Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
24 July 2023
Rapid City Man Found Guilty of Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Anthony Red Elk, age 34, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and two counts of Sexual Abuse following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 21, 2023.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years up to a maximum of life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine on each count, a minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count.
Red Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2021.
The conviction stems from Red Elk engaging in a sexual act between 2008 and 2010, with a female minor who had not attained the age of 12 years, in Wanblee, on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Red Elk then sexually abused the same female in 2018 and 2019 in Wanblee.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for September 25, 2023. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pickens Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Matthew Leon Arotin, 63, of Pickens, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to pay $68,000 in restitution to the victims whose images he possessed.
Evidence presented to the court showed that deputies with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office received a cyber tip that child sexual abuse material was uploaded to a Google account. Investigation revealed that the account came back to an IP address associated with Arotin. Pickens County deputies obtained a search warrant for Arotin’s home and learned that he was a registered sex offender based on prior convictions. When confronted by deputies, Arotin admitted he had various electronic devices and deputies would find inappropriate pictures of children on them.
The devices were seized and forensically analyzed. Law enforcement discovered 1,334 still images and 135 videos of child pornography. Fourteen of the images and six of the videos featured sexual abuse of an infant or toddler.
This case was investigated by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
###
Owner of insurance company in Rosebud County charged in scheme to defraud customersRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Forsyth woman accused of defrauding customers through her insurance company, Rosebud County Insurance Inc., by spending client payments on personal expenses appeared today on charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kileen Moria Hagadone, 57, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging her with six counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is a mandatory minimum two years in prison, consecutive to any other punishment, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Hagadone was released pending further proceedings.
The indictment alleges that Hagadone owned and operated Rosebud County Insurance Inc., an insurance brokerage business, and acted as an intermediary between her customers and national insurance companies. Hagadone was required to help negotiate insurance contracts for her customers and then receive and transmit payments as a fiduciary from the customers to the companies for the negotiated policies. Hagadone and her company had a trust account with First State Bank of Forsyth designed to receive these payments.
As alleged in the indictment, from about 2020 until April 2023, Hagadone devised a scheme to receive payments from customers but failed to transmit the funds to the insurance companies. Instead, Hagadone misappropriated the funds and spent the money on personal expenses. In some instances, Hagadone fraudulently withdrew the money for her own use from the company trust account. At other times, Hagadone improperly deposited customer payments into the company’s business account so she could use the money. To help conceal the thefts, Hagadone allegedly stole the identities of several customers by forging their signatures on third-party financing contracts. As a result of the alleged scheme, many customers had their insurance policies canceled without their knowledge and had to repay the insurance companies for policies they had already paid for.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich is prosecuting the case. The Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, FBI and Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
PACER case reference. 23-85.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl
XXX
Oglesby Construction, Inc. Agrees to Pay $942,146.40 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Highway Paint StripingRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that Oglesby Construction, Inc., headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, has agreed to pay the United States $942,146.40 to resolve allegations that it falsified material usage records while performing on federally subsidized contracts to apply paint striping to Ohio roadways between 2012 and 2018.
The allegations arise under the False Claims Act from a whistleblower complaint unsealed on July 19, 2023, and in which the United States intervened on July 14, 2023. The claims asserted against Oglesby are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
“The Justice Department is committed to eradicating fraud in all its forms to protect taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “We cannot tolerate conduct that bilks the government of funds to support vital government programs.”
The Complaint alleges that Oglesby saved money on highway-striping contracts by failing to use sufficient marking material, including paint, to meet state or contractual minimum standards. Oglesby allegedly use different methods to hide its conduct.
One alleged method involved the manipulation of daily reports, which are required by the State of Ohio to monitor compliance with material usage standards. Contractors like Oglesby must assemble their reports using a tracking software application that obtains usage data from electronic devices on highway marking trucks. Oglesby allegedly embedded a hidden formula in a spreadsheet used by the tracking software, thereby altering data to conceal underapplication of material.
In another alleged scheme, Oglesby engineered a return pipe and pump system that redirected paint disbursed from a truck’s paint gun back to its load of unused paint. According to the Complaint, this would trick the truck’s monitoring device into recording application of paint when, in fact, the return pipe and pump system would intercept and recirculate it.
“This settlement with Oglesby ends a successful, years-long criminal and civil investigation into the company’s practices and sends a powerful message to those who wish to do the same,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “We need to have trust that companies or individuals that receive compensation under federally subsidized contracts do the work required.”
On October 7, 2022, Gerald E. Reichert and his brother, Adam Reichert, two former part-owners of Oglesby, pleaded guilty for their involvement in falsifying paint-striping reports. The court sentenced each to a term of imprisonment and ordered them to pay a combined $579,014.00 in restitution, along with fines. The amount obtained in the civil settlement is in addition to criminal restitution and fines.
New Orleans Men Plead Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOHN GUILLORY, III, age 52, JOHN PETRIE, age 39, DEVIN JOHNSON, age 37, and LARRY MOSES, age 22, all residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. GUILLORY, PETRIE and JOHNSON each pled guilty to superseding bills of information charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of controlled substances, including cocaine hydrochloride, cocaine base (“crack”), marijuana, and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and 846. GUILLORY also pled guilty to one count of distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and three counts of distribution of crack, all in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Finally, GUILLORY, PETRIE, and MOSES pled guilty to being felons in possession of firearms in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, between December 2020 and August 2021, a confidential source made four controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from GUILLORY. Further investigation revealed that PETRIE was GUILLORY’S narcotics source of supply and JOHNSON was PETRIE’S narcotics source of supply. On June 29, 2022, DEA Special Agents obtained warrants and searched the residences of all four men, seizing quantities of cocaine hydrochloride, crack, marijuana, fentanyl and heroin . Agents also seized a total of six firearms, including a KAHR Model CW9, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, a Taurus Model PT 24/7 Pro C DS, .45 caliber pistol, a Taurus Model PT111 G2, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, a Smith and Wesson Model SW40VE, .40 caliber pistol, an HK Model P30SK, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, and a Sarsilmaz Model SAR9, nine-millimeter handgun from GUILLORY, PETRIE and MOSES’s residences.
For the drug counts, GUILLORY, PETRIE, and JOHNSON each face a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 per count.
For the firearm counts, GUILLORY, PETRIE, and MOSES each face a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 per count.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 20, 2023, PERCY SMITH, age 43, a resident of New Orleans, La., plead guilty to a two-count indictment. Sentencing is set for October 26, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
SMITH is charged in Count 1 and Count 2 of the indictment with possessing a firearm, as a previously convicted felon, on two separate occasions, June 19, 2021, and June 30, 2021, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). SMITH faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 per count.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Violation of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- CHRISTOPHER SHAW, age 35, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted for violating the Federal Gun Control Act by being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the indictment, on January 24, 2023, SHAW was in possession of a Glock, Model 43, 9mm semi-automatic pistol after having been convicted in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, on the felony charge of conspiring to pimp a prostitute under the age of 16.
