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28 July 2023
Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Firearms Violations and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for fentanyl trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in 2021 and 2022, Keonee Nasier Shaffer-Frazier, 23, and his co-conspirators were part of a drug trafficking ring that obtained “M30” or “MBox” fentanyl pills from a source of supply outside of Minnesota and transported and distributed the pills across the Twin Cities region. Shaffer-Frazier regularly distributed the fentanyl pills in quantities ranging from 100 to 1,000 or more at a time.
According to court documents, during the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted seizure operations in March 2022 and obtained approximately 57,000 M30 fentanyl pills, more than $83,000 in U.S. currency, body armor, and firearms from Shaffer-Frazier and his conspirators. Law enforcement also recovered two loaded semi-automatic pistols from Shaffer-Frazier’s white Audi. He was arrested in March 2022, charged in Hennepin County, and obtained release on bail.
Afterward, in September 2022, law enforcement arrested Shaffer-Frazier after a short foot chase and recovered approximately $7,050 in U.S. currency from his person. Law enforcement searched Shaffer-Frazier’s new vehicle, a black Audi Q7, and recovered a Glock model 22 .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol from the driver’s side door pocket. The weapon was loaded with an extended magazine.
Because Shaffer-Frazier has a prior felony conviction, he was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On February 1, 2023, Shaffer-Frazier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and a separate count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced yesterday before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Fridley Police Department, and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter Jr. prosecuted the case.
Federal Grand Jury B Indictments Announced- July 2023Read the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the July 2023 Federal Grand Jury B.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Kelsey Dawn Lipp. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Robbery in Indian Country; and Kidnapping in Indian Country. Kelsey Dawn Lipp, 28, is a Cherokee citizen, and is charged for allegedly arranging a robbery and kidnapping that resulted in the victim’s death. Tulsa Police Department and the FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Nasar and Niko Boulieris are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-243
Jared Kyle Childers. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Kidnapping in Indian Country; and Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Jared Kyle Childers, 20, a Cherokee citizen of Salina, is charged after allegedly brandishing a weapon while assaulting and kidnapping the victim with intent to do bodily harm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-245
Leo Steban Chumwalooky. Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; and Incest in Indian Country. Leo Steban Chumwalooky, 20, and a Cherokee citizen is charged after he allegedly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual acts with a child between 12 and 16 years of age. Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and the FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-246
Lee Finch Jr. Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. Lee Finch Jr. is charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a superseding indictment. A previous indictment on April 18, charged Finch with coercion and enticement of a minor. The Tulsa Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-148
Hayden Barclay Greene. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; and Child Neglect in Indian Country. Hayden Barclay Greene, 45, is a member of the Choctaw Nation. Greene allegedly assaulted and strangled his intimate partner resulting in serious bodily harm in the presence of a minor. The Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police, and the FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-247
Zulma Martinez. Possession of Methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Zulma Martinez, 46, a Mexican national is charged for allegedly possessing meth with the intent to distribute. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-248
Rolland James Miles. Carjacking. Rolland James Miles, 20, a Muscogee Creek Nation citizen is charged with carjacking after allegedly attempting to take a motor vehicle by force, violence, intimidation, and with intent to cause death and serious bodily harm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Cyran and Dennis Fries are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-249
Jose Becerra-Ruiz. Distribution of Meth. Jose Becerra-Ruiz, 30, of Claremore, is charged for allegedly distributing meth. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-244
EDVA to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va.— The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on August 1, 2023. During this year’s National Night Out, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber and members of the office will attend community events in Fairfax County, Alexandria City, Hampton Roads, and the greater Richmond area. One EDVA employee has even planned a NNO event for her neighborhood.
“National Night Out is a fantastic and fun opportunity both for citizens and law enforcement to meet, interact and build relationships.” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber. “EDVA cares deeply about helping to restore trust between communities and law enforcement, including the Department of Justice. These connections are critical for public safety, as well as the rule of law.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
To find a National Night Out event near you, contact your local police department. For more information on National Night Out, visit https://natw.org/.
Dual citizen gets max for laundering romance scam proceedsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 39-year-old man who holds citizenship in the United States and Ghana has been sent to prison for operating an illegal money transmitting business, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Kenneth Anim, who had resided in the Houston and Richmond areas, pleaded guilty April 27.
U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein has now ordered Anim to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2.2 million in restitution. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the length of the scheme and that while Anim may not have known who the victims were specifically, they were in fact vulnerable members of society.
“Anim profited off the elderly and vulnerable. He knew victims were being defrauded but helped launder the money anyway by operating as an illegal money transmitter,” said Hamdani. “The sentence shows that we will not let money launderers for romance scammers try to hide behind the excuse that they didn’t know details about where the money was coming from.”
“Kenneth Anim was a mule who, for years, knew that the millions of dollars he was depositing in numerous banks were stolen from victims through false promises,” said Special Agent in Charge James Smith of the FBI Houston field office. “Yet his greed was stronger than his principles, and he chose to continue to receive money from romance scam victims, most of them senior citizens. As long as con artists like Anim exist and victims continue to fall for their lies, the FBI will continue to call attention to these scams and go after the people behind them.”
Anim admitted that from 2014 to 2019, he operated an unlicensed money transmitting business to launder funds from wire fraud schemes including internet fraud and romance scams. Anim ran the unlicensed money transmitting business by using shell companies that existed only on paper.
As part of the plea, he acknowledged opening and maintaining bank accounts to collect proceeds from internet and romance fraud schemes to send the money to himself, co-conspirators and overseas.
A romance scam occurs when criminals adopt fake online identities to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a close relationship to induce the victim, under false pretenses, to send money to the scammer.
Amin has been and will remain in custody pending U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Grace Murphy are prosecuting the case.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kristopher D. Thomas, also known as “Rio,” 22, of Detroit Michigan, was sentenced today to one year and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Oct. 14, 2021, Thomas sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant at an Amigo residence where Thomas was staying in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Thomas admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling fentanyl to a confidential informant in Daniels, Raleigh County, on April 12 and April 22, 2021. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substances from all three transactions contained fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The case is a result of “Operation Wolverine Carousel,” a months-long investigation into the widespread distribution of heroin and fentanyl in Raleigh and Fayette counties.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-28.
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Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Joshua Pedersen, 46, from Moville, Iowa, was sentenced July 28, 2023, to 11 years in federal prison for Possession of Child Pornography.
Evidence in the case established that between November 2018, and December 2019, Pedersen used Internet-based, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks “Kik” and “Skout” to knowingly receive and distribute child pornography. Pedersen also admitted he distributed child pornography to a minor to persuade the minor to create and send him child pornography. Pedersen has a prior conviction for Dissemination and Exhibition of Obscene Materials to Minors, and multiple convictions for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Pedersen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 132 months’ imprisonment. He was also fined a total of $5,000. Pedersen must also serve a 5-year term of supervised released following the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-3017.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Colorado Hunter Sentenced for Lacey Act Violation Stemming from Nebraska HuntRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Michael T. Ban, 50, of Elbert, Colorado, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for violations of the Lacey Act. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Ban to 2 years’ probation for unlawful transportation of wildlife in interstate commerce. Ban was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $5,000 and pay restitution in the amount of $4,000. As part of his probation terms, Ban shall not hunt, fish, trap, provide guiding or outfitting services, or assist or be present with anyone engaged in those activities for one year.
A joint investigation conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Law Enforcement Division determined that in September of 2019, Ban traveled to Nebraska to conduct an archery mule deer hunt. During the hunt, Ban unlawfully shot a mule deer in Lincoln County, Nebraska, and subsequently transported a taxidermy shoulder mount including parts of the unlawfully taken trophy deer back to his Colorado residence.
As contained in the plea agreement accepted by the Court and admitted by Ban, the investigation determined that in the fall of 2019, Ban traveled to Noble Outdoors, a commercial big game guiding business located in North Platte, Nebraska, to hunt mule deer during the archery season. During the hunt, Ban unlawfully shot a mule deer buck with 5 X 5 antlers in velvet without a valid deer permit and during closed season hours at approximately 11:12 P.M. on September 6, 2019. After taking the deer while guided and accompanied by the Noble Outdoors owner, Ban purchased a Nebraska Non-resident Archery Deer Permit the following day in order to conceal the fact the deer was taken without a permit. Under Nebraska state law, hunters are required to possess a valid permit and habitat stamp prior to hunting or taking mule deer and are authorized to hunt only during the legal shooting hours from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Today’s sentencing is part of the ongoing prosecution of numerous defendants related to violations committed by Noble Outdoors and its owner, associates, and clients between 2015 and 2021. In total, 17 defendants have been sentenced and ordered to pay a more than $65,000 in fines and restitution for state and federal violations related to the interstate transport of unlawfully taken wildlife, shooting deer from the road; taking deer and pronghorn without a valid permit, taking deer with a firearm during archery season, taking deer during night-time closed season hours; dumping carcasses in waters of the state; hunting without permission; and improperly checking or registering big game.
The operation was a joint investigation conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Law Enforcement Division.
Chittenden County Man Sentenced for Threatening State OfficialsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Josh Puma, 36, formerly of Chittenden County, was sentenced Wednesday, July 26 in the United States District Court in Rutland to 20 months of imprisonment. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey Crawford also ordered that Puma serve three years of supervised release following his period of incarceration.
According to court documents, between July 2021 and January 2022, Puma called a Vermont Department of Corrections reporting line hundreds of times. Puma was charged by federal indictment for three of those calls in which he (1) threatened to kill a state court judge and a defense attorney, (2) threatened to kill a state court judge and sexually assault a state prosecutor, and (3) threatened to kill a state court judge. Puma pleaded guilty to all three charged threats transmitted in interstate commerce. Puma’s threats made over the reporting line were recorded, and in those recorded calls, which in total numbered close to 300, Puma specifically described his intention upon release from jail to kill and maim those state officials, in addition to harming and killing other members of the legal community.
As described in court documents, Puma has mental health issues and was previously ordered hospitalized by the state court. In imposing the 20-month sentence, Chief Judge Crawford varied downward from the otherwise applicable advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines in part to recognize Puma’s mental health issues.
This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy L. Fuller represented the government. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls represented Puma.
Chicago Rapper "G Herbo" Pleads Guilty to Role in Nationwide Fraud Conspiracy and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago-area rap artist pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to his role in a nationwide wire fraud conspiracy that victimized businesses across the United States and then making a false statement to a federal agent to conceal his involvement.
