Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
4 August 2023
Two Charged with Defrauding Buyer of Personal Protective Equipment During Height of Covid-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – On August 2, 2023, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the charging of FRANK LABRUZZO and CYNTHIA CARONNA for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 371.
The bill of information alleges that LABRUZZO, CARONNA, and a resident of the United Kingdom, defrauded a business seeking to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) at a time when demand for PPE had dramatically increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the bill of information, CARONNA and the UK resident formed a business venture to offer the sale of PPE, and selected LABRUZZO to be the venture’s escrow agent. The conspirators allegedly agreed that LABRUZZO (who was an attorney and as well as an investigator with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office) would present himself to would-be buyers of PPE as a trustworthy escrow agent who would perform traditional escrow services. More specifically, the conspirators agreed to tell would -be buyers that they could deposit their funds in LABRUZZO’s escrow bank account for the purpose of purchasing PPE; that their funds would be safeguarded in the account until the PPE was satisfactorily delivered to them; and, that if the PPE was not satisfactorily delivered to the would -be buyers, LABRUZZO would promptly return the funds from the escrow account to them.
It is further alleged in the bill of information that CARONNA and LABRUZZO agreed that LABRUZZO would disperse the would-be buyer’s funds despite the would-be buyers having neither received PPE nor consented to the disbursements. CARONNA, LABRUZZO, and Co-conspirator 1 also allegedly agreed that each would receive portions of the would-be buyer’s funds without the would-be buyers’ knowledge or consent. Finally, according to the bill of information, LABRUZZO, at CARONNA’s direction, repeatedly disbursed the escrowed funds to various persons and entities, including disbursements to LABRUZZO and CARONNA.
Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that each defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Texas Resident Sentenced for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Edgar Rodriguez, age 35, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute.
The charges arose from a traffic stop initiated by a Trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
On June 21, 2022, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. At the plea hearing, Rodriguez admitted that on May 22, 2021, he was driving eastbound on I-40 through Okfuskee County in possession of 16 kilograms of cocaine which he intended to distribute.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Rodriguez will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Sutter County Hunter Sentenced Following Conviction of Violating Migratory Bird Treaty ActRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Carlos T. Ortiz, 27, of Live Oak, pleaded guilty today to transportation and receipt of untagged migratory game birds and was subsequently sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremy D. Peterson to a three-year hunting ban, three years of probation, and a $1,000 fine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Ortiz helped organize and participate in a 10-person goose hunt near the Sutter National Wildlife Refuge in Sutter County. During the hunt, Ortiz and others shot and killed 258 snow geese and white-fronted geese. Snow geese and white-fronted geese are migratory game birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. None of the birds were tagged as required by law.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
Suburban Chicago Man Charged in Federal Court with Trafficking Machine Gun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly trafficking 25 “Glock switches” that convert handguns into fully automatic machine guns.
The indictment charges ANTHONY PRISCO, 20, of Oak Forest, Ill., with illegally possessing and transferring machine guns and illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Prisco has been ordered detained in federal custody without bond. Arraignment is set for Aug. 7, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain.
The charges were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Simar Khera.
According to the indictment and a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Prisco in June of this year sold 25 machine gun conversion devices, a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and a 3D printer. Unbeknownst to Prisco, the buyer was an undercover law enforcement officer. The printer that Prisco sold to the officer had been used to print the machine gun conversion devices, the charges allege. A machine gun conversion device, commonly known as a “Glock switch” or “auto sear,” equips firearms to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Prisco was on probation for a state firearm conviction when he allegedly sold the guns to the undercover officer. As a previously convicted felon, Prisco was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm.
Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is a centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force aimed at reducing gun violence. As part of the Chicago firearms trafficking strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with ATF and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is also a focus of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each charge against Prisco is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Prisco indictmentSt. Louis County Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Statutory Rape of Foster ChildRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who impregnated a minor and sexually abused her when she was in foster care to 27 years in prison.
Edward L. Wiseman, 43, sexually abused a minor for multiple years and impregnated her when she was 14. After she was placed in foster care, Wiseman sent her naked pictures of himself and requested the same from her. He then arranged to meet her for sex when she was 16.That victim’s younger sister told authorities that Wiseman had also sexually abused her. Wiseman disputes those allegations.
Law enforcement officers later found child pornography on Wiseman’s phone.
Judge Ross told Wiseman in Friday’s hearing that his conduct was “horrendous” and that he represented a “continuing threat” to the community.
Wiseman, 43, pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two felonies: coercion and enticement of a minor and solicitation of child pornography.
“Today, Mr. Wiseman will begin to pay for his crimes against an innocent child,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Gibson of the U.S. Secret Service’s St. Louis Field Office. “The Secret Service is proud to support Project Safe Childhood, and we commend our law enforcement partners for their tireless work to put an end to this devastating abuse.”
The U.S. Secret Service, the North County Police Cooperative and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Cloud Woman Apprehended in Mexico Faces Narcotics Trafficking Charges in North DakotaRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that a fugitive wanted in North Dakota, Deanna Marie Gerads, age 33, appeared in Federal court in Houston, Texas on August 3, 2023, on a warrant and Indictment from North Dakota charging Gerads with Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances into the United States. Gerads was ordered detained by United States Magistrate Judge Sam S. Sheldon and will be transported by the United States Marshals Service to North Dakota for an initial appearance.
Gerads was apprehended in Mexico on August 1, 2023, by Mexican immigration authorities and deported from Mexico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was instrumental in providing information that led to the apprehension of Gerads, who has been a fugitive for over a year.
This case is part of “Operation Unfinished Business II,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
This case is being investigated by the Central Minnesota Violent Offenders Task Force (CMVOTF), Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Cloud Police Department, Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, Sartell Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service – CID, Fargo Police Department, West Fargo Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher C. Myers and Alex Stock, District of North Dakota.
# # #
Six Genovese Organized Crime Family Defendants Sentenced for RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Genovese Family Captains NICHOLAS CALISI and RALPH BALSAMO, Genovese Family Soldiers MICHAEL MESSINA and JOHN CAMPANELLA, and Genovese Family Associates MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI were sentenced by U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl following their earlier guilty pleas to racketeering conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “La Cosa Nostra and its various Families are criminal organizations that prey on the public. These sentences demonstrate that those who seek to enrich themselves through allegiance to such organizations will face not only jail time but also real financial consequences.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, the defendants’ statements when pleading guilty, and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:
The Genovese Organized Crime Family is part of a nationwide criminal organization known by various names, including La Cosa Nostra (“LCN”) and the “Mafia,” which operates through entities known as “Families.”
Like other LCN Families, the Genovese Organized Crime Family operates through groups of individuals known as “crews.” Each “crew” has as its leader a person known as a “Captain” and consists of “made” members, known as “Soldiers.” Soldiers are aided in their criminal endeavors by other trusted individuals, known as “associates,” who sometimes are referred to as “connected” or identified as “with” a Soldier or other member of the Family. Associates participate in the various activities of the crew and its members. In order for an associate to become a made member of the Family, the associate typically needs to demonstrate the ability to generate income for the Family and/or that the associate is capable of committing acts of violence.
A Captain is responsible for supervising the criminal activities of his crew, resolving disputes between and among members of the Family, resolving disputes between members of the Family and members of other Families and other criminal organizations, and providing Soldiers and associates with support and protection. In return, the Captain typically receives a share of the illegal earnings of each of his crew’s Soldiers and associates.
At times relevant to the charges in the Superseding Indictment, NICHOLAS CALISI and RALPH BALSAMO were Captains in the Genovese Family, MICHAEL MESSINA and JOHN CAMPANELLA were Soldiers in the Genovese Family, and MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI were associates of the Genovese Family.
Members of the Genovese Family, including CALISI, BALSAMO, MESSINA, and CAMPANELLA, and associates MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI, engaged in extortionate extensions of credit, financing extortionate extensions of credit, collecting extensions of credit by extortion, extortion, operating illegal gambling businesses, and the transmission of gambling information.
* * *
CALISI, 64, of Boca Raton, Florida, was sentenced principally to two years in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $40,000.
BALSAMO, 52, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced principally to 34 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $20,000.
MESSINA, 70, of New Fairfield, Connecticut, was sentenced principally to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $200,000.
CAMPANELLA, 48, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced principally to 13 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $40,000.
MICHAEL POLI, 38, of Hawthorne, New York, was sentenced principally to 31 months in prison, three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $175,000, and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.
THOMAS POLI, 65, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced principally to 22 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $200,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Office of the New York Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance in this investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia V. Cohen, Rushmi Bhaskaran, and Justin Rodriguez, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Murray, are in charge of the prosecution.