If convicted, SHAW faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment to be followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Theft from Interstate ShipmentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MALIK MACK, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on July 20, 2023 for theft from an interstate shipment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 659. The indictment alleges that MACK unlawfully stole a Ford F-150 Rapture Crew Cab truck with an approximate total value of $80,625.00. If convicted, MACK faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Norfolk Southern Railway Police, the United States Department of Homeland Security, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the General Crimes Unit.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- A man residing in Passaic, NJ, Alfredo Bermejo-Martinez, 24, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves on Monday to 20 years in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, in late 2018 or early 2019, Bermejo-Martinez met a victim, residing in the Eastern District of Kentucky, online while playing a video game, and continued contact over a couple of years. In approximately September 2020, he began asking the victim to take and send him sexually explicit pictures via Snapchat.
The plea agreement further explains that Bermejo-Martinez traveled from New Jersey to Kentucky to see her on four separate occasions from February 2021 through May 2022. In April 2022, the victim ended the relationship with him and Bermejo-Martinez threatened to release nude images of the victim. A search of his phone revealed sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim, who Bermejo-Martinez admitted he knew was a minor.
Bermejo-Martinez pleaded guilty in March 2023.
Under federal law, Bermejo-Martinez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations - Nashville; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
— END —
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United StatesRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on July 24, 2023, Jose Ramon Gonzalez-Resendiz age 41, from New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United States.
According to court documents, Gonzalez-Resendiz and others partially carried out the smuggling of a group of nationals of Mexico across the United States-Canada border into North Dakota in late March 2023, planning to move them further into the United States in exchange for payment of thousands of dollars per person. The plan fell apart when a pickup truck they were using got stuck in the snow. The pickup had to be towed from the drifted snow and was discovered by Border Patrol agents later at a Langdon, North Dakota, hotel where the smugglers and some of the people they smuggled were staying.
Gonzalez-Resendiz’s two co-defendants, Armando De Dios-Carrillo and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera, were sentenced by Judge Welte to 24 months and 18 months, respectively, on July 13, 2023.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection -- Office of Field Operations and Pembina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob T. Rodenbiker.
# # #
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 46 Months’ Imprisonment for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carlos Perez-Rivera, age 37, of West New York, New Jersey, was sentenced on July 20, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 46 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Perez-Rivera previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing four kilograms of cocaine for further distribution. The charge stems from an incident on March 23, 2022, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Lackawanna County in which Perez-Rivera and another individual, Kelvin Vazquez-Pagan, age 24, of Passaic, New Jersey, were traveling. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately four kilograms of cocaine found hidden inside the vehicle.
Co-defendant Kelvin Vazquez-Pagan is awaiting sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Brian J. Gallagher prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
###
NASA-JPL Employee Agrees to Plead Guilty to Defrauding COVID-19 Economic Relief Program, Using Some Proceeds to Grow MarijuanaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) employee has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding a government-sponsored loan program designed to help people and businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact and has admitted that he used part of the proceeds to fund illegal marijuana cultivation, the Justice Department announced today.
Armen Hovanesian, 32, of Glendale, a cost-control and budget-planning resource analyst for the JPL, a federally funded research and development center operated by the California Institute of Technology for NASA, agreed to plead guilty to a single-count information charging him with wire fraud. Both the information and a plea agreement were filed Thursday in United States District Court. Hovanesian is expected to make his initial court appearance on August 11.
According to the plea agreement, from June 2020 to October 2020, Hovanesian submitted three loan applications in the names of business entities under his control to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), a program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters, including businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hovanesian admitted to making false and fraudulent statements in the loan applications concerning the gross revenues each of the businesses had generated in the preceding year as well as false and fraudulent statements concerning his intended use of loan proceeds.
Hovanesian certified to the SBA under penalty of perjury that he would “use all the proceeds” of the loans for which he applied and caused others to apply for “solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster” consistent with the terms and limitations of the EIDL program. But Hovanesian instead applied those proceeds toward his own prohibited personal benefit to repay a personal real-estate debt and fund his illegal marijuana cultivation. Hovanesian fraudulently caused the SBA to transfer via interstate wire EIDL proceeds totaling $151,900.
After Hovanesian pleads guilty, he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The SBA Office of Inspector General and NASA Office of Inspector General are investigating this matter. The United States Secret Service also provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam P. Schleifer of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Four people have been indicted in the Southern District of Georgia on felony charges including illegal firearms possession, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal charges including illegal possession of firearms.
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.
“In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to the safety and security of our communities,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Removing guns from the hands of violent criminals and convicted felons makes all of us safer.”
In the past four years, more than 835 defendants have been federally prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Those indicted during the July term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Marqus Jamal Flanders, 37, of Brunswick, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and MDMA; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jonathan Duncan, 38, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jaques B. Pope, 31, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Chester Morgan, 53, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firarm by a Convicted Felon.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Marshall Lee Cushman, 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to 180 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent retrieved a rifle from an Avera, Ga., residence in September 2021, and Cushman admitted leaving the gun there. Cushman has multiple prior felony convictions.
- Taipai La’Don Brewer, 43, of Augusta, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Brewer in July 2022 after finding a pistol and drugs in his car during a traffic stop as part of the Operation Grace investigation of gang-related crimes in the Augusta area.
- Trevor Elijah Walker, 24, of Augusta, was sentenced to 36 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies were attempting to serve arrest warrants on Walker in November 2019 when he ran away, dropping a pistol as he fled.
- Terrance Webster Dunn, 32, of Augusta, was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Dunn was arrested in October 2022 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies investigated a report of a man riding a bike in a shopping center parking lot, taking photos of himself while holding a pistol and found Dunn with a pistol in his waistband. Dunn was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest for a prior conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Lear A. Williams, 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers in September 2022 were investigating reports of a man selling drugs when they found a pistol and ammunition in Williams’ possession.
- Carl Williams, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 31 months in prison and fined $4,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Investigators from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division searched Williams’ residence as part of an investigation into stolen military equipment and found three semiautomatic pistols in Williams’ possession. Williams previously pled guilty and was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Connecticut on a felony charge of Conspiracy to Traffic in Stolen Government Property for receiving and reselling gun sights and night-vision equipment stolen from the U.S. Navy.
- Devonte Malik Jorame, 25, of Aiken, S.C., was sentenced to 28 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and 40 hours of community service after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jorame in June 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop as part of Operation Grace. Jorame has prior state criminal convictions for domestic violence and gun possession.
- James Travon Walker, 22, of Savannah, was sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Chatham County Police officers arrested Walker while responding to a report of a vehicle break-in and found a backpack belonging to Walker containing two pistols stolen from the vehicle.
- Donald D. Walker, 28, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to False Statement During Attempted Purchase of a Firearm. Walker denied being under indictment when he signed forms required for buying a gun at a Hinesville gun store. Walker’s criminal history includes convictions for assault and family violence.