Herbert Wright, 25, a/k/a “G Herbo,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a federal official. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Nov. 7, 2023.
Wright was initially indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020 along with five co-defendants, including rap promoter Antonio Strong, in connection with the alleged fraud conspiracy. Wright was subsequently charged with making false statements in May 2021.
“Mr. Wright used stolen account information as his very own unlimited funding source, using victims’ payment cards to finance an extravagant lifestyle and advance his career. Mr. Wright’s conduct affected countless businesses and individuals across the United States who had to foot his nearly $140,000 bill in unauthorized transactions. Mr. Wright flaunted his lavish spending on social media, in music videos and in industry news. This office and our law enforcement partners are committed to ensuring that individuals and businesses are protected against fraudsters. This case should serve as a reminder that if you break the law, you will be prosecuted and held accountable – regardless of who you are,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“The willful and intentional use of false statements during a federal criminal investigation threatens not only the integrity of an individual case but also a foundational tenet of our democracy at large,” said Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office. “Today’s announcement represents our communal dedication to the truth and I am proud of the investigative team of special agents and federal partners at the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office for the essential work behind these charges.”
Beginning in at least March 2017 through November 2018, Wright and, allegedly, his co-defendants conspired to defraud numerous businesses and individuals throughout the United States by using unauthorized and stolen payment card account information of real individuals – including the actual cardholders’ names, addresses, security codes and account expiration dates. Generally, because the payment card information was authentic, the defrauded businesses and individuals successfully processed the fraudulent transactions and provided the goods and services to Wright and his alleged co-conspirators. The actual cardholders discovered these transactions on their accounts and disputed the charges with their card companies who then charged back the transactions to the businesses and individuals, which consequently suffered losses in the amounts of the unauthorized transactions.
According to court documents, Wright frequently asked Strong for a number of luxury goods or services, such as flights, vehicles (“whips”), or accommodation (“cribs”), which Strong allegedly often procured by fraud using the stolen payment card account information. This included: four private jet charters for a total cost of over $80,000; over $34,000 in exotic car rentals including a Mercedes Benz 5560 and a Cadillac Escalade; as well as an over $14,500 villa in Jamaica for which Wright also requested that Strong provide vehicles and an additional credit card account for his incidentals. During text message conversations, Wright acknowledged that it did not cost Strong anything to rent a vehicle for him, stating: “Extend that whip bro that b**** ain't for no month why you be lying […] You know it don't be costing you s*** to do that s*** dude!”
Wright also used the fraud proceeds to travel to various concert venues and to advance his career by posting photographs and/or videos of himself on the private jets, in the exotic cars and at the Jamaican villa on social media as well as in music videos. In addition, Wright allegedly helped Strong obtain two designer Yorkie puppies for over $10,000 from a business by falsely representing that Wright was the actual purchaser of the puppies and by concealing Strong’s actual identity from the business.
Additionally, according to court documents in November 2018, Wright falsely told a federal agent that he never worked with or was assisted by Strong; he never provided Strong any money; he never received anything of value from Strong; and he had no direct relationship with Strong. In fact, since at least 2016: (1) Strong worked with and assisted Wright; (2) Wright provided Strong money; (3) Wright received valuable goods from Strong, including private jet charters, luxury accommodations, and exotic car rentals; and (4) Wright had frequent direct contact with Strong, including phone conversations, text messages and Instagram messages.
Wright admitted, as part his guilty plea, that he was responsible for $139,878 in victim losses. Strong has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The charge of wire fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $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 U.S. Attorney Levy and USSS SAC Murphy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and Kyle Crawford of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chelsea Man Arrested for Unlawful Trafficking of Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea man was arrested yesterday in connection with illegally selling machinegun conversion devices.
Michael Williams, 49, was charged with one count of transferring or possessing a machine gun. Williams will appear in federal court in Boston at 3 p.m. this afternoon.
According to the charging documents, in January 2023, Williams agreed to sell several machine gun conversion devices and other firearm accessories to an undercover federal agent. It is alleged that, following a series of communications, Williams met the undercover agent twice at a pre-arranged location. It is further alleged that on Jan. 12, 2023, Williams sold the first machinegun conversion device to the undercover agent and the following day, on Jan. 13, 2023, Williams sold two additional machine conversion devices to the undercover agent.
The charge of unlawful transferring or possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years 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; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud for Orchestrating an Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Gustavo Guzman, 60, previously of Fullerton, Calif., pleaded guilty to securities fraud today for orchestrating a $2 million investment fraud scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall join U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement.
According to admissions Guzman made in connection with his guilty plea and filed court documents, from April 2010 to August 2015, Guzman, through various entities he controlled, including G2 Asset Management and East Egg Private Equity, defrauded approximately 10 investors of at least $2 million, by falsely representing that he would use the investors’ money to trade in options and other similar investments. Instead of investing the funds as promised, Guzman stole a substantial portion of the investors’ money and used it to fund his personal lifestyle, including to make large credit card payments and cash withdrawals, and to pay for personal expenditures. Guzman suffered massive trading losses with the money that he did invest and used some of the victim’s money to make Ponzi-style payments to other investors. Guzman admitted that in order to conceal the trading losses and the fraudulent scheme, and to prevent his victims from redeeming their investments and complaining to authorities, he lied to his victims about the status of their investments, and provided them with fake documents, including sham IRS forms and fraudulent account statements.
Guzman has been in federal custody since he was extradited from Australia to the United States in November 2022. At sentencing, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. A sentencing date has not been set. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission conducted a parallel investigation that resulted in the entry of a default judgment against Guzman in Civil Action No. 3:17-cv-00276 (WDNC).
In making todays’ announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI in Charlotte and the Securities Division of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State for their investigation of the case. U.S. Attorney King also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their significant support with the defendant’s extradition and with obtaining evidence from Australian authorities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Business Owner Pleads Guilty in Massive International Scheme to Sell Pirated Business Telephone System Software LicensesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today in the Western District of Oklahoma to participating in a massive international scheme to make millions of dollars by selling pirated business telephone system software licenses. The entire scheme allegedly resulted in the sale of software licenses with a retail value of over $88 million.
According to court documents, Jason M. Hines, aka Joe Brown, aka Chad Johnson, aka Justin Albaum, 43, of Caldwell, conspired with co-defendants Brad Pearce and Dusti Pearce – who jointly used the identity “Terri Jenkins” – to commit wire fraud. The scheme involved generating and then selling unauthorized Avaya Direct International (ADI) software licenses, which were used to unlock features of a popular telephone system used by thousands of companies around the globe. The ADI software licensing system has since been decommissioned.
Avaya Holdings Corporation, a multinational business communications company headquartered in California, sold a product called IP Office, a telephone system used by many midsize and small businesses in the United States and abroad. To enable additional functionality of IP Office, such as voicemail or telephones, customers had to purchase software licenses – which Avaya generated – from an authorized Avaya distributor or reseller. Avaya used software license keys to control access to Avaya’s copyright-protected software and to ensure that only customers who paid for the software could use it. In addition, Avaya required that each software license on an IP Office system be associated with the system’s Avaya Secure Digital (SD) card – a small flash memory card with a unique serial number that plugged into the IP Office manager computer – which the end user had to keep in its possession in order to use the licenses.
Hines operated Direct Business Services International (DBSI), formerly known as Dedicated Business Systems International, a New Jersey-based business communications systems provider and a de-authorized Avaya reseller. He bought ADI software license keys from Brad and Dusti Pearce under his own name and also using an alias, Joe Brown, and then sold them to resellers and end users around the globe. Brad Pearce, a long-time customer service employee at Avaya, allegedly used his system administrator privileges to generate those keys without authorization, creating tens of thousands of them that he sold to Hines and other customers. Brad Pearce’s wife, Dusti Pearce, is alleged to have handled accounting for the illegal business. Hines was by far the Pearces’ largest customer, buying over 55% of the stolen licenses, and significantly influenced how the scheme operated. In fact, Hines was one of the biggest users of the ADI license system in the world. As a result, Hines reaped millions of dollars from the fraud.
Hines pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. As part of the plea agreement, the United States has agreed not to advocate for more than 5 years in prison, and Hines must forfeit a money judgment of at least $2 million as well as make full restitution to his victims. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia E. Barry and William Farrior for the Western District of Oklahoma and Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
Business Owner Pleads Guilty in Massive International Scheme to Sell Pirated Business Telephone System Software LicensesRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today in the Western District of Oklahoma to participating in a massive international scheme to make millions of dollars by selling pirated business telephone system software licenses. The entire scheme allegedly resulted in the sale of software licenses with a retail value of over $88 million.
According to court documents, Jason M. Hines, aka Joe Brown, aka Chad Johnson, aka Justin Albaum, 43, of Caldwell, conspired with co-defendants Brad Pearce and Dusti Pearce – who jointly used the identity “Terri Jenkins” – to commit wire fraud. The scheme involved generating and then selling unauthorized Avaya Direct International (ADI) software licenses, which were used to unlock features of a popular telephone system used by thousands of companies around the globe. The ADI software licensing system has since been decommissioned.
Avaya Holdings Corporation, a multinational business communications company headquartered in California, sold a product called IP Office, a telephone system used by many midsize and small businesses in the United States and abroad. To enable additional functionality of IP Office, such as voicemail or telephones, customers had to purchase software licenses – which Avaya generated – from an authorized Avaya distributor or reseller. Avaya used software license keys to control access to Avaya’s copyright-protected software and to ensure that only customers who paid for the software could use it. In addition, Avaya required that each software license on an IP Office system be associated with the system’s Avaya Secure Digital (SD) card – a small flash memory card with a unique serial number that plugged into the IP Office manager computer – which the end user had to keep in its possession to use the licenses.
Hines operated Direct Business Services International (DBSI), formerly known as Dedicated Business Systems International, a New Jersey-based business communications systems provider and a de-authorized Avaya reseller. He bought ADI software license keys from Brad and Dusti Pearce under his own name and also using an alias, Joe Brown, and then sold them to resellers and end users around the globe. Brad Pearce, a long-time customer service employee at Avaya, allegedly used his system administrator privileges to generate those keys without authorization, creating tens of thousands of them that he sold to Hines and other customers. Brad Pearce’s wife, Dusti Pearce, is alleged to have handled accounting for the illegal business. Hines was by far the Pearces’ largest customer, buying over 55% of the stolen licenses, and significantly influenced how the scheme operated. In fact, Hines was one of the biggest users of the ADI license system in the world. As a result, Hines reaped millions of dollars from the fraud.