Serial Sexual Offender Sentenced to Nine Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Justin Taylor, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for sexual assaults in two separate cases, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department. Taylor pleaded guilty in one case on September 9, 2022, to third degree sexual abuse; and pleaded guilty today in the other case to one count of second degree child sexual abuse. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, shortly after 9:00 a.m. on January 26, 2022, in the 500 block of 42nd Street, N.E., the defendant followed a 15-year old girl he didn’t know as she was walking to school. As the two of them were walking down a path in a park at that location, the defendant asked the victim if she had ever seen a man’s genitals. When the victim turned around, Taylor was exposing himself and asked the victim whether she wanted to “do something?” The victim began to run away but tripped and fell. Before she could get up, the defendant, still exposed, ran up and grabbed her buttock with his hand, through her clothing, again asking, “Do you wanna do something?” The victim yelled at the defendant, “No. Don’t touch me,” swung her fist at the defendant, and escaped to a friend’s home, where she reported the sexual assault to her friend and her friend’s mother.
Two days later, in the early afternoon of January 28, 2022, Taylor followed an adult woman he didn’t know down the street-level escalator at the Shaw/Howard University Metro Train Station, located at 1801 7th Street, N.W. When Taylor and the victim got to the bottom of that escalator, the defendant grabbed the victim from behind and by surprise, holding her around the waist so that she could not get away from him. Taylor, while restraining the woman, pressed his penis against the victim’s buttocks. The woman fought back and hollered for help until she was able to escape Taylor’s grasp. Taylor fled up the Metro escalator, left the area and got on a Metro bus. Shortly thereafter, Metro Transit Police removed Taylor from that bus and brought him back to an area near the Metro Station, where the victim identified him as the person who had assaulted her. Taylor was then arrested.
In 2018, Taylor was charged in a similar case and pleaded guilty to one count of attempted third-degree sexual abuse with force. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but was given the benefit of sentencing under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (“YRA”), which he will lose as a result of today’s convictions. He was also sentenced in that case to seven years of supervised release and was, in fact, released from prison less than three months before committing these offenses.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting Chief Smith, and Chief Anzallo commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and Metro Transit Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Garcia Clarke, former Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams, Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan and Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Roderick Johnson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Second Manchester Man Charged on Drug Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A second Manchester man has been charged in connection with the distribution of fentanyl in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced.
Joseph Goffinet, Jr., 53, was arrested and charged with distribution of controlled substances and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in connection with the sale of fentanyl. Goffinet, Jr. made an initial appearance in federal court in Concord on Friday, August 4, 2023, and was detained. According to the charging documents, on one occasion Goffinet, Jr. conspired with Walter Velez to distribute fentanyl. Velez was charged with the distribution of fentanyl and crack cocaine on July 26, 2023.
The charges of distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy each provide for a sentence of at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Department of Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Second Man Admits Drug Conspiracy that Killed Three in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A second man involved in a drug robbery conspiracy that resulted in the fatal shooting of three people in 2021 pleaded guilty Friday to federal drug and gun charges.
Demorion Little, 24, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to one felony marijuana distribution conspiracy count and one count of aiding and abetting the discharge of one or more firearms in furtherance of the marijuana trafficking conspiracy. Those firearm discharges resulted in the death of Rocoby Rodgers on Feb. 25, 2021 and Kortlin Williams and Johnnie Jones on March 16, 2021, Little’s plea agreement says.
In his plea, Little admitted conspiring with his co-defendant, Antaveon Bernard Le'Vell Kent, to steal and sell marijuana. The pair used Facebook to communicate with each other, pick their targets and then arrange to buy marijuana from their victims.
On Feb. 25, 2021, Little contacted Rodgers via Facebook Messenger to ask about purchasing quarter-pound packages of marijuana. They arranged to meet in the 2300 block of Blair Avenue in St. Louis. Police later found Rodgers dead in his car. That night, Little used his Facebook account to advertise that he had marijuana for sale.
Kent and Little arranged to meet Williams and Jones on March 16, 2021 in the 1100 block of Montgomery Street. When the victims arrived, Kent and Little fired into their vehicle, killing Williams and Jones and injuring a third occupant, Little’s plea agreement says.
Kent pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to distribute marijuana, attempting to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and two charges of possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime that resulted in the fatal shootings of Williams and Jones.
In February, Judge Pitlyk sentenced Kent, now 23, of Florissant, to 26 years in prison. Little is scheduled to be sentenced November 3, and both sides have agreed to recommend a 28-year prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police.
Safford Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Thomas Esquivias Ramirez, 31, of Safford, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ramirez pleaded guilty to Assault by Strangling an Intimate Partner and a Dating Partner.
Ramirez, an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, assaulted a Pascua Yaqui woman on October 9, 2021, by strangling her and impeding her breathing. The offense occurred on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation in Tucson, Arizona.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Frances M. Kreamer Hope and Special Assistant United States Attorney Madelynn Franklin, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1815-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-119_Ramirez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Richton Man Pleads Guilty to a Violation of the Archeological Resources Protection ActRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, MS – A Richton man pleaded guilty to the unlawful excavation of an archeological site, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Forest Supervisor Shannon Kelardy of the United States Forest Service.
According to court documents, Amos Justin Burnham, 42, of Richton, used a tractor to illegally excavate an archeological site within the Desoto National Forest. Court documents further revealed that the archeological site had been designated as a protected site because it contained material remains of past human activities that are of archeological interest.
The Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, is a federal law that governs the excavation of archaeological sites on federal and Indian lands in the United States, and the removal and disposition of archaeological collections from those sites.
Burnham pleaded guilty to one count of Unauthorize Excavation of Archeological Resources. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine of not more than $20,000, and the potential cost associated with the restoration and repair of the archeological site as part of restitution. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“When archeological sites are destroyed by unlawful excavations and artifacts are stolen, we lose important clues about the past, forever. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District and its law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting archeological sites throughout the Southern District of Mississippi.” Darren J. LaMarca, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.
The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns are prosecuting the case.
Reedsburg Woman Sentenced to 7 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking in Central WisconsinRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marra Lundeen, 34, Reedsburg, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. This prison term will be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Lundeen pleaded guilty to this charge on April 10, 2023.
Lundeen was investigated by central Wisconsin law enforcement for involvement in methamphetamine trafficking for a number of years, going back to 2019. For purposes of reaching an appropriate sentence, based on facts in the investigation, Judge Conley estimated that from 2019 to 2022 when she was arrested, Lundeen had conservatively been involved in the distribution of up to 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Wausau/central Wisconsin area.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Conley referred to Lundeen as a high-functioning trafficker who shifted from one supplier to another when each of her suppliers was arrested by law enforcement. Due to Lundeen’s lengthy criminality and the volume of drugs, as well as the repeated nature of her trafficking, Judge Conley found the 7-year sentence necessary to protect the public and deter her from continuing in her pattern of crime.
The charge against Lundeen was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Marathon County Sheriff's Office, Wausau Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Everest Metro Police Department, and Wisconsin's National Guard Counterdrug Program. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.
Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Drug and Gun ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ERIC METZ, age 40, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced on August 2, 2023 to 61 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
METZ previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i)
According to court documents, a DEA investigation revealed that METZ was involved in a large narcotics distribution conspiracy in Plaquemines Parish. On June 5, 2021, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by METZ in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. During the traffic stop, deputies established probable cause to search the vehicle. During the search, they discovered six clear plastic bags containing crack cocaine, a fully loaded FN, nine-millimeter, semi-automatic handgun, and $3,238.00 in U.S. currency.
This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Physician Assistant at Chicago Medical Practice Charged with Fraudulently Writing Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A physician assistant who formerly worked at a Chicago medical practice has been charged in federal court with fraudulently writing opioid prescriptions.
HARRY PRZEKOP allegedly used a deceased doctor’s name and prescription forms to write prescriptions for himself and a relative. An indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago states that Przekop fraudulently obtained prescriptions of hydrocodone and codeine in 2021 and 2022 in Batavia, Ill., and North Aurora, Ill. Przekop was not a licensed physician and could not lawfully prescribe medications without the direction and approval of licensed doctors.
The indictment charges Przekop, 69, of Batavia, Ill., with five counts of fraudulently obtaining controlled substances. Each count is punishable by up to four years in federal prison. Przekop pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Wednesday in federal court. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood scheduled a status hearing for Sept. 22, 2023.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin J. Christenson.
Przekop indictmentPeoria Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Possessing a Handgun Outfitted with a “Glock Switch” Machinegun Conversion DeviceRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Anthony Q. Johnson, 19, of the 1100 block of North Flora Avenue, was sentenced on August 2, 2023, to 50 months in federal prison for possessing a handgun equipped with a “Glock Switch” conversion device enabling the gun to fire as a fully-automatic machinegun. Johnson will serve a three-year term of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
At the sentencing hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade, the government presented evidence that in January 2023 Johnson pulled a handgun from his waistband during an altercation with another person on North Flora Avenue in Peoria. When the person fled from Johnson in a car, Johnson discharged the gun, causing one of the bullets to pass through the rear window and windshield of a mini-van parked nearby. An eye-witness account and the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system both established that the gunfire rate was consistent with that of a fully-automatic weapon. Police responded to the scene and located 13 spent shell casings from a .40 caliber weapon.