- Kerry Akeem Milledge, 37, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Milledge was charged in March 2022 by Savannah Police after a traffic stop of a car in which officers found multiple firearms, drugs and cash in the vehicle. Milledge has multiple prior convictions involving guns and drugs. A passenger in the vehicle, Antron Ozier Charles, 19, of Pooler, Ga., was sentenced to five years’ probation after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana.
- Johnny Harris, 23, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He was arrested in October 2022 by Savannah Police officers investigating reports of shots fired near Frazier Homes, and determined Harris possessed an assault-style pistol while fleeing the area. Harris previously was convicted of illegal gun possession.
- Danny Swinney, 29, of Buford, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to False Statement During Purchase of Firearm. As described in court, Swinney acknowledged acting as a straw purchaser to buy five handguns and shotgun from a Camden County pawn shop. Those guns were recovered days later in New Jersey.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Metairie Man Indicted for Drug and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today the unsealing of a four-count indictment returned on July 20, 2023, against ROOSEVELT COCKHERAN, age 39 and a resident of Metairie, Louisiana. COCKHERAN is charged in Count One with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in violation Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, in Count Two with possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(C), in Count Three with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c) and in Count Four with Felon in Possession of Firearm in violation of Title, 18 United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The indictment also contains a sentencing enhancement provision which alleges two qualifying prior serious drug felonies.
As to Count One, COCKHERAN faces a term imprisonment of not less than 10 years and a maximum term of life, a fine of $8,000,000 and 8 years of supervised release; as to Count Two, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a $1,000,000 fine, and three years of supervised release; as to Count Three, he faces a mandatory consecutive term of five years imprisonment up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release; and as to Count Four, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release . Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 case was investigated by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller is assigned the prosecution.
Member of Violent Chicago Street Gang Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A member of a violent Chicago street gang has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for participating in a criminal organization that murdered rivals and violently protected a drug-dealing operation on the West Side of Chicago.
As a member of the Wicked Town faction of the Traveling Vice Lords street gang, DAVID ARRINGTON murdered two people, shot and wounded two others, and served as the driver when fellow gang members murdered a man and attempted to murder another. Arrington, 33, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal racketeering conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin sentenced Arrington after a hearing Wednesday in federal court in Chicago.
Arrington was among 13 defendants convicted as part of a multi-year investigation into the gang’s criminal activities. The investigation resulted in the seizures of more than 45 firearms, approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 17 kilograms of cocaine, approximately seven kilograms of heroin, and approximately 100 grams of crack cocaine. The federal probe revealed that Wicked Town gang members engaged in numerous acts of violence, including Arrington’s two murders and at least 17 others, as well as numerous attempted murders, armed robberies, and assaults. Wicked Town members regularly promoted their violent enterprise on social media, where they taunted rivals and boasted about murders and other acts of violence.
The gang operated primarily in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, where members maintained “trap houses” to store firearms and illegal narcotics, including cocaine and heroin.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Illinois State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA). The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Mitchell, Jimmy L. Arce, Meghan C. Morrissey, and Beth E. Palmer.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against alleged criminal networks.
Mayfield Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Mayfield, Kentucky man was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Sheriff Ryan Norman of the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Jon Hayden of the Graves County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, on February 22, 2022, in Graves County, Kentucky, Deanthony L. Noonan, 37, possessed with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a methamphetamine mixture. Noonan was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a methamphetamine mixture. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the DEA Paducah post of duty, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, and the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
###
Lower Brule Man Convicted of Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Joseph Thompson, Sr., age 32, of Lower Brule, South Dakota, of Voluntary Manslaughter following a three day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 20, 2023.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on March 25, 2023, in Lower Brule. Thompson was at the home of an acquaintance when he heard a disturbance outside the residence. Thompson left the residence, walked around the corner of the home and saw a man standing near the home. Thompson produced a knife and stabbed the man five times, piercing his heart. There was no indication that the other man was displaying a weapon when Thompson fatally stabbed him.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureeau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Service - Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Los Lunas Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Diego Fernandez was sentenced to 28 months in prison. Fernandez, 24, of Los Lunas, pled guilty in federal court on March 7, 2022, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Fernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 15, 2021. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 7, 2021, when the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) attempted to execute a traffic stop, Fernandez fled, driving recklessly and towards oncoming traffic. NMSP canceled the pursuit for safety reasons when Fernandez entered a residential neighborhood but continued to monitor his location from a helicopter. When Fernandez parked, officers from NMSP approached him again and were able to apprehend him after a short foot chase.
At the time of his arrest, Fernandez possessed a loaded firearm. As a convicted felon, Fernandez could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Upon his release from prison, Fernandez will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime and Gang Task Force (VCGTF) investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
###
23-158
Lexington Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Felon in Possession of Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- A Lexington, Ky., man, Erich Storck, 51, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves on Friday to 120 months in prison for two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
Storck was convicted of the charges on April 5, 2023. According to evidence at his trial, Storck had multiple misdemeanor convictions and a felony conviction for Assault Under Extreme Emotional Disturbance. In May 2020, Storck was arrested after being found outside Northpoint Training Center, a medium-security state prison, under the influence of alcohol with a loaded handgun stored in his motorcycle. Storck was released on state bond. While on bond, in November 2021, Storck barricaded himself in his residence in Nicholasville where he discharged over 30 rounds from a 9mm and an assault rifle. Some of the rounds struck a neighbor’s house. After Storck eventually surrendered to law enforcement, officers located two firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his home.
Under federal law, Storck must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Storck was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and $1,000 in restitution.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Todd Justice, Chief of Police, Nicholasville Police Department; and Sheriff Taylor Bottom, Boyle County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, Nicholasville Police Department, and Boyle County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West.
— END —
Lexington CEO Sentenced to 10 Months for Distributing Misbranded 3M N95 masksRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- Nathan Brown, 47, CEO of Old World Timber, a Lexington company specializing in antique wood reclamation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell on Thursday to 10 months in prison for selling misbranded N95 respirator masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the fall of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown directed his company to begin importing and selling medical-grade 3M™ N95 respirators (masks). Old World Timber purchased more than 100,000 alleged 3M N95 masks from a company in China, and resold them to customers throughout the United States. In his plea agreement, Brown acknowledged that by March 2021, information from multiple sources, including 3M’s COVID-19 Fraud and Counterfeit Product Response Team, alerted him to the high probability that the masks he imported from China were counterfeit. Brown deliberately ignored these concerns and directed his company to continue selling the masks, misleading customers as to their authenticity. Between March 3, 2021 and April 9, 2021, Brown caused OWT to sell 57,460 misbranded masks for a total of $129,353.
Under federal law, Brown must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year. Brown was also ordered to pay $129,353 in restitution.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office; and James C. Harris, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Moynahan.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
— END —
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Eddy Reyes Tejada, 51 pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2023. Tejada was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2022.
