with the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office. Schneider then led law enforcement on a high speed chase through Lincoln County and, eventually, crashed his vehicle in Marathon County.

 

In pronouncing sentence, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of Schneider’s crime and the need to deter him and others from engaging in sexual communications with minors via the internet. The judge noted the graphic nature of the images Schneider received and sent to teenage girls and the need for substantial punishment. 

           

The case was investigated by the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

 

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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. 

#    #    #    #    #

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700