Johnson was identified as a suspect, and federal agents executed search warrants at two residences where he was known to stay. Agents searching a Flora Avenue residence located a Glock Model 27 .40 caliber pistol loaded with 10 live rounds of ammunition. The firearm was equipped with a “Glock Switch”, an aftermarket device converting the weapon into a machinegun. Agents also located an AR-15, .223 caliber rifle loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition during the search, as well as a .22 caliber revolver. In addition, an extended magazine with a capacity of 28 rounds (.40 caliber), a pistol magazine with a capacity of 14 rounds (.40 caliber), and a drum-style magazine with a capacity of 50 rounds, loaded with 44 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition were located and seized. Additional boxes of .40 caliber ammunition were also found. The Glock pistol was test-fired and functioned as fully automatic machinegun. The casings matched those found at the shooting incident earlier in January 2023 and another shooting incident in August 2021.
Johnson was arrested on a federal complaint in January 2023. and a federal grand jury returned an indictment with the machinegun charge in February 2023. He entered a guilty plea in March 2023 and has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service while his case has been pending. The Glock Model 27 .40 caliber pistol has been forfeited.
The statutory penalties for possession of a machinegun are up to 10 years imprisonment, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force (PAFF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Johnson is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Ontario Man Arrested, Charged with Attempting to Smuggle Marijuana into the United StatesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ajaypal Dhillon, 22, of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and importing marijuana into the United States. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on the afternoon of Thursday, July 27, 2023, CBP Officers at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry encountered a semi-trailer operated by Dhillon at the primary inspection point. Dhillon presented customs documentation indicating a shipment of frozen waffles destined for a grocery store warehouse in Georgia. The shipper of the alleged waffles confirmed that the shipment was fraudulent, and the shipment was put on hold, while Dhillon was referred for a secondary inspection. During a physical exam of the cargo, boxes containing approximately 948 kilograms of a green leafy substance, consistent with that of marijuana, were located. In addition, 50 kilograms of ketamine were also discovered. Investigators identified Dhillon after CBP learned of five prior fraudulent shipments driven by Dhillon into the United States.
Dhillon appeared at a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Omaha Woman Sentenced for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that on August 3, 2023, Alma L. Zapien, 51, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 3, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for money laundering conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Zapien to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will also be subject to a three-year term of supervised release.
Zapien was arrested after Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service Agents learned she was assisting known drug traffickers by sending illicit drug proceeds to Mexico through wire remitter services she managed at her local convenience stores. Between June 2021 and June 2022, Zapien agreed with Javier De Leon Marin to wire transfer illicit drug proceeds from Omaha to individuals in Mexico. Over that time period, Zapien conducted more than 200 such wire transfers, totally more than $250,000 in drug proceeds to the drug trafficking organization in Mexico.
Javier De Leon Marin has pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and will be sentenced on November 3, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service
Ocean County Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey man was arrested yesterday for enticing minors to produce videos and images of child exploitation material and for receiving videos and images depicting child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Daniel Nilla, 35, Brick, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receipt of child pornography. He made his initial appearance on Aug. 3, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Arpert in Trenton federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From on or about December 12, 2021, to on or about April 28, 2023, Nilla was communicating with and receiving images and videos containing child exploitation material from five minor victims on a multimedia instant messaging application. Nilla induced at least two of those minor victims to send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The charges of sexual exploitation of a minor each carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of receipt of child exploitation material carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked special agents of the FBI Kansas City, Kansas Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charles A. Dayoub, and the City of Edwardsville, Kansas Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Mark Mathies.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Super Pitts of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
nilla.complaint.pdfNorth Carolina Laboratory and Owner Agree to Pay More Than $1.9 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Aspirar Medical Lab, LLC (Aspirar) and owner Pick Chay (Chay), located in Cary, North Carolina, have agreed to pay $1,951,090 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing North Carolina Medicaid (Medicaid) for urine drug tests that were medically unnecessary and tainted by illegal kickbacks.
The United States alleged that from March 25, 2016, through September 19, 2017, Aspirar submitted claims to Medicaid for urine drug tests that were false. The claims were false because they were tainted by an illegal kickback arrangement between Aspirar and BPolloni Consulting, LLC (BPolloni), an entity that referred urine drug tests to Aspirar. Under the arrangement, Aspirar paid BPolloni for each urine drug test that BPolloni or another entity, Do It 4 the Hood Corporation (D4H), referred to Aspirar. The Chief Executive Officer of BPolloni and other individuals who operated D4H previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and Anti-Kickback Statute violations arising from D4H’s illegal kickback arrangements with urine drug testing laboratories.
In addition to being tainted by illegal kickbacks, the United States alleged that claims for drug tests that Aspirar submitted to Medicaid were false because the tests were medically unnecessary. Specifically, the orders for the tests were not patient-specific and did not reflect a qualified medical provider’s determination of the patient’s need for the testing.
“Illegal referral and kickback schemes increase profits for wrongdoers and cause taxpayer-funded health care programs like Medicaid to pay for items or services that patients may not need,” said U.S. Attorney King. “The resolution of this case demonstrates our Office’s continuing commitment to hold all responsible parties to account for the submission of claims to Medicaid and other federally funded health care programs that are not medically necessary and are tainted by illegal kickbacks.”
The civil settlement and resolution of claims obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI in Charlotte, with assistance from the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to $1.25 Million Business Email Compromise Scam Impacting U.S. CompanyRead the Press Release
Defendant Admits He Diverted Funds to Overseas Bank Accounts
WASHINGTON - Onwuchekwa Nnanna Kalu, 39, a Nigerian National from Rivers State, Nigeria, pleaded guilty today to stealing $1.25 million from an investment firm located in Boston, through a business email compromise (“BEC”) scam. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division.
Nnanna Kalu pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled a sentencing hearing for November 29, 2023. Kalu was arrested in 2022 and has been detained by the Court as a risk of flight.
BEC scams typically involve a combination of computer intrusion techniques and social engineering in order to misdirect a transfer of funds into a bank account controlled by the fraudsters. According to court documents, Kalu and others conspired to enrich themselves through a BEC scheme that targeted an investment firm located in Massachusetts (Company A), which had invested in 42 companies located in North America, Europe, and Israel. Kalu and other conspirators gained access to the email account of an employee at Company A and, unbeknownst to the employee, the fraudsters installed malware on the employee’s computer that forwarded emails containing certain words like “invoice,” “fund,” “pay,” and “wire,” to an external email account controlled by the fraudsters. Kalu and others then created a spoofed domain name for Company A that differed by one letter, and sent spoofed emails, appearing to be from directors of Company A, to a financial services company located in London, England (Company B). Those spoofed appeals directed Company B to misdirect $1.25 million of wire transfers from Company A’s bank account to bank accounts outside of the U.S. controlled by conspirators. Once the fraudsters transferred the funds to financial institutions outside the U.S., the conspirators transferred some of those funds to bank accounts they controlled in Nigeria.
“Business email compromise schemes wreak havoc on companies, governments, and other institutions,” said Graves. “The best way to thwart a BEC scheme is due diligence. Check and double check the email address before responding with any information that could put you or your employer at risk. Once a breach is identified, we will do everything in our power to identify, arrest, and prosecute the perpetrators no matter where they hide.”
“Onwuchekwa Nnanna Kalu conspired to steal over $1 million from an investment firm through a business email compromise scheme,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “This case should serve not only as a caution to businesses about the dangers of spoofed emails but also as a warning to cybercriminals about the FBI's dedication to prosecuting fraudsters — even those who operate overseas.”
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office. He also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant United States Attorney John W. Borchert who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Missouri Woman Admits Fraudulently Obtaining Pain Pills Meant for AnimalsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman who worked for a pet food company in Montgomery City, Missouri on Friday admitted fraudulently obtaining pain pills meant for animals.
Mackenzie Noel Deeker, 39, of Montgomery County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to a felony count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge.
Deeker, who was animal health supervisor for the company, was responsible for ordering and maintaining records for controlled substances, including the pain medication tramadol. After the company stopped using tramadol because research in the veterinary field questioned its effectiveness, Deeker continued to order the drug by using the company’s Drug Enforcement Administration researcher registration and the DEA registration information belonging to an independent veterinarian working with the company.