Between January and December 2022, Tejada conspired to distribute fentanyl in and around the Lawrence area. Specifically, on June 14, 2022, Tejada distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl in Lawrence. On Sept. 6, 2022, Tejada distributed 400 grams or more of fentanyl in Lawrence.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and of distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution and/or possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Kenmore Teacher Indicted on Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Anthony V. Giambrone, 40, of Kenmore, NY, with possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Fabian, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, in April 2020, Giambrone, currently a teacher with Erie 1 BOCES working at Maryvale Intermediate School, possessed images of child pornography on two separate laptop computers. The images included prepubescent minors.
Giambrone made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Justice Department Files Complaint Against the State of Texas for Illegally Placing Floating Buoy Barrier in the Rio GrandeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a civil complaint against the State of Texas because the state has built a floating barrier, consisting of buoys strung together, in the Rio Grande River without the federal authorization that is legally required under the Rivers and Harbors Act. The complaint seeks to enjoin the building of the barrier and to require the state to remove it.
“We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns. Additionally, the presence of the floating barrier has prompted diplomatic protests by Mexico and risks damaging U.S. foreign policy.”
“The Rivers and Harbors Act is clear in prohibiting the placement of any unauthorized barriers or obstructions in the Rio Grande and other navigable waters of the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We intend to seek the appropriate legal remedies, including the removal of such obstructions in the Rio Grande.”
“The Rio Grande is a significant stretch of the southern border of our country,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “We must all recognize that there are laws and policies in place – both domestic and international – to ensure the safety and security of everyone working, living and traveling along the river. These laws cannot be ignored, and my office will take and support the appropriate legal action to uphold them.”
The complaint alleges that, beginning earlier this month, Texas directed the placement of a floating barrier – buoys four to six feet in diameter strung together – in the Rio Grande, approximately two miles south of the Camino Real International Bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas. Governor Abbott has said the state may build more barriers as part of a broader effort called “Operation Lone Star,” which also includes placing concertina wire near the U.S.-Mexico border.
The complaint is lodged in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas.
The case is being litigated by the Environmental Defense Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Inmate at FCI Berlin Indicted for Possessing a WeaponRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An inmate at FCI Berlin was indicted in connection with his possession of a homemade weapon within the prison, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Jawan Fernanders, 21, was indicted on one count of possession of contraband in prison. Fernanders will make an initial appearance in federal court on a later date.
According to the charging documents on May 6, 2023, Fernanders, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, possessed a prohibited object—namely, a homemade knife with a serrated blade.
The charge of possession of contraband in prison provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by FCI-Berlin’s Office of the Special Investigative Supervisor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter 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.
###
Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – JUAN JOSE ARRIAGA-MORENO, a/k/a “Jaime Garcia Matamoros,” age 58, was indicted on July 21, 2023 for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the indictment, JUAN JOSE ARRIAGA-MORENO, (“ARRIAGA-MORENO”) reentered the United States after being previously deported on November 9, 2018. If convicted, ARRIAGA-MORENO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Hannibal Man Admits Making Pipe BombsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Hannibal, Missouri on Monday admitted making a series of illegal pipe bombs in 2022.
Joshua Eugene Rickey, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of manufacture of one or more unregistered destructive devices and one count of possession of one or more unregistered destructive devices. He admitted making a series of pipe bombs out of sparklers and plastic or metal pipes between July 4, 2022 and Aug. 13, 2022. Rickey admitted detonating one in a burned-out house across from his own home in late July 2022. He also lit one at his grandmother’s house, damaging a fence.
Rickey is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on October 30. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hannibal Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj is prosecuting the case.
Greene County Area Meth Traffickers SentencedRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On July 24, 2023, Steven Shelton, 39, of Greeneville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment and Shannon Crittenden, 45, of Mosheim, Tennessee was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court at Greeneville. Co-defendant Arthur Tidwell, 46, of Greeneville, was previously sentenced to 180 months in prison on June 26, 2023.
As part of the plea agreements filed with the court Shelton and Crittenden both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. Tidwell plead guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A).
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, all three defendants were involved in distributing methamphetamine in and around the Greeneville area. Tidwell was traffic stopped in Washington County by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and caught with a significant quantity of methamphetamine, was released on bond, and was then arrested just over a month later in Greeneville with another large quantity of methamphetamine. Shelton and Crittenden sold methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement on five occasions, which led to a search warrant being executed at Shelton’s Greeneville residence where a large quantity of methamphetamine was found. The investigation revealed that Tidwell was supplying Shelton with methamphetamine, who was in turn supplying others, including Crittenden.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to targeting the ongoing threat to our communities from drug traffickers who bring large quantities of high-purity methamphetamine into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who seek to profit from flooding our communities with dangerous drugs will face justice.”
This sentencing was the culmination of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to the indictment and subsequent convictions in this case, included the Third Judicial Drug Task Force, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Greeneville Police Department, Johnson City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Numerous agencies from the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Lampe represented the United States.
###
Fresno Man with Four Prior Convictions for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and Ammunition Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Earnest Donte Ruff, 25, of Fresno, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2021, Ruff was arrested and found to be in possession of a loaded .40‑caliber gun with no serial number. At the time, Ruff was out on bond pending sentencing in a case in which he had pleaded guilty to participating in a shooting on “the Strip” in Las Vegas. When Ruff possessed the firearm in this case, he was also on community supervision for illegally possessing another firearm in Fresno in 2019. This conviction is Ruff’s fifth conviction for illegally possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.
Former Political Staffer Sentenced to Eight Months’ Home Confinement, Three Years’ Probation, for Role in Scheme to Defraud Campaigns and Political Action CommitteesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man who previously served as a staff member in the New Jersey Senate was sentenced today to eight months of home confinement and three years of probation for his role in a conspiracy to falsely inflate the invoices that a political consultant submitted to various campaigns, political action committees, and IRS 501(c)(4) organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Antonio Teixeira, 44, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2014 to 2018, Teixeira conspired with Sean Caddle, and Caddle’s political consulting firms, to defraud various campaigns, political action committees, and 501(c)(4) organizations. Teixeira then failed to report this illicit income on tax forms that he filed with the IRS during those same years.
Caddle was hired by a former New Jersey state senator to create the PACs and 501(c)(4)s so that they could raise and spend money to advocate on a variety of issues, including supporting particular candidates in local races around New Jersey. Teixeira served as the senator’s chief of staff and wielded influence over the consultants that the campaigns and organizations hired and the budgets that each of these organizations would receive.
Teixeira and Caddle conspired to falsely inflate the invoices that Caddle’s consulting firms submitted to the campaigns, PACs and 501(c)(4)s with phony campaign-related expenditures. Caddle and Teixeira were fraudulently padding the invoices because they agreed to split the difference between Caddle’s actual campaign expenditures and the overage charged to the organizations. Caddle paid a portion of Teixeira’s share to him in cash and funneled the remainder to Teixeira via checks made to out to Teixeira’s relatives in order to conceal that campaign money was being kicked back to Teixeira. In total, Teixeira received more than $100,000. Although Teixeira pocketed these fraudulent proceeds and used the money for personal expenses, he never reported the money on the tax forms that he filed with the IRS during the course of the scheme.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez ordered Teixeira to pay restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr., Sean Farrell, Chief, New York Office, Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.