Hines pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of the plea agreement, the United States has agreed not to advocate for more than five years in prison. The court has not yet set a sentencing date. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Hines must forfeit a money judgment of at least $2 million as well as make full restitution to his victims. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia E. Barry and William Farrior for the Western District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.
Bristol Man Charged with Interstate Threatening and Stalking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould today announced that DENNIS JOHN HERNANDEZ, also known as “DJ Hernandez” and “Jonathan Hernandez,” 37, of Bristol, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with interstate threatening and stalking offenses.
As alleged in the complaint, on July 6 and 7, 2023, Hernandez communicated with an individual via Facebook Messenger and made multiple statements threatening to carry out a shooting incident at UConn. The statements included “I would recommend remaining away from there because when I go I’m taking down everything And don’t give a f--- who gets caught in the crossfire. I’ve died for years now and now it’s others people turn. I’m prepared to give my life. So if I don’t get to see you on the outside know I love you always Not all shootings are bad I’m realizing. Some are necessary for change to happen.”
It is alleged that Hernandez’s vehicle was identified on UConn’s campus on July 7.
The complaint also alleges that, on July 18 and 19, 2023, Hernandez made multiple Facebook posts threatening to harm or kill three individuals who reside out of state. In addition, on July 19, in a conversation via text message with one of the victims, Hernandez stated “We’re taking lives if s--- isn’t paid up. It’s been years in planning just taking notes, names and locations. They talked their way into this and it’s almost point game. I know we don’t play in my family. If we have to take lives or buildings we will. So just letting you know so you can be prepared for a media circus one way or another.”
The complaint charges Hernandez with transmitting interstate communications containing a threat to injure, and with interstate stalking. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Hernandez has been detained in state custody on related charges since July 19. He appeared this afternoon Hartford federal court.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bristol Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
Boston Man Previously Convicted of Sex Trafficking to Plead Guilty to Witness IntimidationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to attempting to prevent a witness whom he allegedly exposed himself to from testifying against him in a federal proceeding.
Mark Pinnock, 32, had been charged with one count of witness intimidation. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, in 2014, Pinnock was sentenced to eight years in prison for a sex trafficking offense. In 2022, Pinnock was released and under federal supervision while working as an Amazon driver. It is alleged that in July 2022, while Pinnock was on supervised release for his 2014 sex trafficking conviction, a victim reported to local law enforcement that Pinnock allegedly exposed his penis to her while delivering a package to the condominium complex where the victim worked as a custodian. As a result, the U.S. Probation Office sought to revoke Pinnock’s term of supervised release and the Court scheduled a hearing to adjudicate Pinnock’s alleged offense.
It is alleged that one week before the hearing, Pinnock sent a co-conspirator to the condominium complex on his behalf. The co-conspirator allegedly told the victim not to go to Court and stood with his hand in his pocket as if he had something in it. Pinnock also allegedly used an encrypted messaging application to send an anonymous message to the security officer at the complex to “let the cleaning lady know” she would be arrested by immigration officials if she were to go to court. Finally, Pinnock placed three separate phone calls to immigration officials in an attempt to have the victim detained for being unlawfully present in the United States. Pinnock falsely claimed to ICE, among other things, that he had heard the victim was gang-affiliated.
The charge of witness intimidation provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. The Brockton Police provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division 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.
Anoka Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Machine Gun and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Anoka man was sentenced to 77 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for illegal possession of a machine gun and distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in the spring of 2022, the FBI began investigating Darrian Mitchell Nguyen, 50, based on a tip from a Confidential Human Source (CHS) that Nguyen was in possession of explosive devices, firearms, and methamphetamine, and had expressed a desire to join the Three Percenter militia group, a loosely organized anti-government extremist movement. According to the CHS, Nguyen kept weapons, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, and pipe bombs, in “secret” rooms built within the walls of his residence. Nguyen was also manufacturing and trafficking methamphetamine from his residence. On August 23, 2022, during a meeting at the defendant’s residence, Nguyen sold the CHS 7.1 grams of methamphetamine for $300.
According to court documents, to correct a debt owed to the defendant, Nguyen asked the CHS to provide him with firearms, specifically a short-barreled rifle equipped with an auto sear. Through text messages, Nguyen arranged to meet with the CHS to receive four auto sears and a short-barreled rifle equipped with an auto sear. At the arranged meeting on October 4, 2022, after Nguyen took possession of the machine gun and the auto sears, law enforcement arrested Nguyen and executed a search warrant at his residence. Law enforcement recovered the auto sears and machine gun, as well as an additional 22 firearms from a hidden room inside the residence, including an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
Nguyen pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a machine gun. Nguyen was sentenced yesterday before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda M. Sertich.
Albany County Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Update His Residential Address with the New York State Sex Offender RegistryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jason Burnash, age 43, of Albany County, New York, pled guilty today to failing to update his sex offender residential address information with the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and David L. McNulty, United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York, made the announcement.
Burnash was required to register as a sex offender because of his federal conviction in 2012 in the Northern District of New York for receiving child pornography. Burnash admitted during his guilty plea that, between December 24, 2022, and March 1, 2023, he failed to advise the sex offender registry of a change in his residential address.
In addition to his guilty plea to failure to update his registration information as a sex offender, Burnash also admitted today that his conduct violated the terms of supervised release imposed after his 2012 conviction.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 27, 2023, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. For the SORNA offense, Burnash faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between five years and up to life to begin upon his release from prison. Burnash may also receive additional sanctions for violating the terms of his supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The United States Marshals Service is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
27 July 2023
Whitley County Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Federal Murder ConvictionRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. - A Woodbine, Ky., man, Daniel Scott Nantz, 33, was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for the first-degree murder of a federal witness, Geri D. (Bays) Johnson.
According to the investigation and plea agreement, Nantz was engaged in multiple methamphetamine trafficking conspiracies throughout Whitley, Knox, and Laurel Counties, from March of 2017 through March of 2019. In the Spring of 2019, some of Nantz’s methamphetamine sources of supply and co-conspirators were charged in federal indictments . One such co-conspirator was Ms. Johnson. Nantz began to grow increasingly concerned that he too would be charged in an indictment.
Prior to the murder, Nantz learned that Johnson had cooperated with law enforcement. Nantz discussed his fears regarding Ms. Johnson’s potential continued cooperation with multiple witnesses, as well as Ms. Johnson herself. At the sentencing hearing, multiple witnesses testified to observing Nantz becoming increasingly violent towards Ms. Johnson, including witnessing Nantz shoot at Ms. Johnson. On March 13, 2019, Nantz texted Ms. Johnson “I’ll kill you [expletive].” On March 14, 2019, Nantz texted Ms. Johnson, “Your very dangerous for me. Very very dangerous.” Then, on the morning of March 16, 2019, Nantz told a witness “Geri is talking to the feds. I think she is telling. If so, I’ll just kill her.” Afterwards, a note, handwritten by Nantz, was recovered from the murder scene, which read “Funeral/fed’s pulled [redacted name] and geri out asking questions.”
Ultimately, on the afternoon of March 16, 2019, Nantz left an armed kidnapping that he was participating in to return to his secluded trailer in Steele Hollow. Ms. Johnson was at Nantz’s residence watching his two minor children and desperately attempting to find a ride out of the area. Text messages from Ms. Johnson’s phone show that she begged two friends for a ride from Nantz’s residence, and even asked Nantz himself for a ride away from the residence.
After he arrived at the residence, Nantz fired the first round at Ms. Johnson in the master bedroom of his trailer. Then, Nantz ordered his children into their bedroom and Ms. Johnson fled outside with her belongings. Nantz followed Ms. Johnson outside into the driveway, where he shot her in the back through her shoulder, with a stolen .38 special revolver. Ms. Johnson continued to flee from the trailer, when Nantz fired a third round that pierced her neck. A blood trail of approximately 127 feet established Ms. Johnson’s attempt to flee. The autopsy revealed the round through Ms. Johnson’s neck ultimately caused her to asphyxiate on her blood. Ms. Johnson was approximately 33 weeks pregnant at the time.
After the shooting, Nantz drove Ms. Johnson’s body back to the kidnapping site, to pickup a friend. Nantz then held up Ms. Johnson’s body while his friend drove the pair back to Nantz’s trailer. Once back at his trailer, Nantz instructed his friend to “get the DVRs.” Multiple witnesses testified that Nantz had a surveillance system connected to a DVR box that would have captured the front driveway where the murder occurred. After instructing his friend on the DVRs, Nantz finally called 911 and started the drive from his residence to Baptist Health Hospital in Corbin, Kentucky. Ms. Johnson was pronounced dead at the hospital. Ms. Johnson’s daughter, Amelia Jo Johnson, was born via emergency Cesarean section, at approximately 33 weeks gestation. Amelia passed away on March 19, 2019, due to brain damage caused by severe oxygen and blood deprivation due to her mother’s injuries.
Nantz received sentencing enhancements for obstructing justice post-murder, for the destruction of the DVR(s), and for murdering a vulnerable victim, a woman in her third trimester.
“The conduct in this case was truly appalling, and certainly warranted the life sentence imposed,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “In a disgraceful choice, Daniel Nantz elected to protect his illegal drug trafficking operation and self-interests, over the lives of two people – his girlfriend and her daughter. This brutal act of cruel self-importance underscores how violent and serious the illegal methamphetamine trade has become. I am hopeful that this sentence will provide some measure of justice to the victims and their family; and I want to commend the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, whose dedicated efforts made this conviction and sentence possible.”
“Today, Daniel Nantz was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in federal prison for murdering Geri Johnson, who was pregnant,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow. “We are pleased with the life sentence. Our hope is it brings some sense of justice to her loved ones and sends a message that Kentucky law enforcement is committed to seeking justice for crimes against innocent victims. I want to commend the ATF London Office, Kentucky State Police, prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case.”
United States Attorney Shier; ATF SAC Morrow; and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Waterbury Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that TYREESE FERRUCCI, 31, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 5, 2022, in connection with a drug trafficking investigation, Waterbury Police conducted a court-authorized search of a residence on Fieldwood Road that was suspected of being used to store, process, and package narcotics. Ferrucci was arrested at that location after he was found in possession of two loaded Glock 9mm handguns.