In her plea, Deeker admitted diverting tramadol for her personal use. She continued ordering the drug to rectify shortages in the company’s records due to her personal use of the drug. In one example given in Deeker’s plea agreement, on April 30, 2021, she called in a prescription for 90 tablets to a local pharmacy, claiming that it was authorized by the veterinarian for a dog named “Dandee.” Dandee had been euthanized more than two months earlier, however.
At Deeker’s November 2 sentencing, both sides have agreed to recommend probation. She has agreed to pay $5,200 to the veterinarian, who was suspended by the company for eight weeks while they investigated the missing tramadol.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohsen Pasha is prosecuting the case.
Mississippi Landman Sentenced to Prison for Submitting False Corporate Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Mississippi man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for filing a false corporate income tax return on behalf of his oil and gas leasing business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jeffrey C. Randall of Jackson, Mississippi, owned and operated an oil and gas lease company, Gulf States Royalty, Ltd. After informing his return preparer that he was unwilling to pay the tax he owed on the $3 million dollars earned by Gulf States in 2008, Randall and his preparer falsely reported more than $2 million dollars in business expenses on Gulf States’ corporate income tax return for that year. Randall then signed the false return and directed his tax return preparer to submit it to the IRS. In total, Randall caused a tax loss to the IRS of $824,036.72.
At the sentencing hearing, the United States presented evidence that after being indicted in 2015, Randall earned roughly $2 million in income from his oil and gas business between 2015 and 2021, for which he did not pay any taxes. As a result, the United States argued that Randall caused an additional loss to the IRS of over $700,000, and nearly $300,000 in interest and penalties.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III ordered Randall to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $824,036.72 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Richard (R.J.) Hagerman of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chet W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Three Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to committing three violent carjackings, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in Minneapolis on March 16, 2023, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Javon Thomas Wilson-Branch, 19, along with another individual approached two people who had just parked and exited a black Mercedes Benz SUV. Wilson-Branch pointed a Springfield Armory rifle at the victims and demanded they hand over everything they had. At gunpoint, the victims provided Wilson-Branch with the keys to the vehicle. Wilson-Branch got into the carjacked SUV and drove away.
The next day, at approximately 4:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual carjacked a blue Toyota Highlander at gunpoint in Minneapolis. Wilson-Branch and others pulled the carjacked SUV up next to the Highlander, and demanded the victim’s car keys at gunpoint. An AirTag inside the carjacked vehicle tracked the vehicle to Saint Paul, where it was left and abandoned at approximately 4:30 a.m., and Saint Paul police later recovered the carjacked vehicle.
About thirty-minutes later, at approximately 5:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual drove the carjacked SUV to Saint Paul and parked behind a black Audi A6. Shortly thereafter, when the owner approached the Audi A6, Wilson-Branch and the other individual exited the carjacked SUV armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Springfield Armory rifle. Both men pointed the firearms at the victim and forced him to give up his keys, wallet, and phone. The victim was also forced to unlock his cell phone, which was later used to make unauthorized money transfers from the victim’s bank account to Wilson-Branch and others. Wilson-Branch drove away in the carjacked Audi and the other individual drove away in the carjacked Mercedes Benz SUV. About 30 minutes later, officers with the St. Paul Police Department spotted the two carjacked vehicles in the area of Maryland Avenue and Western Avenue. Officers attempted a traffic stop but both vehicles fled police at a high rate of speed. Officers with the Woodbury Police Department later located the Audi A6 in a mall parking lot and apprehended Wilson-Branch in another building after a short chase. Two of the firearms used in the carjackings were located inside the Audi A6 along with the keys to the Toyota Highlander.
Wilson-Branch pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge David S. Doty to two counts of aiding and abetting carjacking, and admitted to aiding and abetting a third carjacking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Saint Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Woodbury Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
McCurtain County Resident Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Alexandria Nicole Nix, age 26, of Idabel, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea on July 27, 2023, to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On March 12, 2018, Nix drove her truck under the influence of alcohol and failed to stop at a four-way intersection where she collided with another vehicle. The other motorist died as a result of injuries sustained in the collision.
Law enforcement’s investigation of the matter revealed Nix attempted to hide a box of beer she had in her vehicle at the time of the crash. Data from Nix’s truck showed she never hit the brakes despite approaching the posted stop sign. Toxicology tests of Nix’s blood revealed she had a .145 blood-alcohol content near the time of the crash.
The crime occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Gerald J. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Nix was allowed to remain free on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Matthews, N.C. Man Is Sentenced as A Career Offender for Cocaine Distribution and Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Shannon Demond Lawrence, 45, of Matthews, N.C., has been sentenced to 176 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for cocaine distribution and illegal gun possession, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. At today’s hearing, the Court enhanced Lawrence’s sentence due to his classification as a Career Offender, stemming from his multiple prior criminal convictions, to include drug distribution and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, law enforcement initiated a federal investigation into Lawrence for suspected drug trafficking. Court documents show that, on multiple occasions between October and November 2021, Lawrence sold cocaine and fentanyl to an undercover detective. During two drug transactions, the undercover detective observed that Lawrence possessed firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle. Court records show that, in addition to selling narcotics, Lawrence sold the undercover detective two firearms, one of which was loaded.
On August 23, 2022, Lawrence pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Witness Tampering in Relation to Healthcare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Atawan Mundu John, a.k.a., John Mundu Atawan, 46, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to attempting to tamper with a witness more than nine years ago during a federal healthcare fraud investigation. He was charged via indictment in December 2014 but remained a fugitive until his arrest three weeks ago.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General for the region that includes Washington, D.C., and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
In February 2014, a federal grand jury charged Florence Bikundi, who owned and operated a home health care agency, with various offenses related to a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud the D.C. Medicaid program. The defendant was employed by Bikundi’s agency as a personal care aide. After Bikundi was arrested, the investigation into her and others continued. As part of its investigation, law enforcement agents interviewed the defendant multiple times.
On June 12, 2014, one of the Medicaid beneficiaries who received kickbacks from the defendant to help facilitate the fraud placed a recorded call to the defendant that lasted approximately 18 minutes. During that call, the defendant – fully aware of the active federal investigation – instructed the beneficiary to lie to the FBI about ever receiving money or kickbacks. The defendant admitted on the call that paying money to beneficiaries was fraud. Law enforcement agents confronted the defendant with the recorded call five days later. Before formal charges were brought against him, the defendant fled the area.
In December 2014, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Florence Bikundi, her husband Michael Bikundi, Christian Asongcha, five other individuals, and the defendant with various offenses related to the scheme to defraud Medicaid. The defendant was charged with one count of attempted witness tampering. Five of the individuals pleaded guilty to health care fraud, and in November 2015, a jury convicted Florence and Michael Bikundi of multiple offenses after a trial. By June 2016, the Bikundis and five other individuals all had been sentenced while Asongcha, who has never been apprehended, and the defendant remained fugitives.
The defendant remained a fugitive until July 13, 2023, when he was arrested in Maryland. He has been held without bond since then.
U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell, who accepted the defendant’s guilty plea, scheduled sentencing for November 3, 2023. The court will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors.
The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, please call the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General hotline at 800- HHS‑TIPS (800 447-8477) or the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at 800-724-TIPS (800 274-8477).
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Multiple people from the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked on this case, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lionel A. André, Anthony Saler, and Michelle Bradford, who tried Florence and Michael Bikundi. The case against Atawan Mundu John is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Michon Tart.
Maryland MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Participating in a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including MurderRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – MS-13 member Kevin Alexander Castillo Calderon, a/k/a “Fantasma,” “Ghost,” “Eterno,” and “Josue Argueta Gonzalez,” age 25, of Colesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a racketeering conspiracy, including a murder.
The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to court documents, the La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13,” is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Frederick County, as well as throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere, MS-13 members are organized into “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
According to his plea agreement, Castillo Calderon was a member and associate of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha, (“WLS”), an MS-13 clique operating primarily in Adelphi, Maryland.
As detailed in court documents, on August 8, 2020, WLS members, including Castillo Calderon, WLS leader Brayan Alexander Torres and Franklyn Sanchez, were gathered at a park in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Castillo Calderon, Torres, Sanchez and other WLS members agreed to murder Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. Sanchez and another MS-13 member murdered Victim 4, then WLS members dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. Castillo Calderon then picked up a large rock and dropped it on Victim 4’s head. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez was concerned that his DNA may have been left on the body. To prevent the discovery of DNA or other evidence and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, other WLS members were called and ordered to bring shovels to the wooded area, where they dug a hole and buried Victim 4’s body. In addition, at Torres’ direction, Castillo Calderon took the guns used to shoot Victim 4 and Victim 4’s cell phone, put them in a bag he was carrying and disposed of the evidence. Victim 4’s body was later recovered with a bullet wound to the head.