Former Louisiana Resident Pleads Guilty to Cares Act Fraud and Sentenced to ProbationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – BRANDI WEBER, age 28, formerly of New Orleans, LA and now residing in California, pleaded guilty to one-count of making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. WEBER was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter to two (2) years’ probation. In addition, WEBER was ordered to pay $29,177.50 in restitution to the SBA and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
On March 27, 2020, The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
According to court documents, WEBER made false statements to an approved lender on or about April 2, 2021, for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a PPP loan. WEBER falsely stated in her PPP application that she was a self-employed esthetician impacted by the pandemic when, in truth, she had no such business in 2020.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Felon Accused of Robbing Pizza Delivery Driver in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon has been arrested on an indictment alleging he robbed a pizza delivery driver in St. Louis at gunpoint, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Monday.
Antione L. Shockley, 25, was indicted in U.S. District Court July 19 on three charges: brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, robbery and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Shockley, a convicted felon, committed the robbery April 13 in St. Louis.
A motion seeking to have Shockley held in jail until trial says a Domino’s driver was sent to a vacant home in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis and was robbed at gunpoint of two pizzas, hot wings and the insulated bag containing them. Investigators traced the order to Shockley’s email address and traced the phone used to make the order to Shockley and his then-girlfriend.
The detention motion says St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested Shockley June 24 after he fired a handgun into the air in a school zone. After officers arrived and told Shockley to put up his hands, he passed the handgun he was holding to a woman and first pulled a stolen Ruger from his waistband before pulling a long gun from inside his pants. He was arrested after dropping both of the firearms, the motion says.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
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.
Federal Prison Employee Charged with Accepting Payments from High-Net-Worth InmateRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Correctional Counselor for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) assigned to Federal Medical Center Devens (FMC Devens) in Massachusetts has been charged with accepting payments from an inmate under his care, in violation of his duties as a public official. The defendant is also charged with lying to a bank about a loan he received from the inmate’s business associate and forging the associate’s signature to support this false claim.
William S. Tidwell, 49, of Keene, N.H., was charged by Information in federal court in Boston with receipt of payments by a public official in violation of his official duties, making false statements to a bank and identity theft. Tidwell will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Tidwell has been employed by the BOP since 2000 and has been working at FMC Devens since 2008. According to BOP’s rules and policies that govern the duties and conduct of its employees, employees may not receive any payments, gifts, or personal favors from inmates, give preferential treatment to any inmate in the performance of their duties, or engage in outside employment that conflicts with their duties.
In approximately 2014, Tidwell began working as a Correctional Counselor at FMC Devens, a position that give him significant levels of contact with, and authority over, inmates. Among other things, Tidwell was responsible for monitoring inmate work assignments, assigning inmate housing assignments, arranging inmate legal calls and coordinating prison visits for inmates. One of the inmates for whom Tidwell served as a Correctional Counselor was Individual 1 – an ultra-high net worth individual who had been convicted on federal charges in another jurisdiction. It is alleged that, starting in approximately 2018, Individual 1 caused a stream of benefits to be paid to Tidwell.
In November 2018, Tidwell supervised Individual 1, who allegedly directed a close friend and business associate (Individual 2) to wire $25,000 to Tidwell’s close family member. Thereafter, starting in 2019, Tidwell and Individual 1 allegedly entered into an agreement pursuant to which Individual 1 would direct thousands of dollars to Tidwell as part of a property management agreement, which used Individual 2 as the conduit through which payments were made to Tidwell. In total, between 2019 and 2020, Tidwell allegedly received over $65,000 in benefits as part of this property management agreement with Individuals 1 and 2. Tidwell’s alleged receipt of payments and his employment relationship with an inmate or a close associate of an inmate violated his official duties as a BOP employee.
Separately, in 2020, it is alleged that Tidwell sought to purchase a home. In connection with seeking financing for the home purchase, Tidwell allegedly received a $50,000 loan from Individual 2. Tidwell also allegedly made multiple false statements to the bank in connection with his loan application, falsely telling the bank that the $50,000 was a gift from his employer. It is further alleged that when the bank asked for written proof of this purported gift, Tidwell forged documents to support his earlier claim, including by unlawfully using Individual 2’s name and address, and forging Individual 2’s signature.
“Corrections officers are placed in a position of public trust. The vast majority of corrections officers carry out their duties with integrity and professionalism. They know that accepting payments from an inmate – as is alleged against Mr. Tidwell here – is a serious violation of that trust and a betrayal of the BOP’s mission to care FOR federal inmates in a safe and impartial manner. This office is committed to holding public officials accountable when they exploit their power or official position to enrich themselves and compromise the public interest,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“William Tidwell is alleged to have abused his authority and abandoned his duty after he befriended an inmate in his care and accepted tens of thousands of dollars from him,” said Christopher DiMenna. Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s arrest underscores the importance the criminal justice system places on policing its own. Make no mistake, the FBI will continue to work with our partners to root out public corruption wherever it may lie because it not only undermines the integrity of our government but is a violation of the public’s trust.”
“The safety and security of federal prisons depends on the integrity of Correctional Officers. By allegedly accepting tens of thousands of dollars from an inmate, Tidwell compromised his integrity and jeopardized the safety and security of the institution,” said Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General New York Field Office.
The charge of receiving payments in violation of official duties provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements to a bank provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five 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 U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI Acting SAC DiMenna and DOJ-OIG SAC Geach made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Mark Grady of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Convicts El Salvador Man for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal jury has convicted Edwin Giovanni Salinas, age 44, of El Salvador, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 19, 2023.
Each charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody and/or a $10 million fine, five years to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Salinas was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023.
On November 26, 2022, Salinas, along with his co-defendant, Berta Rosmelvi Gonzales, were pulled over during a traffic stop in northeast South Dakota. During a search of the vehicle, nearly 16 pounds of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, was located. The search revealed 12 packages – two containing powder weighing over 3.5 pounds and 10 containing pills, totaling approximately 50,000. Gonzales entered a guilty plea to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on July 20, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe Law Enforcement, the Roberts County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Dangerous Drug Enforcement Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for October 23, 2023. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to 45 Months’ Imprisonment for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Richard Anthony Trent, age 44, a federal prison inmate, was sentenced on July 20, 2023, by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 45 months’ imprisonment for the offense of assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on May 17, 2022, while an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Canaan (USP Canaan), in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, Trent assaulted another inmate with a dangerous weapon, namely, a 7-inch grey metal weapon or “shank,” by repeatedly stabbing down on the victim-inmate, who was seated in a prison common area.
Judge Mannion also ordered Trent’s 45-month sentence run consecutively to the federal sentence that Trent was already serving at the time of the assault.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John.