Ferrucci’s criminal history includes state conviction for drug and firearm offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Ferrucci faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Ferrucci has been detained since his arrest.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Waterbury Police Department and Connecticut State Police.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Large-Scale Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 248 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on October 13, 2021, Christian Gage Puente, 29, and his co-conspirator, Carlos Santos-Navarro, 25, a Honduran national, distributed approximately 7.8 kilograms of methamphetamine to Candice Rountree, 43, of Virginia Beach, and Alidavid Williams, 42, of Virginia Beach, at a hotel on Crossways Boulevard in Chesapeake. Later that same day, Virginia Beach Police officers conducted a traffic stop of Rountree’s vehicle in which Williams and Rountree were traveling on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach. During the stop, Williams attempted to flee, resulting in Roundtree’s vehicle rolling backward, pinning a Virginia Beach Police detective between Rountree’s Dodge Ram pickup truck and a police vehicle and seriously injuring his right leg. Detectives with the Virginia Beach Police Department and special agents and task force officers with Homeland Security Investigations discovered the distributed drugs during a search of Rountree’s vehicle following the traffic stop.
The following day, October 14, 2021, when Puente and Santos-Navarro arrived at a hotel in the 2900 block of Shore Drive in Virginia Beach to collect the proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine, they were detained by Virginia Beach Police detectives. Upon observing the approaching officers, Puente tossed a loaded caliber .38 Special revolver into a bush. Puente then fought with the officers while he was being detained. After he was placed in handcuffs, the police discovered approximately $4,725 in cash on Puente’s person. During a search of Santos-Navarro’s person, the police discovered a loaded 9mm pistol. During a search of Puente’s vehicle, the police discovered a shoebox containing approximately 890 grams of methamphetamine and a digital scale.
Co-defendants Candice Rountree and Alidavid Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and were sentenced to 36 months and 200 months in prison respectively. Co-defendant Carlos Santos-Navarro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 180 months.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
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. 2:22-cr-15.
United States Attorney’s Office to Attend Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - The U.S. Attorney’s Office will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on August 1, 2023. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will join Project Safe Neighborhoods partners at events in Providence, Pawtucket, Warwick, Central Falls, and Woonsocket.
“This program is an example of the ways that law enforcement partners with our communities to build relationships, support neighborhoods, and reaffirm our shared commitment of working together to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our cities and towns,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “This office is proud to support our communities and our law enforcement colleagues as part of this great event.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
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U.S. Settles Lawsuit Alleging Medical Staffing and Services Companies Defrauded Medicare by Submitting Claims Under the Names of Doctors Who Did Not Perform the ServicesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today that the United States has filed and settled a civil fraud lawsuit against ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS, INC., f/k/a “Medicom Management Services, Inc.”; MEDEXCEL USA, INC.; MEDEXCEL EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN SERVICES OF YONKERS, PLLC (“MEPSY”); and TRI-STATE EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS, PLLC (collectively the “Defendants”). This settlement resolves a lawsuit under the False Claims Act alleging that the Defendants submitted or caused the submission of false claims to Medicare using the names and identifying information of physicians who did not perform or supervise the medical services claimed and, in many cases, were no longer employed by the Defendants.
Under the terms of the settlement approved today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, the Defendants admitted and accepted responsibility for their conduct and agreed to pay $475,000 in damages to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Advanced Health Partners, working with Medexcel, fraudulently billed Medicare on behalf of MEPSY and Tri-State at significant cost to taxpayers. This settlement holds these entities accountable both through the monetary payment and the detailed admissions they have made.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz said: “Providers that conceal or fail to submit accurate billing information can affect individuals who depend on Medicare funding for access to safe and effective health care services. The laws are meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients. Our agency collaborates frequently with our law enforcement partners to investigate providers alleged to undermine our federal health care programs by submitting fraudulent claims, thus violating the False Claims Act.”
As part of the settlement, the Defendants admit, acknowledge, and accept responsibility for the following conduct:
- Between 2007 and 2017 (the “Covered Period”), MEPSY and TRI-STATE provided clinical staff to operate emergency departments at various hospitals in or around the Southern District of New York (the “Emergency Departments”).
- During the Covered Period, ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS submitted claims to the Medicare program (the “Subject Claims”) for professional services rendered at the Emergency Departments by physicians or other clinical staff employed by MEPSY and TRI-STATE.
- MEDEXCEL provided management services to MEPSY and TRI-STATE. Additionally, MEDEXCEL provided back-office support and guidance to ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS concerning its billing practices, including, in some instances, by directing which physician’s National Provider Identification number (“NPI”) to use to bill for specific services.
- During the Covered Period, several thousand of the Subject Claims used the NPIs of physicians who did not render or supervise the services in question, rather than the NPIs of the physicians who had actually rendered or supervised the services. Specifically, ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS, who received billing guidance from MEDEXCEL, used the NPIs of physicians who previously had been, but were no longer, employed by MEPSY or TRI-STATE.
- Defendants MEPSY and TRI-STATE received substantial reimbursement from Medicare to which they were not entitled as a result of these claims, and ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS and MEDEXCEL caused Medicare to make these unwarranted payments.
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
* * *
Mr. Williams thanked HHS-OIG for its assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter M. Aronoff and Jacob M. Bergman are in charge of the case.
U.S. v. Advanced Health Partners et al Complaint U.S. v. Advanced Health Partners et al SettlementU.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz Delivers Remarks for DOJ Pattern or Practice Investigation of the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
Remarks as Delivered
Good morning.
I want to thank Assistant Attorney General Clarke for coming here to Memphis to continue what I believe is a crucial, community-wide conversation about civil rights in our city.
This morning, Assistant Attorney General Clarke and I met with the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and other City of Memphis officials to discuss what this pattern or practice investigation would entail. I want to say that our office will be a partner with the Civil Rights Division during this investigation.
As we proceed, we are committed to engaging in a conversation with people across the entire city to answer questions and let the community know what they can expect. This includes residents, community groups, police officers, city officials, and faith and civil rights leaders.
Here’s the thing: public safety requires public trust in law enforcement. The police officers who risk their lives every day in the line of duty need the public to trust them. Community trust makes policing more effective and less dangerous for both officers and the people they protect.
To build and maintain that trust, law enforcement must conduct themselves constitutionally and lawfully. Citizens, including the people of this great city, deserve constitutional and lawful policing.
In my 18 years as a federal prosecutor here in Memphis, I’ve had the opportunity to work with public servants and community leaders who are dedicated to addressing the root causes of crime in our city – people who understand that as government, our first responsibility is to protect our citizens. That means to protect them from crime, and it also means to protect their civil rights.
I want to be clear: while the pattern or practice investigation is underway, you can still expect our team of federal prosecutors to continue to take on tough cases – whether those involve violent crime, drug trafficking, illegal guns, national security, hate crimes, or holding people in authority accountable.
That work will continue, and we will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local level to vigorously enforce the criminal laws. That’s a core piece of the Department’s mission.
It is also a core piece of the Department’s mission to ensure that the constitutional and federal statutory rights of all people are protected. Pattern or practice investigations help us fulfill that responsibility. This civil pattern or practice investigation is and will remain separate from our office’s criminal investigations and prosecutions.
It is also separate from the technical assistance being provided by the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS Office. Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta announced in March that the COPS Office, through its Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, would be providing technical assistance related to MPD’s use of force and de-escalation practices, as well as its use of specialized units. That work will continue in the immediate term while the separate pattern or practice investigation is ongoing.
As I’ve said often, in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, my colleagues and I uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and keep Americans safe. That work is predicated on the principle that there is only one rule of law. There can’t be one rule of law for the powerful and another for the powerless. There can’t be one rule of law for the rich and another for the poor. And there can’t be one rule of law for people who look like me and another for people of color.
And as much as I believe most of our partners in law enforcement work diligently and bravely under that same guiding principle, we as a community cannot afford to be silent if there are those who aren’t upholding that standard.
And so, I welcome this opportunity to let the facts lead in what I know will be an ongoing and important discussion about civil rights in our city. Together we can build a stronger Memphis—a Memphis that protects the safety and civil rights of all.
Tucson Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Eric David Marrufo, 43, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to life in prison. Marrufo was convicted of five counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact With a Child.
A jury convicted Marrufo on August 19, 2022, of sexually abusing the victims at his home on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation between August 1, 2006, and August 1, 2008. Marrufo is a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-0976-TUC-CKJ-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-113_Marrufo# # #
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.Three Fresno County Residents Indicted for Conspiracy to Sell 6.5 Pounds of Fentanyl Pills and 30 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Gilberto Arteaga, 41, of Fresno; Juan Castro, 48, of Sanger; and Shannon Calhoun, 53, of Sanger, charging them with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in the spring of 2023, law enforcement began investigating Arteaga for suspicion of trafficking fentanyl. The investigation revealed a connection between Arteaga and a car owned by Calhoun that had made several, same day, quick trips into Mexico and back to California. On July 15, 2023, Calhoun’s car crossed into Mexico and then hours later back into California. The next day, agents observed Calhoun’s car next to Arteaga’s car in Fresno. Both cars were stopped and searched. Inside Calhoun’s car, officers found a bag with about 30,000 fentanyl pills and 30 pounds of methamphetamine. Arteaga, Castro, and Calhoun were all arrested.
This case is the product of an investigation by FORT (a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno Police Department, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
Third Defendant Sentenced for His Role in Scheme to Commit Postal Money Order and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced the sentencing of a third defendant involved in a money order and bank fraud scheme. On July 25, 2023, a judge sentenced Damion Lavar Stowes, Jr., 25, from Montgomery, Alabama, to 60 months in prison. Previously, two other co-defendants were sentenced for their parts in the conspiracy. On April 10, 2023, Calvin Darius Franklin, Jr., 29, a resident of Blue Island, Illinois, received a sentence of 45 months. Then, on May 1, 2023, a judge imposed a 24-month sentence for Jyria Ye’Vae Barnes, 23, also from Montgomery. Before their sentencing hearings, Stowes, Franklin, and Barnes each pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit U.S. Postal money order and bank fraud.
According to their plea agreements and other court records, Stowes, Franklin, Barnes, and others, bought U.S. Postal Service money orders for around $1 in states throughout the southeast, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee. They then altered the money orders to reflect higher amounts, most often $1,000. The three recruited people via social media applications to provide bank account information and used the recruits’ accounts to cash the altered money orders. Stowes, Franklin, and Barnes then split the profits amongst themselves. In addition, Stowes, Franklin, and Barnes also cashed and caused to be cashed multiple forged checks in the Montgomery area, again recruiting people via social media to cash the forged checks and splitting the profits. When sentencing all three defendants, the judge determined that the amount of actual loss from their scheme was approximately $94,574 and ordered restitution in that amount. However, based on money orders and checks recovered during the investigation before they were cashed, the potential loss amount was more than $500,000.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to identifying and prosecuting individuals who exploit our financial system for their own profit,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “I applaud the Postal Inspection Service for preventing a greater loss to the American taxpayers and holding the defendants accountable.”