Castillo Calderon was also responsible for collecting extortion payments, or “rents,” from extortion victims on behalf of WLS, knowing that the victims making extortion payments did so under the threat of death or bodily injury by members of WLS. For example, gang members used baseball bats to impose rents and sometimes collected rent while flashing firearms or otherwise making it known that they were carrying weapons.
Castillo Calderon and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts his plea, Castillo Calderon will be sentenced to 26 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for November 7, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. Co-defendant Torres, a/k/a “Spooky,” age 29, of Adelphi, Maryland, is expected to be sentenced to 28 years in federal prison at his sentencing on September 13, 2023. Torres will also be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs incurred by Victim 4’s estate. On May 19, 2023, Judge Xinis sentenced Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez, a/k/a “Freddy,” “Magic,” “Miclo,” and “Delinquente,” age 26, of Adelphi, Maryland, to 28 years in federal prison and ordered that Sanchez must pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs incurred by Victim 1 and Victim 4’s estates.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Barron and Assistant Attorney General Polite commended the FBI, HSI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Montgomery County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo, and Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #Maryland Doctor Convicted After Three-Week Trial for COVID-19 Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury in Maryland convicted Ron Elfenbein, M.D., age 49, of Arnold, Maryland, for five counts of healthcare fraud for submitting over $15 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other insurers for patients who received COVID-19 tests at sites operated by the defendant. Elfenbein is the first doctor convicted at trial by the Justice Department for health care fraud in billing for office visits in connection with patients seeking COVID-19 tests.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Thomas Sobocinski for the FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Conrad J. Quarles, Office of the Inspector General (OPM-OIG).
According to the evidence presented at his three-week trial, Elfenbein owned and operated Drs ERgent Care, LLC, d/b/a First Call Medical Center and Chesapeake ERgent Care. Drs ERgent care operated drive-through COVID-19 testing sites in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties. Elfenbein instructed the employees of Drs ERgent Care that, in addition to billing for the COVID-19 test, the employees were to bill for high-level evaluation and management visits. In reality, these visits were not provided to patients as represented. Rather, Elfenbein instructed his employees that the patients were “there for one reason only – to be tested,” that it was “simple and straightforward,” and that the providers were “not there to solve complex medical issues.” Many of these patients were asymptomatic, were getting tested for COVID-19 for their employment requirements, or who were getting tested for COVID-19 so that they could travel. Elfenbein, through Drs ERgent Care, submitted or caused the submission of claims totaling more than $15 million to Medicare and other insurers for these high-level office visits.
Elfenbein faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each of the five counts of healthcare fraud for which he was convicted. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for November 7, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite commended the HHS-OIG, DCIS, the FBI, and OPM-OIG for their work in the Elfenbein investigation. Mr. Barron and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Phelps and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
# # #
Man Indicted Following Seizure of Almost 130 Pounds of Methamphetamine During Traffic StopRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Rudy Vasquez Cervantes, 20, of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Phoenix on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that, on June 30, 2023, Cervantes was traveling by vehicle when he was stopped by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed packages hidden under the floor between the back seat and trunk. The packages tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine and weighed a total of 128.75 pounds.
A conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and up to lifetime supervised release.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Yuma Office, is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa E. Jennis, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01113-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-120_Cervantes# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest newsMS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including a Murder in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Jose Henry Hernandez-Garcia, a/k/a “Paciente,” age 29, of Annandale, Virginia, to life in federal prison for racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering conspiracies, for committing murder in aid of racketeering, and for conspiracy to destroy and conceal evidence connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13. The charges related to the murder of a victim believed to be cooperating with law enforcement and the subsequent cover-up of the murder. Hernandez-Garcia was convicted on December 16, 2022, after a two-week trial, along with co-defendants Jose Domingo Ordonez-Zometa, a/k/a “Felon,” age 33, of Landover Hills, Maryland and Jose Rafael Ortega-Ayala, a/k/a “Impaciente,” age 30, of Greenbelt, Maryland.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Stafford County Sheriff David P. Decatur; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Kevin Davis of the Fairfax County Police Department.
MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, operate throughout the United States, including in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Hernandez-Garcia and his co-defendants were members and associates of the Los Ghettos Criminales Salvatruchas (“LGCS” or “Ghettos”) clique of MS-13.
Members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons, at all times, using any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increases the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ordonez-Zometa, the leader of the LGCS clique, called a meeting of the LGCS clique at his house on March 8, 2019, to discuss gang matters, including recent contacts that a clique member (Victim 1) had with the police. Hernandez-Garcia, Ortega-Ayala, Victim 1, and other MS-13 members participated in the meeting, during which Ordonez-Zometa questioned Victim 1 about his/her cooperation with police.
During the questioning, Hernandez-Garcia, his co-defendants and at least one other MS-13 member assaulted Victim 1, based on their incorrect suspicions that Victim 1 was cooperating with law enforcement. They also assaulted another MS-13 member who attempted to defend Victim 1. The assault culminated with Ordonez-Zometa, as LGCS clique leader, ordering that Victim 1 be killed. Hernandez-Garcia, Ortega-Ayala, and other MS-13 members then stabbed and murdered Victim 1 in Ordonez-Zometa’s basement.
According to trial testimony, after the murder, Ordonez-Zometa ordered Hernandez-Garcia, Ortega-Ayala, and other LGCS clique members and co-conspirators, to conceal and destroy evidence of the murder. Ortega-Ayala and other MS-13 members transported the body of the victim to a secluded location in Stafford County, Virginia, and set the victim’s body on fire, then destroyed and concealed evidence of the murder from the vehicle used to transport the victim. Meanwhile, Ordonez-Zometa, Hernandez-Garcia, and another MS-13 member stayed at the crime scene and attempted to remove, destroy, and conceal evidence of the murder, including the blood of Victim 1.
Ordonez-Zometa was sentenced to life in federal prison on March 6, 2023. Ortega-Ayala also faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison at his sentencing on September 25, 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI, HSI, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Fairfax County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance. Mr. Barron and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morgan and Trial Attorneys Jared Engelking and Matthew Hoff of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Luzerne County Man Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Scranton– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Eshawn Harrell, age 29, of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 1, 2023, for drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Harrell with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of stolen firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking on June 29, 2023.
This matter was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Gallagher is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Harrell faces a maximum penalty of forty (40) years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
###
Local man faces life for pulling firearm during robberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 20-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during the robbery of a local discount store, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On Dec. 4, 2022, Marvieon Simien entered the Family Dollar on Hiram Clarke Road in Houston. He grabbed several items and approached the register but departed without them. He returned to his vehicle for several minutes before re-entering the store wearing a mask.
He selected another item from the shelf and walked to the register. He then pulled his mask down, spoke to the store clerk and retrieved the handgun from his waistband. She felt intimidated and was in fear for her life, so she backed away from him. At that time, Simien reached over the counter, removed a nominal amount of money from the register and fled the scene.
Video footage linked Simien to the robbery. The clerk was also able to identify him.
The gun and stolen cash were never recovered.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner will impose sentencing Oct. 26. At that time Simien, faces a minimum of five years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Simien has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department Task Force conducted the investigation. This is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies. The goal is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts and enhancing training, public awareness and education. It stems from the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Porto and Brian Hrach prosecuted the case.
Leading Crips Member Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for his leading role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
According to court documents, from approximately fall 2018 through September 2019, Kevin Day, a/k/a “Prince Hauncho,” 34, was at the top of a multi-state, multi-kilogram methamphetamine conspiracy involving a distribution organization that moved over 11 kilograms of dangerous and highly addictive controlled substances from Crips gang sources in California to the Hampton Roads area, where it was distributed to local dealers and users.
Day, a California-based Grape Street Crips gang member, led the California side of the conspiracy in which he shipped high-purity methamphetamine through the United States mail with the help of a U.S. Postal Service worker, Laquisha McFrazier, he recruited Day and his co-conspirators also used couriers to smuggle fentanyl into Hampton Roads on commercial air flights. In attempts to conceal their drug proceeds, members of the conspiracy laundered thousands of dollars by electronically transferring money between themselves.
McFrazier pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 98 months’ imprisonment. Day’s co-conspirator Xavier Howell was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Cheney and John F. Butler prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-11.
Lawrence Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Lawrence man was sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Santo Evangelista Soto, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joesph N. Laplante to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On February 21, 2023, Soto plead guilty to distributing heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
From February 12, 2020 through October 9, 2020, the defendant conspired with other individuals to sell heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. On one occasion during the investigation, the defendant sold 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained heroin and methamphetamine. Soto was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration on October 9, 2020. At the time of the arrest, Soto intended to sell one and a half kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.
“The defendant has a long history of drug dealing, and has already been convicted for drug trafficking twice,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Today’s lengthy sentence ensures he will serve a significant period of incarceration for this serious crime.”