# # #
Federal Grand Jury Charges Three in Molotov Cocktail Attack Last Year on Planned Parenthood ClinicRead the Press Release
Two California men now named in a four-count federal grand jury indictment were arraigned earlier today on charges alleging they conducted a firebombing attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Orange County in March 2022.
The two defendants arraigned today are Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, an active-duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, and Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine.
A third defendant now charged in this case – Xavier Batten, 21, of Brooksville, Florida – was arrested Friday by special agents with the FBI. Batten made his initial appearance on Friday in the Middle District of Florida. He was ordered held without bond pending trial.
The indictment, returned on July 14 and unsealed Friday, charges all three defendants with one count of conspiracy and one count of malicious destruction of property by fire and explosion. Additionally, Brannon and Ergul both are charged with one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility, which is a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
According to the indictment, in February and March of 2022, the defendants plotted to throw a Molotov cocktail at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa. Brannon and Ergul allegedly chose the target property, obtained the materials necessary to construct a Molotov cocktail, assembled the destructive device, then, during the early morning hours of March 13, 2022, threw the ignited Molotov cocktail at the clinic. The device struck the clinic entrance.
Batten allegedly advised and directed Brannon regarding how to build the Molotov cocktail.
As a result of the fire, the Planned Parenthood Costa Mesa health care clinic was forced to close the following morning and cancel approximately 30 appointments.
Security videos described in court documents show that two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and face masks approached the Planned Parenthood facility at approximately 1 a.m. the day of the attack, ignited a device, and threw the flaming device at the front door of the building. According to court documents, “The device landed against a southern wall next to the glass door and erupted into a fire, which spread up the wall and across the ceiling above the glass door.”
The Costa Mesa Police Department and Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. An analysis of evidence collected at the scene showed that the glass container and other materials contained gasoline.
The conspiracy and malicious destruction counts each carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The count of possession of an unregistered destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years. The intentional damage to a reproductive health facility charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of one year in federal prison.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI Counterterrorism Division and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are conducting the ongoing investigation in this matter. The Costa Mesa Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathrynne N. Seiden for the Central District of California is prosecuting this case, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Grand Jury Charges 3 in Molotov Cocktail Attack Last Year on Planned Parenthood Clinic in Orange CountyRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – Two defendants now named in a four-count federal grand jury indictment are scheduled to be arraigned this morning on charges alleging they conducted a firebombing attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Orange County in March 2022.
The two defendants set for arraignment today are Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, an active duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, and Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine.
A third defendant now charged in this case – Xavier Batten, 21, of Brooksville, Florida – was arrested Friday by special agents with the FBI. Batten made his initial appearance on Friday in United States District Court in the Middle District of Florida. He was ordered held without bond pending trial.
The indictment returned on July 14 and unsealed Friday charges all three defendants with one count of conspiracy and one count of malicious destruction of property by fire and explosion. Additionally, Brannon and Ergul both are charged with one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility, which is a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
“The violent and reckless attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic alleged in the indictment is intolerable,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “This indictment shows that federal law enforcement will work diligently to uncover and hold accountable those who plan and carry out violent extremist acts against others.”
“Those who deliberately put lives at risk and damage property by launching improvised explosive devices into public facilities will be sought and will be held accountable, as this case makes clear,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Anyone with information about the planning of violent attacks on public facilities – or the targeting of individuals – should immediately contact law enforcement in order to potentially prevent an act of violence that could prove deadly.”
According to the indictment, in February and March of 2022, the defendants plotted to throw a Molotov cocktail at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa. Brannon and Ergul allegedly chose the target property, obtained the materials necessary to construct a Molotov cocktail, assembled the destructive device, then, during the early morning hours of March 13, 2022, threw the ignited Molotov cocktail at the clinic. The device struck the clinic entrance.
Batten allegedly advised and directed Brannon regarding how to build the Molotov cocktail.
As a result of the fire, the Planned Parenthood Costa Mesa healthcare clinic was forced to close the following morning and cancel approximately 30 appointments.
Security videos described in court documents show that two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and face masks approached the Planned Parenthood facility at approximately 1 a.m. the day of the attack, ignited a device, and threw the flaming device at the front door of the building. “The device landed against a southern wall next to the glass door and erupted into a fire, which spread up the wall and across the ceiling above the glass door,” according to court documents.
The Costa Mesa Police Department and Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. An analysis of evidence collected at the scene showed that the glass container and other materials contained gasoline.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The conspiracy and malicious destruction counts each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The count of possession of an unregistered destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. The intentional damage to a reproductive health facility charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of one year in federal prison.
The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are conducting the ongoing investigation in this matter. The Costa Mesa Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
East Moline, Illinois, Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – An East Moline, Illinois, man, Marcus Dixon, 29, was sentenced on July 18, 2023, to 260 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Dixon was convicted following a jury trial in March 2023 in front of Chief United States District Judge Sara Darrow. During that trial, the government presented evidence establishing that on October 20, 2019, Dixon fled from a car crash at the intersection of Seventeenth Street and First Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois. Officers searched the car and found a photograph of Dixon, three loaded firearms, and several bags of crack cocaine and marijuana. Additionally, Dixon’s DNA was later found on a deployed airbag. At the time of the crash, Dixon was on supervised release in connection with a prior federal offense.
On December 18, 2019, Dixon’s federal probation officer filed a petition for revocation and obtained a search warrant for Dixon’s home in relation to the October 20th incident. Probation officers searched Dixon’s residence in East Moline, Illinois and located a gun storage box for a firearm that had the same serial number as a firearm located in the crashed car. Additional evidence obtained during the search, including Dixon’s cell phone and a set of car keys, was indicative of drug dealing and led probation officers to a second address in Silvis, Illinois, and a white Audi that was apparently used by Dixon. Inside the Audi, probation officers found two vacuum sealed bags of marijuana and two firearms. Dixon’s fingerprints were later found on one of the bags of marijuana.
The statutory penalty for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and marijuana under is up to 20 years imprisonment; for possession of a firearm as a felon it is up to ten years’ imprisonment (based on the penalties in place at the time of the offense conduct); for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime it is five years to life imprisonment; and for possession with intent to distribute marijuana it is up to five years’ imprisonment.
The case investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police; the Rock Island Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Weir and Timothy Sullivan represented the government in the prosecution.
Drug Courier Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARMANDO VARELA-PLAZA, 41, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Queens, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment for his role in a drug trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items.
Varela-Plaza was a courier for Duprey’s drug supplier. On February 23, 2022, Varela-Plaza called Duprey and arranged to pick up and transport a large quantity of cash proceeds from Duprey. Later that day, after investigators observed Varela-Plaza meeting with Duprey, they stopped Varela-Plaza’s car and seized $88,000 in cash.
Varela-Plaza, Duprey, and 12 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022. On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash.
Varela-Plaza has been detained since his arrest. On April 25, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Varela-Plaza faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Duprey has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Defendant in a Conspiracy to Rob a U.S. Post Office Pleads Guilty to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Juan Ramon Ramirez Delgado, age 40, a Honduran national residing in Leesburg, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to federal charges for a commercial robbery conspiracy and for committing an armed robbery of a U.S. Post Office.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.