“Postal Inspectors will never tolerate anyone defrauding the Postal Service or its customers," said Inspector-in-Charge Scott Fix with the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Houston Division. “The sentences handed down to Franklin, Barnes and Stowes should serve as a reminder to other perpetrators engaged in this type of criminal behavior that we will work diligently to bring them to justice.”
A fourth defendant, also from Montgomery, Milon Jaclarius Moss, 26, pleaded guilty to bank fraud earlier this year and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 23, 2023.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Joel Feil is prosecuting.
Ten MS-13 Members and Associates Indicted for Gang-Related Murders and RacketeeringRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A seven-count superseding indictment was unsealed today, charging 10 MS‑13 members and associates with a RICO conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
“When reports surfaced that MS-13 had established a presence in the City of Mendota in the Central Valley, a multi-agency investigation was launched,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said. “Today’s announcement is a direct result of the arrests in 2018 of 25 individuals on federal and state charges in connection with their Mara Salvatrucha (MS‑13) gang activities. One of the highest priorities of my office and of the federal law enforcement agencies we work with is to partner with the police departments, sheriffs’ offices, and district attorneys in our district to reduce violent crime.”
According to court documents, the following defendants named in the indictment are alleged members and associates of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a violent criminal street gang: Martin Alfredo Leiva-Leiva, 43, of Richmond; Juan Carlos Urias-Torres, 34, of Stockton; Angel Antonio Diaz-Morales, 32, of Salinas; Jose Rene Barrera-Martinez, 34, of Mendota; Luis Fausino Diaz-Pineda, 28, of Mendota; Angel Antonio Castro-Alfaro, 29, of Mendota; Jose Joaquin Amaya-Orellana, 31, of Mendota; Julio Cesar Recinos-Sorto, 28, of Leesburg, Virginia; Jose Armando Torres-Garcia, 27, of El Salvador; and Jose Santos Hernandez-Otero, 29, of El Salvador. The criminal organization’s members and associates engage in acts of violence, including acts involving murder, extortion, kidnapping, assault, and other crimes often with the purpose of intimidating rival gang members, victims of extortion, and members of the community, and to protect their “turf” and fellow gang members.
MS-13
According to court documents, MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) was formed in Los Angeles in the mid 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants and is known for committing brutal acts of violence against rival gang members and nongang members. MS-13 in Los Angeles is beholden to the Mexican Mafia, which is a criminal organization that united Hispanic gang members under a single alliance operating within the California state prison system, the streets and suburbs of large cities throughout Southern California, and elsewhere.
MS-13 has a self-imposed code of conduct to enforce and maintain compliance among its members. MS-13 also adopts and enforces the Mexican Mafia’s rules. MS-13 has zero tolerance for members and associates who cooperate with law enforcement. Once MS-13 has evidence that someone has cooperated with law enforcement, MS-13 issues a “green light” as to that person, which is an order that if any MS-13 member sees the person who is allegedly or actually cooperating with law enforcement, that person is to be killed on sight. MS-13 members also engage in acts of violence against innocent citizens and rival gang members in their territory.
Participation in violent acts increases the respect accorded to members who commit violent acts. Additionally, commission of violent acts by MS-13 members enhances the gang’s overall reputation for violence in the community, resulting in the intimidation of citizens in MS-13’s territory.
MS-13 in Fresno County
Since 2015, there are more than 14 homicides alleged to be related to MS-13 in Mendota. These homicides are alleged to be related to MS-13 for a variety of reasons that include: the locations where the homicide victims were recovered (in and around Mendota), the association between the homicide victims and known MS-13 gang members, and the cause of death or condition the homicide victims have been found, including gruesome attacks caused by machetes, a weapon commonly used by MS‑13 gang members.
The MS-13 subsets operating in Mendota have a direct connection to, and originate from, MS‑13 from Los Angeles. Investigators allege that the individuals charged in the indictment were associated with a Mara Salvatrucha subset in Mendota known as Vatos Locos Salvatruchos (VLS).
Murder of an adult male on Jan. 26, 2016
Leiva-Leiva and Diaz-Morales are charged with the murder of an adult male on Jan. 26, 2016, in San Benito County for the purpose of gaining entrance and maintaining and increasing position in MS-13.Murder of an adult female on July 13, 2016
Leiva-Leiva and Urias-Torres are charged with the murder in Fresno County of an adult female that occurred on July 13, 2016, for the purpose of gaining entrance and maintaining and increasing position in MS-13.Murder of an adult female and an adult male on Oct. 30, 2016
Leiva-Leiva, Hernandez-Otero, Torres-Garcia, Amaya-Orellana, and Recinos-Sorto are charged with murdering an adult female and an adult male on Oct. 30, 2016, in Fresno County for the purpose of gaining entrance and maintaining and increasing position in MS-13.Murder of an adult male in January 2017
Leiva-Leiva, Barrera-Martinez, Diaz-Pineda, and Angel Antonio Castro-Alfaro are charged with the January 2017 murder of an adult male in Fresno County for the purpose of gaining entrance and maintaining and increasing position in MS-13.Murder of an adult female on Dec. 13, 2017
Leiva-Leiva and Urias-Torres are charged with the murder of an adult female on Dec. 13, 2017, for the purpose of gaining entrance and maintaining and increasing position in MS-13.“MS-13 gang members prey upon the communities they live in, committing the most heinous, violent acts against their victims. The streets of the Central Valley and surrounding communities are safer when criminal gang members are arrested and held to account for their crimes,” said HSI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “I’m proud of HSI’s exhaustive investigative work, together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Justice, and the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California, in bringing these subjects to justice.”
“The FBI is deeply committed to leveraging all of its assets, both foreign and domestic, in collaboration with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that threaten the communities we serve. Every family deserves to live in a community free of fear and gang violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “We also need the public to come forward with information to help us all in that mission. Never suffer in silence; law enforcement can and will help ensure justice for victims and safer communities for all.”
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, in partnership with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office with assistance from the Mendota Police Department, the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery, Homicide Division and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), and the Office of International Affairs (OIA) also assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Justin J. Gilio and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of death. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Anyone with information on murders committed in the Mendota area 2014-2018, please call the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at 559-600-3111.
leiva-leiva_superseding_indictment.pdfTampa Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempting to Have Sex with A 13-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Mateus Fernandes Evangelista Da Silva (23, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for attempting to patronize or solicit a minor for the purpose of engaging in a commercial sex act. Da Silva will be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. The court also ordered Da Silva to forfeit a cellular phone, which was used in the offense. Da Silva had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023.
According to court documents, on October 6, 2021, Da Silva responded to an online sexual advertisement on a website that was initiated as part of an undercover operation by law enforcement to target individuals using the internet for purposes of engaging in commercial sex acts with children. Da Silva indicated to the undercover officer that he wanted to have sex with the minors that were depicted in the advertisement, referring to them as “babies.”
“Human trafficking and the exploitation of children are exceptionally horrific offenses,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “HSI and our law enforcement partners with the St. Petersburg Police Department will continue to aggressively pursue those who target children and attempt to utilize the internet to engage in these acts.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and former Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
St. Louis County Man Who Scammed Home Store for the Second Time Sentenced to 175 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who committed a $1.6 million credit card fraud scheme to 14 years and seven months in prison.
Michael W. Burrus, 50, was also ordered to repay the money.
Burrus and others obtained stolen information for business customers of Lowe’s, including names, telephone numbers, addresses and credit card account numbers. Burrus used the information to gain access to the credit card accounts of the businesses, applied for additional credit cards and changed the mailing address on the accounts. Burrus then made purchases with the credit cards, all without the knowledge and consent of the 40 business victims. Burrus and others caused a total loss of more than $1.6 million.
Burrus pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of bank fraud.
It was the second time that Burrus committed the same type of fraud. Burrus is still paying off a total of $335,152 in restitution ordered in a 2017 fraud case involving two other men. Burrus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud and was sentenced in 2018 to two years in prison. He was on supervised release at the time of his new crime.
“The United States Secret Service will continue to work with our private sector partners to aggressively target individuals and groups who attempt to take advantage of retail business financial systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Gibson of the U.S. Secret Service St. Louis Field Office. “I commend the exceptional work of our partners with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and emphasize our agency’s ongoing commitment to combatting fraud at every level.”
“The defendant in this case operated a bank fraud conspiracy for 17 months, bilking 40 businesses out of $1.6 million,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonca who heads the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. “Today’s sentencing sends a message that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate such financial crimes in pursuit of justice for victims.”
The U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwen Carroll, Kyle Bateman and Edward Dowd III prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Area Doctor, Office Manager Accused of Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A doctor who owns multiple urgent care centers in the St. Louis, Missouri area was arrested Thursday on an indictment accusing him and his office manager of committing health care fraud.
Dr. Sonny Saggar, 55, and Renita Barringer, 50, were each indicted Wednesday on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of making false statements related to a health care matter. They were arrested, appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday.
The indictment says Dr. Saggar has owned and operated health care-related businesses, including Downtown Urgent Care LLC, Creve Coeur Urgent Care LLC, and, since about September 2017, St. Louis General Hospital (SLGH). SLGH is an urgent care and primary care clinic with two locations: 916 Olive Street in St. Louis and 13035 Olive Boulevard in unincorporated St. Louis County near Creve Coeur.
Barringer was the office manager of SLGH and was later added to the board of directors.
The indictment says Dr. Saggar, Barringer and others conspired to make false statements to Medicare and Medicaid by billing for services performed by multiple assistant physicians (APs) as if Dr. Saggar had provided those services, even if he was out of town or abroad.
In order to legally provide medical services in Missouri, assistant physicians must be supervised by a physician under a "collaborative practice arrangement" or "CPA" that restricts the AP's ability to provide medical services and limits their practice areas to medically underserved rural or urban areas.
Dr. Saggar promoted SLGH as a "stepping stone" for medical school graduates who had been unable to secure a residency and were ineligible to obtain a standard license to practice medicine. At least 39 APs have worked at SLGH since January 2018, the indictment says.
Dr. Saggar and Barringer recruited physicians to sign up to supervise the APs, falsely telling them that they merely needed to sign blank, undated CPA Verification Forms to fulfill their roles, the indictment says.