The DEA’s Manchester District Office, New Hampshire State Police’s Narcotics Investigations and Mobile Enforcement Units and the Dover Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis is prosecuting the case.
###
Justice Department to Host 18th Annual Government-to-Government Tribal Consultation on Violence Against WomenRead the Press Release
TULSA – The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will host the 18th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation, August 8-10, 2023, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tribal government leaders will provide recommendations on administering tribal funds and programs; enhancing the safety of American Indian and Alaska Native women from domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, homicide, stalking and sex trafficking, along with strengthening the federal response to these crimes; and improving access to local, regional, state, and federal crime information databases and criminal justice information systems.
The consultation is required by law to address the federal administration of tribal funds and programs established under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) and its subsequent reauthorizations.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and other Department of Justice officials will be in attendance.
WHO: U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Justice Programs, and Office of Tribal Justice
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Indian Health Service
U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services
WHEN: All times provided in local Central time:
August 8, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
August 9, 8:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
August 10, 8:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: River Spirit Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway, Tulsa, OK 74137
Join virtually: https://www.ovwconsultation.org/Attend/Register
CONTACT: Media with any question regarding the consultation should reach out to Connie Palmer-Dodson at Connie.Palmer-Dodson@usdoj.gov. 918-382-2755
Members of the press who wish to attend consultation must register and will need to check in at the hotel registration desk upon arrival to obtain credentials, which must be worn and displayed at all times throughout the event. For more information and to register as press, visit: https://www.ovwconsultation.org/Attend/Register
NOTES:
OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo; OVW Tribal Affairs Deputy Director Sherriann Moore; and U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma are available for interviews. Please contact Connie Palmer-Dodson for more information.
Jewelry Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Evading Cash Reporting RuleRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The owner of two jewelry stores in the Independence Center mall in Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to evading federal reporting requirements for cash transactions.
Junaid “Jay” Sahibzada, 37, of Lenexa, Kan., waived his right to an indictment and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that charges him with one count of evading federal reporting requirements for businesses that conduct cash transactions above $10,000 by failing to file Form 8300.
Form 8300 provides valuable information to the Internal Revenue Service and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in their efforts to combat money laundering.
Sahibzada co-owns Gold-N-Time, a kiosk shop, and Jawa Jewelers, a storefront, both located in the Independence Center mall.
By pleading guilty today, Sahibzada admitted that he met with an undercover federal agent posing as a heroin dealer interested in laundering money by making cash purchases of jewelry from Gold-N-Time, transporting the jewelry to Chicago, Illinois, and then reselling it for cash. The undercover agent told Sahibzada he did not want any government forms filed for his purchases, which Sahibzada said would not be a problem because no one would know about cash purchases.
The undercover agent purchased two pieces of custom jewelry from Sahibzada for $21,100. Sahibzada did not subsequently file or instruct any employee to file a Form 8300 for the cash transaction.
Sahibzada later admitted to federal agents that he had never filed a Form 8300, despite having completed multiple jewelry cash transactions exceeding $10,000.
Under federal statutes, Sahibzada is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Sahibzada must pay a money judgment of $21,100, which is the total amount involved in the undercover operation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Constance and Tony Brown. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Charge in Connection with Fraudulent Lottery Scheme that Targeted Elderly AmericansRead the Press Release
A Jamaican national, who was previously extradited to the United States from Jamaica, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina in connection with a fraudulent Jamaica-based lottery scheme that targeted elderly victims in the United States.
According to court documents, Antony Linton Stewart, 39, of St. James Parish, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
As part of his plea agreement, Stewart admitted that he contacted elderly Americans by telephone and falsely told them that they had won money and other prizes in a sweepstakes or lottery. Stewart told victims that they needed to send money to pay fees and taxes on their winnings. Stewart contacted victims repeatedly for as long as they could be persuaded to send additional money. At Stewart’s direction, victims used wire transfers and the U.S. Postal Service, among other means, to send money to individuals in the United States and Jamaica who served as intermediaries and transmitted the money to Stewart. In fact, no lottery ever existed, and no victim ever received any money or other prizes. The scheme defrauded victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch is committed to investigating fraudulent schemes targeting elderly Americans, wherever those schemes are based,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Stewart is the latest example in the department’s ongoing efforts to root out and deter fraud from foreign locations that targets our most vulnerable consumers.”
“Each year, millions of older Americans suffer heavy financial losses in the hands of scammers operating in the United States and abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina. “Today’s guilty plea underscores our efforts to investigate and bring to justice perpetrators of elder fraud schemes no matter where they originate. We will continue to join forces with our law enforcement counterparts to do all we can to stop these criminals from stealing from our seniors.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is committed to investigating those who use the U.S. Mail to commit fraud and target elderly and vulnerable American citizens both domestically and abroad,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen of the USPIS Philadelphia Division. “Today’s plea exemplifies the unwavering efforts of Postal Inspectors in collaboration with our law enforcement partners – here in the United States and around the world – to bring these callous criminals to justice.”
The USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Stewart. The U.S. Marshals Service also provided significant assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Raquel Toledo and Trial Attorney Ryan E. Norman of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny G. Sugar and Daniel Ryan for the Western District of North Carolina.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina visit their website at www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Charge in Connection with Fraudulent Lottery Scheme That Targeted Elderly AmericansRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Jamaican national, who was previously extradited to the United States from Jamaica, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina in connection with a fraudulent Jamaica-based lottery scheme that targeted elderly victims in the United States.
According to court documents, Antony Linton Stewart, 39, of St. James Parish, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
As part of his plea agreement, Stewart admitted that he contacted elderly Americans by telephone and falsely told them that they had won money and other prizes in a sweepstakes or lottery. Stewart told victims that they needed to send money to pay fees and taxes on their winnings. Stewart contacted victims repeatedly for as long as they could be persuaded to send additional money. At Stewart’s direction, victims used wire transfers and the U.S. Postal Service, among other means, to send money to individuals in the United States and Jamaica who served as intermediaries and transmitted the money to Stewart. In fact, no lottery ever existed, and no victim ever received any money or other prizes. The scheme defrauded victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch is committed to investigating fraudulent schemes targeting elderly Americans, wherever those schemes are based,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Stewart is the latest example in the department’s ongoing efforts to root out and deter fraud from foreign locations that targets our most vulnerable consumers.”
“Each year, millions of older Americans suffer heavy financial losses in the hands of scammers operating in the United States and abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina. “Today’s guilty plea underscores our efforts to investigate and bring to justice perpetrators of elder fraud schemes no matter where they originate. We will continue to join forces with our law enforcement counterparts to do all we can to stop these criminals from stealing from our seniors.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is committed to investigating those who use the U.S. Mail to commit fraud and target elderly and vulnerable American citizens both domestically and abroad,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen of the USPIS Philadelphia Division. “Today’s plea exemplifies the unwavering efforts of Postal Inspectors in collaboration with our law enforcement partners – here in the United States and around the world – to bring these callous criminals to justice.”
The USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Stewart. The U.S. Marshals Service also provided significant assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Raquel Toledo and Trial Attorney Ryan E. Norman of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny G. Sugar and Daniel Ryan for the Western District of North Carolina.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina visit their website at www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Illegal Possession of Methamphetamine Sends Houston Man to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing today of a Houston man for illegal possession of methamphetamine in the Western District of Louisiana. United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced Paul Powell, 29, to 135 months (11 years, 3 months) in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Powell pleaded guilty to the charge on April 21, 2023.
On September 4, 2019, law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office observed a black Mercedes Benz being driven on the roadway without two working headlights as required by state law. The driver of the Mercedes was later determined to be Powell. Agents observed the vehicle stop at a residence and Powell went inside for a brief time, then returned to the vehicle. Law enforcement agents activated their lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the vehicle, but Powell refused to stop and began to flee from agents traveling at a high rate of speed. Powell continued to flee and when arriving on Elephant Walk Road in Lafayette, exited the vehicle, along with an unknown passenger and they fled on foot running through several yards and jumping several fences. Powell was apprehended and placed in handcuffs. A probable cause search was conducted of his vehicle and agents located a digital scale and a bag containing methamphetamine. Law enforcement agents questioned Powell the next day and he admitted that the methamphetamine belonged to him.
The suspected narcotics were sent to the DEA Laboratory for analysis, and it was determined that the substance was positive for methamphetamine and had a net weight of 210 grams plus or minus 0.2 grams.
The case was investigated by the DEA and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy.