According to his plea agreement, on October 19, 2017, Ramirez Delgado and his co-conspirators, wearing masks and armed with firearms, entered a U.S. Post Office in Brandywine, Maryland, pointed firearms at the employees and demanded money. Ramirez Delgado and his co-conspirators stole cash and a computer tower as well as other miscellaneous items, then ran to a getaway vehicle parked nearby, where another conspirator drove them away.
Ramirez Delgado and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Ramirez Delgado will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Police Departments and the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Grossi and William D. Moomau, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Cornwall, Ontario Man Sentenced to 24 years in Federal for His Leadership Role in Operating Fentanyl Enterprise from Canadian PrisonRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, along with United States Attorney Natalie K. Wight, District of Oregon, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced that Jason Joey Berry, age 40, Cornwall, Ontario, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, to 24 years imprisonment, 5 years supervised release, $200.00 special assessment and $11,048.43 in restitution for his role in ‘Operation Denial’.
Berry was extradited from Canada to the United States on January 6, 2021, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
On July 29, 2022, Berry pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances and Controlled Substance Analogues Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death. As part of that plea, Berry acknowledged working with Daniel Vivas Ceron in running an international fentanyl and fentanyl analogue distribution operation from inside Drummond Correctional Institution in Drummondville, Quebec. Vivas Ceron is scheduled for sentencing on July 25, 2023, in Fargo.
This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke.
Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly one million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization.
On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; IRS Criminal Investigation – Fargo Field Office; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division, Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and the Grand Forks Police Department.
The prosecutors for this case are Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin, District of Oregon and as a Special Assistant U.S Attorney in North Dakota; and Kaitlin Sahni, Assistant Deputy Chief and Imani Hutty, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department.
# # #
Colombian National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – JEAN PAUL SABOGAL-ANGARITA, age 26, was indicted on July 21, 2023 for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the indictment, JEAN PAUL SABOGAL-ANGARITA, (“SABOGAL-ANGARITA”) reentered the United States after being previously deported on September 21, 2016. If convicted, SABOGAL-ANGARITA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Clay County Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft, Fraud, and Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Leo Daragjati has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of theft of government property, over $1,000. Daragjati faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count, a mandatory minimum penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count, up to 10 years in prison on the charge of theft of government property, over $1,000 and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. Daragjati appeared in federal court on March 28, 2023, and the court subsequently ordered him detained. He is set for sentencing on October 26, 2023.
According to court documents, Daragjati obtained the personal identifiable information (PII) to include the Social Security number of multiple victims. In July 2022, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into an unknown individual, later identified as Daragjati, using stolen identities to commit fraud. Daragjati opened up commercial lines of credit with Sunbelt Rentals using the PII of victims. After renting thousands of dollars of equipment from Sunbelt Rentals, he pawned or stole the equipment. Daragjati’s actions caused a felony arrest warrant to be issued for an innocent victim. The Florida Highway Patrol – Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, with assistance from other members of law enforcement, determined that Daragjati fraudulently obtained 26 genuine Florida driver licenses and identification cards.
Homeland Security Investigations also determined that Daragjati, using two fraudulently obtained Florida identification cards, applied for three Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in the identity of two victims. Unsuspecting lenders approved the three loan applications and Daragjati received approximately $150,000 in PPP loan proceeds.
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation determined that Daragjati submitted eight fraudulent federal tax returns using the stolen identities of six victims. The IRS approved one such tax refund and Daragjati received a refund of more than $3,000 in the identity of the victim.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office with valuable assistance provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol – Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. AUSA Mai Tran is handling the asset forfeiture.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute fentanyl was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison.
Johnathan Davis, age 30, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a January 23, 2023 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that law enforcement utilized a confidential source or undercover officer to conduct a series of controlled buys of purported heroin from Melvin Williams. During the controlled buys, Davis provided Williams with fentanyl which Williams in turn distributed to the confidential source or undercover officer. In late March 2022, Davis distributed an amount of fentanyl to Williams, who in turn distributed it to another person, which caused the person to suffer an overdose and die. Then, in early April 2022, Williams distributed fentanyl he had received from Davis to Justin Jensen, who in turn distributed it to another person, which caused the person to suffer an overdose and crash their car on a highway in Waterloo. On May 26, 2022, law enforcement officers searched a vehicle associated with Davis and located 200.59 grams of fentanyl.
Davis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Davis was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Davis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-02034.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Chambersburg Man Convicted of Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Guibbonz Marcellus, age 42, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted, following a four-day jury trial held before United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, of 23 counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Marcellus operated a tax-preparation business in Chambersburg called M&M Confident Multi Services from 2013 to 2016. In an effort to increase refund amounts and generate business, Marcellus regularly included false numbers on the returns he prepared and filed. The returns falsely claimed, among other things, the federal fuel-tax credit, business losses, and deductions for charitable gifts and unreimbursed employee expenses.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlo D. Marchioli and Paul J. Miovas are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each count is three years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
# # #
Chalmette Man Indicted for Federal Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On Friday, July 21, 2023, TYREE KING, age 33, a resident of Chalmette, Louisiana, was charged in Count 1 with for being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18 United States Code Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). In Count 2, he was charged with possessing a machinegun in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
If convicted of Count 1, KING faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. If convicted of Count 2, KING faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
California Man Sentenced to Prison for Mailing Methamphetamine to the Metro EastRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced a California man to spend 100 months in federal prison after he admitted to distributing methamphetamine to southern Illinois.
Jewelion Yarbrough, 34, of, Long Beach, California, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of methamphetamine. In addition to the prison sentence, Yarbrough will serve three years of supervised release.
“The defendant tried to elude detection by mailing methamphetamine inside of children’s toys and a small appliance box, which could have easily landed in the wrong hands if mistakenly delivered to an incorrect address,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I’m grateful to the agents who worked this case and apprehended this criminal.”
“Drug trafficking continues to fuel much of the violent crime that ATF investigates. There is no question that the cooperative efforts of the DEA, Postal Inspection Service and ATF to disrupt this distribution of methamphetamine and bring Mr. Yarbrough to justice, saved lives and likely prevented future drug related violence,” said Bernard Hanse, Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, confidential sources working with ATF identified Yarbrough as a methamphetamine distributor in July 2019. Agents conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from the defendant after communicating with him on social media, in which he mailed three separate packages containing narcotics from California to the Metro East. In total, the packages exceeded 100 grams of methamphetamine.
In the first two packages, Yarbrough disguised the methamphetamine in toys intended for children. In the third package, he disguised the narcotics in a kitchen appliance box. Law enforcement located Yarbrough’s fingerprints on both the drugs and the packaging.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Trippi prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced to More Than Four and A Half Years in Prison for Directing $2.6 Million Fraud Scheme from PrisonRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Ratha Yin was sentenced to 55 months in prison for his part in a conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing unemployment claims in the names of other people, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Quentin Heiden. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, United States District Judge.