The APs often did not receive any training from their supervising physicians, who were not continuously present despite a requirement mandating 120 hours of clinic time together before the APs may practice without the presence of a physician, the indictment says. It also says Dr. Saggar and Barringer discouraged APs from seeking training and supervision from their purported assigned collaborating physicians. The Creve Coeur location was not a medically underserved rural or urban area, making it ineligible for a CPA, the indictment says.
In January of 2022, Dr. Saggar hired a co-conspirator who had been indicted in another case to be the sole collaborating physician at the Creve Coeur location but did not disclose to Medicaid that the co-conspirator was performing services there, the indictment says.
The conspiracy charge and the false statements charge are each punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric is prosecuting the case.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Spokane – On July 25, 2023, U.S. Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Merced Zamora, 41, of Spokane, Washington, to 240 months in federal prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams of Actual Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, as well as for Use, Carry, and Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense. Zamora was previously convicted, on March 1, 2023, following a multi-day jury trial. Senior Judge Peterson also ordered Zamora to serve an additional ten years on federal supervision after he is released from prison.
According to court documents, Zamora, on January 11, 2019, was the driver of a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation by a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Deputy. At the time of the traffic stop, Zamora’s driver’s license was suspended. Following a search of Zamora’s vehicle, two firearms, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and approximately a half pound of methamphetamine were recovered from inside the car.
Zamora’s trial began on February 27, 2023. After testimony from numerous witnesses, the jury convicted Zamora on March 1, 2023 of all charges.
Following the sentencing, Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, stated, “I am grateful for the dedication of the investigators, agents, and prosecutors, who brought Mr. Zamora to justice. Thanks to their dedication, a dangerous offender, illegal firearms, and deadly drugs have been removed from the Spokane community. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to keep our neighborhoods and communities safe and strong.”
This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.
This case was investigated by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Spokane Regional Safe Streets Task Force, the Spokane Resident Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Patrick J. Cashman, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
2:20-CR-00160-RMP-1
Southbridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Southbridge man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to traffic multiple kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine in Central and Eastern Massachusetts.
Edgardo Ramirez, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On April 26, 2023, Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of p-Fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
Ramirez was indicted in September 2022 along with 21 other co-defendants for their alleged roles in drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that distributed cocaine and fentanyl throughout the North Shore and Central Massachusetts. It is alleged that the DTO regularly used the United States mail to conduct drug trafficking activities. Specifically, the DTO allegedly obtained large quantities of cocaine through packages mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses used by the DTO and mailed packages containing fentanyl to recipients in Florida and elsewhere. From April to July 2022, Ramirez was responsible for mixing, packaging and transporting fentanyl and cocaine in furtherance of this criminal conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, Southbridge Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Essex County Sherriff’s Department and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This investigation 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.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
South Louisiana Man Sentenced for CounterfeitingRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Gabriel Bates, 33, of Opelousas, Louisiana, was sentenced today for counterfeiting, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced Bates to 26 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Bates pleaded guilty to the charge on April 12, 2023.
According to evidence presented to the court, on or about August 24, 2022, officers with the Opelousas Police Department responded to a local donut shop to investigate the reported passing of a suspected counterfeit $20 bill. Through their investigation, law enforcement officers determined that Bates was the individual who passed the counterfeit bill. The United States Secret Service had conducted a separate counterfeit investigation prior to this incident in which Bates was developed as a suspect. Agents were able to secure a search warrant for his residence in Opelousas. On August 29, 2022, officers searched the residence and located and seized numerous counterfeit United States Federal Reserve Notes in denominations of $20 and $100. Bates was subsequently arrested and found to have an additional counterfeit $20 bill and handwritten instructions for manufacturing counterfeit currency in his pocket. The Federal Reserve Notes recovered from Bates’ residence were analyzed and determined to be in fact not genuine.
Bates was interviewed by law enforcement agents after waiving his Miranda rights and admitted that he did manufacture counterfeit United States money and passed those counterfeit notes that he had made in several locations throughout the Opelousas area in an attempt to defraud.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Opelousas Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.
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Smithfield Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison after Pointing a Gun at a Police OfficerRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Louis Melvin Hill, 55, of Smithfield was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented in court, on the evening of April 10, 2022, a Johnston County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a shots fired call on Bakers Chapel Road in Smithfield, NC. Once on scene, the deputy approached Louis Melvin Hill, who was sitting in a parked truck. During the ensuing encounter, Hill retrieved a loaded, .22 caliber revolver and pointed it at the deputy. The deputy grabbed the firearm and pulled it away from Hill. Hill ignored commands to exit the truck and instead drove away from the deputy at a high rate of speed, instigating a pursuit. Eventually Hill stopped the truck and ran on foot but was located with the assistance of a law enforcement K-9 officer. Hill is a convicted felon and may not lawfully possess any firearm.
Hill was named in a single-count indictment on July 21, 2022, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on May 11, 2023.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Former Special Assistant United States Attorney, M. Yasir Sadat, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Sarah E. Nokes and Jaren Kelly prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-176-D.
Shooter in Lynchburg Walmart Shootout Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Salem, Virginia man who was involved in a shootout in Lynchburg during a methamphetamine deal in November 2021, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 20 years in federal prison.
Jeriwon Lee Taylor, 42, pled guilty in May 2023 to one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of discharging and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is proud to partner with ATF and the Lynchburg Police Department to hold accountable those individuals who commit violent crimes in our communities,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This case is emblematic of the relationship between the illegal drug trade and violent crime – a pattern we are seeing throughout the Western District of Virginia – and one we are working to stop.”
“It is clear that drug traffickers have no respect for human lives and conduct criminal business in the open public, disregarding the damage they can cause to human life or property. Thanks to the combined efforts of our local law enforcement partners, subsequent search warrants were executed at locations associated with Taylor’s Drug Trafficking Organization that resulted in the seizure of fentanyl, heroin, fake pills, methamphetamine and the retrieval of the firearm used in the shooting. We will continue our efforts aimed at disrupting and stopping these illegal endeavors,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division.
“We are grateful for the assistance of our federal and state law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting this case to ensure those who endanger our community are held fully accountable for their actions. This incident could have easily taken an innocent person’s life. Our partnerships with our community and other law enforcement agencies are critical to a safer Lynchburg,” said Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema.
“When we as law enforcement professionals collaborate effectively, our communities see tangible results such as this,” ATF Washington Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel said. “We will continue to work alongside our partners to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics and other acts of violence that negatively impact public safety.”
According to court documents, on November 21, 2021, Taylor arranged to meet an individual in a Walmart parking lot in Lynchburg, Virginia to sell methamphetamine. When the buyer, Kendall Simonton arrived, he got into Taylor’s vehicle, pointed a gun at Taylor’s face and took the drugs from him.
After the robbery, Simonton left Taylor’s vehicle and began walking away. However, Taylor also got out of his vehicle with a firearm, and the two men began shooting at each other. Both Taylor and Simonton fired multiple shots at each other, ducking behind various cars in the parking lot. Eventually, Simonton ran out of the parking lot and Taylor drove away.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Lynchburg Police Department, with assistance from the Virginia State Police, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Jones and Special Assistant United States Attorney J. Parker Gochenour, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section prosecuted the case.
Sexual Predator Gets LifeRead the Press Release
TULSA Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for multiple crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
A federal jury convicted Elga Eugene Harper, 41, a Choctaw Nation citizen on Feb. 9, for kidnapping in Indian Country; aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat in Indian Country; assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country; and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III, who presided over the trial and sentencing, noted that the case was easily the most serious he had seen. He sentenced Harper to a total of life in prison on July 27.
“Elga Harper violently beat and sexually assaulted an elderly woman in her home for four hours,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The victim bravely faced her attacker and testified; and through her perseverance, strength and courage, justice was served in this case.”
“The victim in this case bravely took the witness stand to recount the tremendous suffering she endured at the hands of Elga Harper,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “If not for her compelling testimony, Harper may not have received the two life sentences he indisputably deserves. The citizens of Oklahoma can rest assured he will never again be able to harm an innocent person.”
Harper had previously performed work at the victim’s home, and the two had numerous conversations about philosophy and her work in counseling. The woman eventually paid Harper in full and told him she no longer needed his assistance.
On May 4, 2022, several months after their last meeting, Harper returned unexpectedly to the victim’s home. After a brief conversation, he asked to use the bathroom. When Harper did not exit the bathroom, the victim walked toward the back of the home and found Harper standing naked in her room. Harper immediately attacked her.
During the next four hours, Harper violently assaulted the victim both physically and sexually. She pleaded for him to call 911, but he refused. He also ransacked her home, took her car keys, and told her to “shut up” when she prayed aloud. She called 911 as soon as he fled, reporting the assault and that Harper was responsible.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim gravely injured, with extensive injuries to her face, head, neck, arms, hands, and legs.
Harper was located and taken into custody on May 10, 2022.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department Special Victims Unit conducted the investigation with extensive support from other units in the Tulsa Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle D. Dial and Melody N. Nelson prosecuted the case.
Sex Offender Who Possessed Millions of Child Sex Abuse Images and Videos Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD E. SMITH, 67, of Southington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possessing millions of child sex abuse images and videos.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith’s criminal history includes convictions related to his sexual assault of boys in 1990 and 1998.
On October 1, 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents conducted a court-authorized search of Smith’s Southington residence. At the time of the search, Smith’s computer was running and connected to a website on the dark web dedicated to child pornography, and one of Smith’s four computer monitors displayed a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing numerous child pornography filenames and internet hyperlinks. Investigators seized Smith’s computer and electronic devices. Forensic analysis of the seized devices revealed millions of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers.
Smith has been detained since his arrest on October 1, 2020. On November 28, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Southington Police Department, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. Doherty and Nancy V. Gifford through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Ringleader in Major Drug Trafficking and Money-Laundering Conspiracy Sentenced to 121 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
St. George, Utah – A foreign national was sentenced today to 10 years’ imprisonment after he admitted to distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana in St. George.