# # #
Hogansburg Man Pleads Guilty to International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carey Terrance Sr., age 42, of Hogansburg, New York, pled guilty on July 31 to conspiring to launder money in connection with a scheme to smuggle cut rag tobacco into Canada from the United States.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Division, made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Terrance Sr. admitted that from approximately 2013 to 2016, he worked with co-conspirators to acquire cut rag tobacco and smuggle it into Canada, where it was made into contraband cigarettes. Members of the conspiracy sold the contraband cigarettes, making substantial profits by avoiding taxes and duties, and used some of their profits to buy more cut rag tobacco that they sent into Canada.
Funds to purchase the cut rag tobacco were sent from Canada, often through the Northern District of New York, to North Carolina. Once purchased, the cut rag tobacco was delivered to warehouses and buildings in the Northeastern United States, including on the St. Regis Mohawk Akwesasne Reservation, where it was staged for smuggling into Canada. Terrance admitted that he laundered $221,860.20 as part of the scheme; he agreed to forfeit that amount as part of the guilty plea.
Two other co-conspirators, Samuel C. Baker, age 45, of Laurinburg, North Carolina, and Jeffrey Doctor, age 51, of Charlotte, North Carolina, have each also pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and are awaiting sentencing.
Terrance, Doctor and Baker each face a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
A charge remains pending against Edgar M. Baker, Jr. and a trial is currently scheduled for September 27, 2023. The charge in the indictment against Baker is merely an accusation. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
HSI and IRS-CI are investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allen J. Vickey and Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping are prosecuting this case.
Georgia Inmate Is Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell has sentenced Alfonso Roman Brito, 44, to 25 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and evidence introduced at trial Brito’s trial, in 2019, law enforcement were conducting an investigation into a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) operating in Catawba and Burke Counties and surrounding communities. As trial evidence established, the investigation determined that Brito, who was an inmate in the Georgia Department of Corrections, was in charge of coordinating the shipment of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine from Atlanta into Western North Carolina. According to information presented at trial, between 2019 and 2021, Brito orchestrated the delivery of more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine from Georgia to North Carolina, which was then sold to drug networks in the area for local distribution.
In December 2022, a federal jury convicted Brito of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. Six co-defendants have also been sentenced for drug related offenses in connection with this case:
- Charles Ray Hildebran was sentenced to 180 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Jeffrey Ben Pavkovich was sentenced to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Billy Dean Potter was sentenced to 132 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
- Phillip Anthony Godfrey was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Britton Nicole Metcalf was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Marcos Alan Martinez was sentenced to 46 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the DEA, HSI, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for leading the investigation. U.S. Attorney King also thanked the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, the Newton Police Department, the Hickory Police Department, and the Georgia Department of Corrections for their assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Four MS-13 Gang Members Sentenced for Racketeering Conspiracy and MurderRead the Press Release
Four men were sentenced in Maryland for their participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a violent international gang commonly known as MS-13.
Jose Henry Hernandez-Garcia, aka Paciente, 29, of Annandale, Virginia, was sentenced today to life in prison. Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, aka Terrible, 26, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced on Aug. 1 to 16 years in prison. Hernan Yanes-Rivera, aka Recio, 22, of Adelphi, Maryland, was sentenced on July 28 to 22 years in prison. Brian Samir Zelaya Mejia, aka Chispa, 25, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced on July 25 to six years in prison.
United States v. Jose Domingo Ordonez-Zometa, et al.
According to court documents, Hernandez-Garcia and his co-defendants were members of the Los Ghettos Criminales Salvatruchas (LGCS or Ghettos) clique of MS-13. MS-13 is an international criminal organization composed primarily of individuals from El Salvador or their descendants, with members operating throughout the United States. MS-13 members are organized into “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. MS-13 members earn promotions and improved standing within the gang for participating in attacks on rival gang members, often at the direction of MS-13 leadership.
On March 8, 2019, Jose Domingo Ordonez-Zometa, the leader of the LCGS clique, called a LCGS meeting at his house to discuss clique matters, including recent contacts that an LCGS clique member (the victim) had with the police. Hernandez-Garcia, Jose Rafael Ortega-Ayala, the victim, and other MS-13 members participated in the meeting, during which Ordonez-Zometa questioned the victim about cooperating with police.
During the questioning, the MS-13 members assaulted the victim, based on their incorrect suspicions that the victim was cooperating with law enforcement. They also assaulted another MS-13 member who attempted to defend the victim. The assault culminated with Ordonez-Zometa ordering the murder of the victim. Hernandez-Garcia, Ortega-Ayala, and other MS-13 members then murdered the victim by stabbing him in Ordonez-Zometa’s basement.
After the murder, Ordonez-Zometa ordered Hernandez-Garcia, Ortega-Ayala, and other LCGS clique members and co-conspirators to cover up the murder. Ortega-Ayala and other MS-13 members transported the body of the victim to a secluded location in Stafford County, Virginia, and set the victim’s body on fire, and then destroyed and concealed evidence of the murder from the vehicle used to transport the victim. Meanwhile, Ordonez-Zometa, Hernandez-Garcia, and another MS-13 member stayed at the crime scene and attempted to remove, destroy, and conceal other evidence of the murder, including the victim’s blood.
On March 6, Ordonez-Zometa was sentenced to life in prison. Ortega-Ayala is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 25.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office, Stafford County Sheriff David P. Decatur, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department, and Chief Kevin Davis of the Fairfax County Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI, HSI, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Fairfax County Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Jared Engelking of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morgan for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
United States v. Brayan Torres, et al.
According to court documents, Rivas Rodriguez, Yanes-Rivera, and Zelaya Mejia were members and associates of Weedams Locos Salvatrucha, (WLS), a MS-13 clique operating primarily in Adelphi.
On Feb. 23, 2020, at the direction of MS-13 leaders Brayan Alexander Torres and Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, Yanes-Rivera and co-defendant Franklyn Sanchez shot and killed a former WLS member, identified in court records as Victim 1, in retaliation for the victim’s suspected cooperation with law enforcement. In the weeks before the murder, Victim 1 had been in touch with WLS members over social media, text messages, and calls. WLS members told Victim 1 that if he met with gang members to make amends, his cooperation would be forgiven. Victim 1 was instructed to wait on the side of a road at a location in or near Adelphi. A junior WLS member drove Yanes-Rivera and Sanchez to the location, where they picked up Victim 1. They drove to a location in or near Hyattsville. Yanes-Rivera, Sanchez, and Victim 1 got out of the car and walked into the woods, where Yanes-Rivera and Sanchez shot and killed Victim 1. MS-13 promoted Yanes-Rivera for his participation in the murder.
On Aug. 8, 2020, WLS members, including Franklyn Sanchez, gathered at a park in Prince George’s County. Sanchez and several other WLS members agreed to murder a man, identified in court records as Victim 4, who was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and to whom Sanchez owed a debt. As planned, Sanchez and another MS-13 member murdered Victim 4, then dragged Victim 4’s body to a stream and left it there. As he was leaving the woods, Sanchez was concerned that his DNA remained on the body. To prevent the discovery of his DNA or other evidence, and to hinder the investigation and prosecution of Victim 4’s murder, Rivas Rodriguez, Zelaya Mejia, and other WLS members buried Victim 4’s body in the woods. Law enforcement later found Victim 4’s body with a bullet wound to the head.
Yanes-Rivera and Zelaya Mejia were also responsible for collecting extortion payments, or “rents,” from at least two extortion victims on behalf of WLS, knowing that the victims making extortion payments did so under the threat of death or bodily injury. For example, WLS members used baseball bats to impose rents and sometimes collected rent while flashing firearms or other weapons.
Rivas Rodriguez and Yanes-Rivera also participated in money laundering by transferring gang funds from extortion activities to MS-13 members and associates in El Salvador.
On May 19, Sanchez was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Torres is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 13.
Assistant Attorney General Polite, U.S. Attorney Barron, Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Harris of HSI Baltimore, and Chief Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI, HSI, and Prince George’s County Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Montgomery County Police Department.
Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
These cases are also part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and HSI both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Drug Diversion from Boston-Area HospitalRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former nurse pleaded guilty in federal court today in Boston to diverting opioids from a Boston-area hospital.
Andrea Falzano, 39, of Winchester, pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception, and subterfuge. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 14, 2023. Falzano was indicted on Feb. 24, 2023.
According to admissions made in connection with her guilty plea, beginning in May 2019, Falzano used her capacity as a nurse in the emergency department at a Massachusetts based hospital to withdraw controlled substances from a locked drug cabinet. These substances included morphine, fentanyl, and hydromorphone, all of which are opioids and Schedule II controlled substances. In total, Falzano withdrew these substances 412 times for 299 already discharged patients over an approximately five-month period.