Yin, 36, pleaded guilty to the charges on November 10, 2022. According to his plea agreement, from June of 2020 to at least September of 2021, Yin conspired with Steven Mavromatis, 28, of San Leandro, Calif., and others, including his wife, Amanda Yin, 33, of Indio, Calif., to submit fraudulent claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) for unemployment insurance. Ratha Yin admitted that he was an inmate housed in the California State Prison at Centinela in Imperial, Calif., when he devised the scheme. He used the identities of people from whom he did not obtain permission to fraudulently obtain funds being administered as part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (the CARES Act)—a program he has acknowledged was meant to provide unemployment insurance to people who had lost their jobs due to the economic slow-down resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
CARES Act funds were administered in relation to the presidentially declared national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the program, people were permitted to submit claims for unemployment to EDD online and qualified applicants were able to receive benefits by mail on pre-loaded debit cards. Ratha Yin admitted in his plea agreement that he used at least 136 different individuals’ personally identifiable information to claim EDD funds in their names.
Yin described the scheme in his plea agreement. For example, Yin admitted most of the people whose identities he used were incarcerated at prisons and other facilities throughout the country. Yin admitted he directed Mavromatis to create email addresses for people whose identities he had obtained and then used the email addresses to submit claims to the EDD online system. After receiving acknowledgements from EDD, Yin certified many of the fraudulent unemployment insurance claims and directed Mavromatis to certify other claims, as well. In addition, Yin further directed Marvomatis to rent mailboxes at, among other places, a UPS Store in San Leandro, Calif., to receive the debit cards on which the unemployment benefits were pre-loaded. Mavromatis and at least four other individuals then used the debit cards to withdraw the fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance funds in cash from ATMs. A portion of the fraudulently obtained funds were provided to Yin’ wife who, at Yin’s direction, deposited the cash into various financial accounts, including cryptocurrency wallets, controlled by her or others.
Ratha Yin admitted that he and the others involved in the scheme obtained at least $2,646,221 through the fraud.
On November 2, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Ratha Yin, Amanda Yin, and Mavromatis, charging each with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and conspiracy to launder proceeds of fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). In addition, Ratha Yin and Mavromatis were charged with an additional three counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028(A)(a)(1). On November 10, 2022, Amanda Yin pled guilty to conspiracy to launder proceeds of fraud and Steven Mavromatis pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
In addition to the prison term Judge Gonzalez Rogers also ordered Ratha Yin to serve five years of supervised release, to begin after the prison term. Judge Gonzalez Rogers also sentenced Amanda Yin and Mavromatis for their respective roles in the conspiracy, and scheduled a hearing on October 5, 2023, to determine restitution. Judge Gonzalez Rogers sentenced Amanda Yin to five years’ probation, including eight months of home detention. Judge Gonzalez Rogers sentenced Mavromatis to time served (6 days) and five years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General, the California EDD, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Bay Area Special Service Unit, and the Centinela State Prison Investigative Service’s Unit.
Burmese National Convicted at Trial of Conspiring to Assault Myanmar’s Ambassador to the United NationsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the conviction of PHYO HEIN HTUT, a Burmese national, of one count of conspiracy to assault a foreign official in connection with his participation in a plot to assault Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (the “Ambassador”). HTUT was found guilty after an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2024, before Judge Román.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “While volunteering on a security team at Myanmar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Phyo Hein Htut betrayed the person he was supposed to be protecting by secretly feeding information about the Ambassador, the Mission, and its personnel to an arms dealer in furtherance of a plot to hurt the Ambassador. The jury’s unanimous verdict holds him to account for his actions.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the evidence offered at trial, and matters included in public filings:
Between in or about February 2021 through at least on or about August 5, 2021, HTUT, a citizen of Myanmar residing in New York, conspired to injure or kill Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. During the conspiracy, HTUT communicated with an arms dealer in Thailand (the “Arms Dealer”) who sells weapons to the Burmese military, which overthrew Myanmar’s civilian government in or about February 2021. In the course of those conversations, HTUT supplied information to the Arms Dealer about the Ambassador, the inner workings of Myanmar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, and other Mission personnel. HTUT also accepted money the Arms Dealer sent to him to hire attackers to hurt the Ambassador in an attempt to force the Ambassador to step down from his post.
* * *
HTUT, 29, a Burmese national residing in New York, was convicted of conspiracy to assault a foreign official, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, and the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Coffman and Benjamin Klein, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Teresa Leo, are in charge of the prosecution.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Gun While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GIOVANNI CANDELARIO, 30, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 65 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm while on federal supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2015, Candelario was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In July 2018, Candelario was arrested for criminal firearm possession and other offenses and, in addition to a state sentence, he received 12 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.
On January 9, 2021, while he was still on supervised release, Candelario was arrested by the Connecticut State Police after a car he was driving on Route 8 in the Bridgeport area exceeded 115 miles per hour. Candelario eventually stopped his car near Exit 26 on Interstate 95, and a search of his person revealed a .357 revolver with an obliterated serial number.
Candelario has been detained since his arrest. On March 2, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Connecticut State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
This case is part of 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.
23 July 2023
Operation Stop Scam CallsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are cracking down on telemarketing operations responsible for billions of illegal calls to U.S. consumers. The initiative is called “Operation Stop Scam Calls.”
Enforcement actions target individuals and entities who deceptively collect consumers’ telephone numbers and then provide those telephone numbers to robocallers and others (falsely representing that these consumers have consented to receive calls), as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers who facilitate tens of billions of illegal robocalls every year. Significant actions have already been taken against individuals and entities who unjustly profited by facilitating the movement of money from scam call victims to fraudsters.
Illegal telephone calls interrupt cherished time with family and friends and, when they are used to commit fraud, can be financially and emotionally devastating.
The DOJ is taking action against those who trick people into phony consent to receive these calls and those who make it easy and cheap to place these calls.
Cases brought by the DOJ range from actions targeting fraudsters who directly contacted victims, to actions targeting those who provided scam call operators with the means to perpetrate their schemes. So far, the DOJ’s actions have contributed to over 180 actions taken by the federal and state partners participating in Operation Stop Scam Calls.
The DOJ and its partners urge consumers to be on the lookout for illegal calls, to take steps to minimize the number of illegal calls received, and to report any scam calls to law enforcement.
- Callers may pressure you to send money by trying to scare you. They may pretend to be someone you know who is in trouble, a government agency, or a major company. These are fraudsters. Hang up.
- Don’t trust your caller ID. It can be faked.
- If you answer the telephone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it’s potentially a robocall trying to sell you something. It is probably illegal and likely a scam.
- Only call a telephone number you know is real.
- Make sure your number is on the Do Not Call Registry, www.donotcall.gov, and consider using your telephone’s call blocking options or getting a call blocking app or service.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. To review a list of common transnational elder fraud scams, many facilitated by telephone calls, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/transnational-elder-fraud-strike-force.