According to court documents, Angel Rubio-Quintana, 42, of St. George, Utah, was first discovered by agents in March 2020, after learning that an individual in St. George was receiving large amounts of methamphetamine from a Mexican cartel. During an extensive investigation dubbed “Operation Sour Cream,” agents learned that Mr. Rubio-Quintana led the organization’s efforts to import and distribute drugs from Mexico. Between October 2021 and February 2022, agents intercepted over 200 phone calls in which Mr. Rubio-Quintana negotiated drug prices and quantities with his Mexican drug suppliers. Agents conducted at least 13 controlled buys in which they purchased methamphetamine and fentanyl from conspiracy members. In the first controlled buy, the drugs were delivered in a large sour cream bucket that contained methamphetamine. This case involves thousands of fentanyl pills, 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 45 pounds of marijuana. Between June 2021 and January 2022, Rubio-Quintana’s organization sent over 60 wire transfers to Mexican drug suppliers, totaling over $58,000. As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Rubio-Quintana has agreed to forfeit $23,666. He faces deportation following his 121 months prison sentence.
“Mr. Rubio-Quintana’s actions jeopardized the safety of the St. George community,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Not only did he distribute dangerous narcotics, but he also took advantage of naïve young people convincing them to join in his conspiracy. We appreciate the efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation and in removing this harm from our communities.”
"The community in Southern Utah can now feel safer knowing Mr. Rubio-Quintana was sentenced to a long time in prison," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Salt Lake City FBI. "As the head of a drug trafficking organization, Rubio-Quintana was responsible for importing deadly drugs into St. George and other areas in the Western United States. He even recruited young members of the community, including his own teenage son, to participate in the local drug trade. It is the FBI's mission, along with our law enforcement partners, to ensure our communities remain safe. This sentencing serves as a warning to others that drug trafficking will result in serious consequences."
“Mr. Rubio-Quintana was the leader of one of the most prolific and sophisticated drug trafficking organizations in Southern Utah. His sentencing, along with the dismantlement of his distribution network, signifies the Drug Enforcement Administration’s relentless pursuit of individuals distributing poison throughout our communities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “Today’s sentencing is the result of a strong collaborative effort with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in Utah.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Washington County Drug Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen P. Dent and Angela M. Reddish-Day of the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A repeat child sex offender who admitted to possessing graphic child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in an investigation involving the tattooing of children was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison this week.
Kenneth Scott Queen, 35, of Forsyth, Georgia, and formerly of Dayton, Tennessee, was sentenced to serve 420 months in prison to be followed by 25 years of supervised release and pay $20,000 restitution to a minor victim by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on July 24, after he previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of failure to register as a sex offender. Queen will also have to register as a sex offender for life upon his release from prison.
“Children will be safer because law enforcement quickly responded to reports of minors being tattooed and unveiled a predator,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Protecting the most vulnerable citizens from harm—and holding criminals who prey on them accountable—is a priority for law enforcement at every level.”
"Despite his prior conviction, Queen continued to abuse children, which the FBI will not tolerate," said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. "Queen's 35 years in prison will give him plenty of time to think about his unacceptable and repeated behavior, but more importantly while in federal prison, he won't be able to do harm to any more children."
“A case like this highlights the importance and utility of our local and federal partnerships. Each agency played a specific and vital role in developing a comprehensive case for the prosecutors,” said U.S. Marshal Stephen D. Lynn for the Middle District of Georgia. “The successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office will keep a dangerous predator off the streets for many years and will prevent him from targeting additional young children. This was a job well done.”
According to public records, Queen was convicted of sexual battery against a child under age 16 and child molestation in Madison County, Georgia, Superior Court on Oct. 27, 2008. Queen was required to register as a sex offender for life. After his conviction, Queen relocated to Tennessee, where he registered as a sex offender. Queen was residing in Monroe County, Georgia, in the summer of 2020 when it was reported to authorities that he was unlawfully tattooing children. Queen was found in possession of graphic child sexual abuse material he captured involving a young child. Queen was required to be registered as a sex offender at the time but had not registered himself in Monroe County as the law required him to do. For the protection of the minor victim, a portion of Queen’s plea agreement will remain sealed.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The Queen case was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom prosecuted the case
Registered Sexually Violent Predator Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Kevin Troutman, 45, of Westfield, Indiana was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting two minors and possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, on January 24, 2022, Westfield Police Department detectives and the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force opened an investigation into Kevin Troutman after receiving an online tip submitted to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. The tipster stated that they walked in on Troutman viewing an image of the sexual exploitation of a 4–6-year-old girl.
After an investigation, on January 27, 2022, officers executed a search warrant at Troutman’s home in Westfield. Law enforcement officers seized numerous electronic devices and data storage media, which were found to contain multiple sexually explicit images or videos of children.
Further investigation of Troutman’s cell phone revealed that he had been anonymously searching the internet for child sexual abuse material using an encrypted browser. A complete investigation of Troutman’s devices revealed evidence showing Troutman’s sexual exploitation of a child less than 14 years of age and the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of a child who was less than 6 years of age.
In 1997, Troutman was convicted of Vicarious Sexual Gratification, a Class C felony. Due to his previous felony conviction, Troutman was registered as a Sexually Violent Predator in Indiana at the time of this arrest.
“Across nearly three decades, the defendant sexually abused or exploited at least three different children and gratified himself through the exploitation of many more,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “There is no place in our communities for dangerous, repeat child predators. The sentence imposed today shows that our office, HSI, and local child exploitation task force partners will work tirelessly to ensure these heinous offenders are behind bars, where they cannot cause further harm to our children.”
“HSI works with its local, state and federal partners around the clock to protect children from victimization by predators involved with the production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago area of operations Sean Fitzgerald. “Because of exceptional efforts by our HSI agents, a previously convicted child sex offender has been sent to federal prison to serve a lengthy sentence, where he will be unable to victimize other vulnerable children.”
This investigation was a result of the combined efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Fishers Police Department, Westfield Police Department, Carmel Police Department, and the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Troutman be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life following his release from federal prison and pay $10,000 to each victim. Additionally, Troutman must remain registered as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kristina M. Korobov, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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
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Readout of Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer’s Visit to Federal Correctional Institution AlicevilleRead the Press Release
On July 26, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer and members of her team visited Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Aliceville, a low-security Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility for women, in Aliceville, Alabama. The Pardon Attorney and her team provided a series of educational sessions about the federal clemency process and answered questions from inmates and staff. The Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 500 inmates and staff during their visit.
The visit to FCI Aliceville was the third in a series of quarterly educational events that the Pardon Attorney is conducting for inmates and staff at different Bureau of Prisons locations.
The first took place at FCI Fort. Dix, a low-security institution in New Jersey in January 2023. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 700 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The second took place at USP Lewisburg, a medium-security institution in Pennsylvania in April 2023. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility.
These educational sessions within the BOP are part of a year-round initiative by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to increase the accessibility and transparency of the clemency process through education and community engagement.
Readout of Department of Justice Federal/Tribal Regional Summit in Spokane, WashingtonRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington hosted a Federal/Tribal Regional Summit in Spokane, Washington, July 25-26, alongside co-hosts from the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), the Office of Environmental Justice and the Office of Tribal Justice. The Federal/Tribal Regional Summit built on a November 2022 Tribal Listening Session in Washington, DC and a national Federal/Tribal Summit in Columbia, South Carolina in early 2023. The Summits are intended to deliver on the promise in the Department’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy to work with Tribal governments and other federal agencies to find “ways to address and incorporate Tribal concerns into the Department’s enforcement work.” This meeting was the first of three Regional Summits planned for this calendar year.
At the Spokane meeting, U.S. Attorney Waldref welcomed representatives of Tribal nations from Idaho, Washington, and Montana. U.S. Attorney Waldref acknowledged that the gathering was taking place on the ancestral lands of the Spokane Tribe. The meeting was held in the Spokane Public Library overlooking Spokane Falls and artwork by Virgil “Smoker” Marchand, a member of the Lakes Band of the Colville Confederated Tribe, who passed away earlier this year. Monica Tonasket, a member of the Spokane Tribal Council also gave a land acknowledgement and blessing to the group to start off the Summit.
In his remarks to the group, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for ENRD challenged the group to identify new ways to work together to address the substantial challenges that Tribes face in establishing and preserving sustainable homelands. AAG Kim noted the unique government-to-government relationship that the United States has with Tribes, and the Justice Department’s role in upholding and asserting federal reserved water rights claims and other tribal and treaty rights. He then linked Summit goals to three key Administration priorities: respecting Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, furthering environmental justice and combating the climate crisis.
In her remarks, U.S. Attorney Waldref noted the criminal prosecutions that her office has pursued in Indian Country and announced that the Justice Department has selected the Eastern District of Washington to house a federal prosecutor focused on addressing the crisis of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People for the Western Region of the United States. She also conveyed her commitment to environmental justice, reflected in her position as Chair of the Environmental Justice & Environmental Issues Subcommittee that advises Attorney General Merrick Garland. U.S. Attorney Waldref also emphasized that environmental protection is a critical component of public health and safety.
The Summit then progressed into short presentations followed by in-depth discussions around three issues: tribal water rights, challenges Tribes are facing with a rapidly changing climate and treaty rights related to hunting and gathering of natural resources.
The second day began with remarks by Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 10. The Federal Bureau of Investigation then presented on its work in Indian County, including emerging trends related to pollution crime, theft of natural resources and illicit activity tied to extractive industries. Additional presentations provided information on federal grant opportunities, the National Ocean Justice Strategy and grant and investigatory resources at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“It was an honor for the Eastern District of Washington to host the Justice Department’s first regional summit focused on defending and strengthening Tribal homelands, climate adaptation, resilience and environmental justice,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref after the event. “It was humbling to gather together with several Tribal nations at the base of Spokane Falls, where Tribes from across the Columbia Plateau have historically gathered to fish for the Chinook Salmon that once spawned beneath these sacred waterfalls. The Justice Department and our District are fully committed to enforcing laws to achieve environmental justice, working together to combat the climate crisis, and protecting civil rights, all while continuing to recognize and respect Tribal sovereignty.”
Future Regional Tribal Summits are scheduled for Sept. 26-27, in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Oct. 16-17, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Preci Manufacturing to Pay $150,000 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Preci Manufacturing Inc. (Preci) has agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by selling parts to the United States military that Preci failed to test, despite clear contract testing requirements meant to ensure the strength and durability of the parts.
Preci, located in Winooski, Vermont, manufactures nuts, bolts, and other fasteners, which it supplies to the federal government. The fasteners provided by Preci are used in military equipment, including aircraft, and thus require precise manufacturing protocols and careful post-production testing. The United States’ investigation uncovered evidence that Preci repeatedly flouted safety requirements, with employees directed to skip mandatory testing. The government alleges that these deceptive acts violated the False Claims Act, a civil fraud statute that prohibits the knowing submission of false claims to the government.
“Preci’s sales to the United States of parts that it chose not to test are reprehensible, with Preci appearing to have prioritized its own profits over the safety of the products it provided to the military,” said United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest. “Our office takes seriously allegations related to cutting corners and evading regulations and will continue to pursue companies that betray the trust of the government and the public.”
Specifically, between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019, Preci sold fasteners to the federal government, including through contracts that imposed strict testing requirements on Preci but did not require government inspection prior to delivery. As set forth in the settlement agreement, Preci admits that, for some of the parts it sold to the government under these contracts, it failed to perform required testing, including but not limited to stress durability testing, fatigue testing, double shear testing, and tensile testing. Preci admits that it then submitted claims for payment as if it had met all contract specifications, when in fact the company knowingly provided untested parts to the government.
“The integrity of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain is of vital importance to the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “The DoD expects its contractors to adhere to contract requirements and provide quality products to the U.S. military. The DCIS will continue to work with its law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to hold DoD contractors accountable for circumventing testing protocols and putting America's servicemembers at risk.”
To resolve the claims against it, Preci has agreed to pay to the United States a total of $150,000.
“The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) has strong partnerships with other federal and state law enforcement agencies focused on investigative efforts to collectively identify, disrupt, deter, and dismantle unlawful activity,” said Supervisory Special Agent Michael D. Conner, CID, Northeast Fraud Resident Agency. “We are thankful for the collaborative efforts from all agencies involved, and resolutions such as this one show our resolve in bringing to justice those who would seek to defraud the U.S. Government and put the safety of our Soldiers at risk”
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Almquist Lively handled this matter for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. Investigative support was provided by the DoD DCIS and the Department of the Army CID. Attorneys Zachary M. Dayno and Matthew B. Byrne of Gravel & Shea PC represented Preci.
The settlement agreement between the United States and Preci is available at this link: Preci Signed Settlement Agreement.
Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearm LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Isaac Duku, Jr., 22, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on May 28, 2022, Duku Jr. unlawfully possessed ammunition as a convicted felon. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing ammunition.
The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. 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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pittsburgh Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Isaac Duku, Jr.
Physician Convicted of Creating Fake Documents to Help Immigrants Fraudulently Obtain CitizenshipRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Dr. Muhammad S. Awaisi, 64, of Pontiac, Michigan, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of five charges relating to a scheme in which he created fraudulent medical documentation in order to assist immigrants obtain United States citizenship, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director of Field Operations Christopher Perry.
Awaisi was convicted after a four-day trial before United States District Judge Victoria A. Roberts. Awaisi was found guilty of one count of conspiring to commit an offense against the United States and to defraud the United States; two counts of attempted procurement of naturalization contrary to law; and two counts of making and using a false document.
The evidence demonstrated that Awaisi, a medical doctor, conspired with Firoza Van Horn, a local psychologist, to create fraudulent medical documentation for immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship. The fraudulent medical documentation was designed to be used by citizenship applicants who were seeking medical waivers of the requirement that they demonstrate a knowledge of the English language and pass a citizenship test. As part of the scheme, Awaisi conducted sham medical examinations and falsely purported to diagnose citizenship applicants with a variety of medical conditions. Awaisi also wrote medically unnecessary controlled substance prescriptions, including for an opioid drug, to bolster his fraudulent diagnoses.
Van Horn previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with Awaisi and is currently awaiting sentencing.
“Our country proudly celebrates those who immigrate to the United States and work hard to meet the citizenship requirements. Dr. Awaisi’s fraud is an affront to all those honest immigrants as well as to his most basic ethical requirements as a physician,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
“The defendant’s actions show a blatant disregard for our country’s legal process for citizenship and the oath he made as a physician,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “The alleged fraud, scheming, and conspiracy in this case is overwhelming. Unraveling the complexities could not have been possible without the assistance of our partners at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Customs and Border Protection and we would like to thank them for their assistance in our pursuit of justice.”
“The recent conviction of Dr. Awaisi underscores the gravity of fraudulent activities that undermine the principles upon which U.S. citizenship is granted. Our dedication to maintaining the sanctity of the process remains unwavering, as we continue to ensure that those who earn the privilege of U.S. citizenship do so through lawful and just means," stated U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director of Field Operations Christopher Perry.
Awaisi faces a maximum five-year term of imprisonment for conspiring to commit an offense against the United States and defraud the United States; up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of attempted procurement of naturalization contrary to law; and up to five years’ imprisonment for each count of making and using a false document.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Customs and Border Protection, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services—Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome F. Gorgon and Andrew J. Yahkind.
Pharmacy Owner Convicted of Payment of Illegal Kickbacks and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Northern District of Texas convicted the owner of several compounding pharmacies today for paying illegal marketing kickbacks involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families. He was also convicted of a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the unlawful activity.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Richard Hall, 53, of Fort Worth, Texas, worked with others to create and market expensive compounded medications, which are medications that are intended to be custom-tailored to individual patient needs. Hall and others paid marketers, who recruited area doctors to write prescriptions for these expensive compounded medications, including by creating so-called “investment opportunities” so that doctors who wrote prescriptions to the pharmacy could profit from the pharmacy operations. Hall paid illegal kickbacks to these marketers and engaged in a conspiracy to launder the unlawful proceeds.
The jury convicted Hall of four counts of paying and receiving unlawful kickbacks, and one count of money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each kickback count, and 10 years in prison on the money laundering count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Chad B. Yarbrough of the FBI Dallas Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Steven Grell of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) Central Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) South Central Field Office made the announcement.
The DCIS, HHS-OIG, FBI, DOL-OIG, and VA-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant Chiefs Kate Payerle and Brynn Schiess and Trial Attorneys Lee Michael Hirsch and Jacqueline DerOvanesian of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Pharmaceutical President and Company Sentenced in Counterfeit Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Florida-based pharmaceutical president has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Adam P. Runsdorf, 58, of Boca Raton, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit drugs, and money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone. Runsdorf was also ordered to forfeit $5 million and a McLaren sportscar.
According to the indictment, from April 2014 until August 2021, Runsdorf, the owner and president of Woodfield Pharmaceutical LLC based in Boca Raton, Florida, conspired with drug traffickers in Houston, Texas, to distribute misbranded and counterfeit cough syrup. Runsdorf’s company pleaded guilty to the same charges and was ordered to forfeit $1 million and fined $50,000.
According to information presented in court, Byron A. Marshall, 43, of Houston, utilized Woodfield Pharmaceutical’s manufacturing facility and employees in Houston to produce more than 500,000 pints of counterfeit cough syrup. Marshall’s drug trafficking organization sold the counterfeit drugs across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, California, Florida, Arkansas, and Ohio. Prices generally ranged from $100 to more than $1,000 per one-pint bottle. Depending on the market and brand of cough syrup, prices went as high as $3,800 to $4,000 per pint.
During the conspiracy, Marshall communicated directly with Runsdorf regarding production of the counterfeit cough syrup. At Runsdorf’s request, Marshall paid Woodfield Pharmaceutical in cash only, and Woodfield employees mailed the cash directly to Runsdorf in Boca Raton.
All eleven defendants charged in the indictment, including Runsdorf and Marshall, pleaded guilty. Six have been sentenced in addition to Runsdorf. Tunji Campbell pleaded guilty to conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit drugs, and money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 135 months imprisonment. Chauntell D. Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy and trafficking in counterfeit drugs and was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment. Cheryl A. Anderson, Ashley A. Rhea, and Maria Anzures-Camarena, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy and were sentenced to 60 months imprisonment. Five others, including Marshall, are awaiting sentencing.
“In his role as owner and president of Woodfield Pharmaceutical LLC, Adam Runsdorf knew his company was producing thousands of gallons of counterfeit cough syrup—labeled to be nearly identical to a discontinued product—to be distributed to drug traffickers in Texas and other states,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Runsdorf knew that drug traffickers were selling the counterfeit cough syrup to street-level users and he profited greatly from the sale of the counterfeit cough syrup. Runsdorf’s greed earned him a significant prison sentence. Food and drug products, particularly pharmaceuticals such as cough syrups, undergo rigorous testing and inspection by federal authorities to ensure their safety. When companies evade inspection and certification requirements, innocent consumers are put at risk. EDTX is committed to ensuring public safety and upholding public trust through the vigorous prosecution of those that skirt these safety requirements.”
“This sentence sends a strong message to anyone misusing their trusted role and privilege granted by DEA to handle controlled substance,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Division Daniel C. Comeaux.” “This case shows how collaborative efforts between state, local and federal partners on multiple fronts are capable of holding large pharmaceutical distribution companies like Woodfield Distribution accountable by immediately suspending its dangerous operations and bringing its CEO behind bars.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the laws of the land apply to everyone, regardless of position or power,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Dallas Field Office. “Adam Runsdorf abused his role as CEO of Woodfield Distributors to participate in the laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars derived from illegally manufactured and distributed controlled substances. Mr. Runsdorf’s sentence is a direct result of the excellent partnership between law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office in combating drug trafficking and money laundering. I am extremely proud of the CI special agents who used their unique financial expertise to help unravel this complex fraud and money laundering scheme. IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop criminals like Mr. Runsdorf from endangering the American public.”
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.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; Houston Police Department; Galveston Police Department; Galveston County Sheriff’s Office; Dickinson Police Department; League City Police Department; Pearland Police Department; Pasadena Police Department; Texas City Police Department; Harris County Precent #2; Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office; Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office; Liberty County Sheriff’s Office; and the Texas National Guard. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John B. Ross and Jonathan C. Lee.
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Peru, Indiana Man Sentenced to 348 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – James Rippy, 40 years old, of Peru, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Rippy was sentenced to 348 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Rippy took photos and videos of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, he possessed other images of child pornography downloaded from the internet.
This case was investigated by United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Peru Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Maciejczyk.
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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offense Against A MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kyle Andrew Umstead, 35, of Douglasville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2023, Umstead traveled from Douglasville, Pennsylvania, to Kanawha County, West Virginia, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Umstead was arrested by law enforcement officers in Kanawha County. Following his arrest, officers found videos and images of child pornography on Umstead’s cell phone.
Umstead is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Umstead must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-47.
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Parker Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Anthony William Delgado, 28, of Parker, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 144 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Delgado pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter.
On October 24, 2021, Delgado struck the victim multiple times in the head and face with a sledgehammer, causing the victim to sustain fatal injuries. The victim died one week later. Delgado is an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) and the offense occurred on the CRIT Reservation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CRIT Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina J. Reid-Moore and LeighAnn M. Thomas, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00427-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-112_Delgado# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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