The charge of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud provides a sentence of up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; and Robert Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Media Producer Sentenced for Extortion and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former media producer was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for extortion and obstruction of justice related to his involvement in a scheme to obtain money in exchange for preventing the release of chat messages involving senior officials in the government of Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, in June 2019, Sixto Jorge Díaz Colón, 54, of San Juan, attempted to extort a public official in the government of Puerto Rico. Díaz Colón attempted to secure a $300,000 payment and other things of value from the official in exchange for the assurance that a third-party would not publicly disclose certain messages containing damaging information about various public officials in the government. When approached by the FBI in July 2019, Díaz Colón deleted messages containing information about his involvement in the scheme before surrendering his cellular telephone to the authorities.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Michael N. Lang of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Myriam Fernández-González for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case. Former PIN Trial Attorney James Pearce, former Trial Attorney Byron Jones of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Henwood for the District of Puerto Rico provided assistance.
###
Former Media Producer Sentenced for Extortion and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A former media producer was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for extortion and obstruction of justice related to his involvement in a scheme to obtain money in exchange for preventing the release of chat messages involving senior officials in the government of Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, in June 2019, Sixto Jorge Díaz Colón, 54, of San Juan, attempted to extort a public official in the government of Puerto Rico. Díaz Colón attempted to secure a $300,000 payment and other things of value from the official in exchange for the assurance that a third-party would not publicly disclose certain messages containing damaging information about various public officials in the government. When approached by the FBI in July 2019, Díaz Colón deleted messages containing information about his involvement in the scheme before surrendering his cellular telephone to the authorities.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Michael N. Lang of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Myriam Fernández-González for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case. Former PIN Trial Attorney James Pearce, former Trial Attorney Byron Jones of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Henwood for the District of Puerto Rico provided assistance.
Former Labor Union President Gets 18 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling More Than $200,000Read the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced a former president of the Alton chapter of the AFSCME labor union to 18 months imprisonment after he admitted to embezzling more than $200,000 from the organization and using the funds for personal expenses.
Byron Clemons, Sr., 36, of Alton, pleaded guilty to one count of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Money. In addition to the prison sentence, he will serve two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $202,100 in restitution.
In rejecting the defendant’s request for probation, the sentencing judge stated that she hopes a message is sent that individuals who steal from non-profits will be held accountable.
“Clemons abused his position as the labor union’s president to embezzle funds, enrich himself and get cash to gamble at casinos,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Cutchin. “I commend our partners at the U.S. Department of Labor for their diligent work in investigating this case and ensuring that Clemons be brought to justice.”
“Former AFSCME Local 124 President Byron Clemons embezzled more than $200,000 from the dues-paying members he had a duty to serve. This sentencing is an affirmation of our efforts with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards to protect the integrity of labor organizations,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Clemons was the president of AFSCME’s Local 124 in Alton from June 2017 through January 2022. According to court documents, Clemons withdrew a total of $202,100 from the Local 124’s U.S. Bank account from February 2021 to January 2022. The defendant used the funds to gamble at casinos and pay personal expenses.
Agents with the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Labor – Management Standards contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman prosecuted the case.
Foreign National Extradited to Face Charges of Immigration Fraud, Human Smuggling, and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Israeli national made his initial appearance in federal court today for charges stemming from smuggling, harboring and employing illegal workers.
According to court documents, Shai Cohen, 39, allegedly organized, led, and worked with others to recruit and facilitate the illegal entry of Israeli citizens into the United States under false pretenses. Cohen and his co-conspirators allegedly assisted noncitizens in fraudulently obtaining B-1/B-2 tourist/visitor visas by misrepresenting the true purpose of their travel to the United States, which was illegal employment. Cohen and his co-conspirators are alleged to have then assisted the noncitizens with travel to the United States. Upon arrival, the noncitizens were employed at various kiosks owned and operated by Cohen in malls in Virginia and Maryland. The noncitizens who engaged in illegal employment were allegedly primarily compensated for their work by under-the-table cash payments or the transfer of money to stored value payment cards, rather than a legitimate payroll system. Cohen also allegedly provided housing and transportation for the noncitizens to and from work in the United States.
Cohen was arrested in Israel pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. In August 2023, he was extradited to the Eastern District of Virginia.
Cohen is charged with conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States, bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain, encouraging and inducing aliens to unlawfully come to enter and reside in the United Sates for financial gain, harboring illegal aliens, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, Cohen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Washington Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raizza K. Ty and Trial Attorney Clayton O’Connor of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the government of Israel to secure the arrest and extradition of Cohen.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-114.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Foreign National Charged for Visa Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment charging an Israeli national with leading a visa fraud scheme to facilitate the illegal entry and employment of noncitizens in the United States was unsealed today in the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to court documents, Shai Cohen, 39, allegedly organized, led, and worked with others to recruit and facilitate the illegal entry of Israeli citizens into the United States under false pretenses. Cohen and his co-conspirators allegedly assisted noncitizens in fraudulently obtaining B-1/B-2 tourist/visitor visas by misrepresenting the true purpose of their travel to the United States, which was illegal employment. Cohen and his co-conspirators are alleged to have then assisted the noncitizens with travel to the United States. Upon arrival, the noncitizens were employed at various kiosks owned and operated by Cohen in malls in Virginia and Maryland. The noncitizens who engaged in illegal employment were allegedly primarily compensated for their work by under-the-table cash payments or the transfer of money to stored value payment cards, rather than through a legitimate payroll system. Cohen also allegedly provided housing and transportation for the noncitizens to and from work in the United States.
Cohen was arrested in Israel pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. In August, he was extradited to the Eastern District of Virginia.
Cohen is charged with conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States; bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain; encouraging and inducing aliens to unlawfully come to, enter, and reside in the United Sates for financial gain; harboring illegal aliens; and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), National Capital Region made the announcement.
The HSI Washington Field Office and DOL-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Clayton O’Connor of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raizza Ty for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the government of Israel to secure the arrest and extradition of Cohen.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Woman Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for the Voluntary Manslaughter of Her GirlfriendRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Janice Martina Mason, age 30, of Melbourne Florida, today to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for voluntary manslaughter. On May 18, 2023, Mason was convicted after trial for running over her girlfriend on the Baltimore-Washington (“BW”) Parkway and leaving her to die.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (“USPP”).
According to the evidence presented at her eight-day trial, in the early morning hours of November 24, 2021, USPP officers responded to a citizen report for a body on the side of the BW Parkway northbound, north of Route 197, an area within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Officers found the victim lying face down on the shoulder of the road. Medics arrived on the scene and pronounced the victim dead. The evidence showed that that there were no skid marks or vehicle parts located at the scene. A cellphone belonging to the victim was found on the grass and another cellphone with a broken screen was found in the roadway and was later determined to belong to Mason.
There was testimony that later on November 24, 2021, Mason contacted the USPP Greenbelt Station and advised that she’d lost her phone on the BW Parkway after it had been thrown out of her vehicle, and she tracked the location to USPP Criminal Investigations. Mason then agreed to come to the station for an interview. Witnesses testified that Mason advised the USPP detective that she was visiting from Florida and was staying at her mother’s house in Washington, D.C. Mason falsely told the detective that she was driving the victim and another woman home to Laurel, Maryland, in a black Nissan vehicle when the other woman started hitting Mason. Mason said she pulled over to the side of the highway and ordered them out of the car and they walked away. The detective showed her the phone found in the roadway of the BW Parkway and she identified it as her phone. She also identified a photo of the victim as one of the people she was driving home.
Evidence was presented that on November 25, 2021, a USPP detective went to Mason’s mother’s home, spoke with Mason and obtained her written consent to seize and search the contents of her phone, which had been returned to her, and to tow and examine a black Nissan vehicle parked behind the residence, which Mason confirmed was the vehicle she’d used to drive her friend’s home. While at the residence, the USPP detective noticed a black Ford Expedition parked down the street with the tag “JANICE.” Investigators subsequently determined that Mason had been driving the Ford Expedition on November 24, 2021 and not the Nissan vehicle. They went back to Mason’s mother’s residence to tow the Ford Expedition, which was found to have visible damage to the hood, front grille, and the passenger side running board.
As detailed in trial testimony, on November 26, 2021, Mason had a second voluntary interview with USPP investigators. She acknowledged that the was driving the black Ford Expedition on the morning of November 24, 2021 and advised investigators that it was just Mason and the victim in the car that day. The Ford Expedition was processed and searched by the FBI’s Evidence Response Team. A swab from the indented hood area was collected and sent to the FBI Laboratory for DNA analysis and concluded that it was DNA from the victim. The FBI Laboratory examined impressions that were collected from the undercarriage of the Ford Expedition and determined that one corresponded in pattern and size with the victim’s shoe.
At today’s sentencing, the Court found that in the heat of passion Mason purposefully drove into the victim and then left her on the highway to die.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the USPP and the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Kim Y. Oldham and Ari Evans, who prosecuted the case. Mr. Barron also recognized Paralegal Specialist Kristy Penny for her assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #