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8 June 2023
District Man Found Guilty of Charges for Armed Robbery in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A jury found Nwabueze Igwe, 32, of Washington, DC guilty of robbing a man at knifepoint, in February of 2023, in Northwest Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. The verdict was returned on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2023.
Igwe was found guilty, following a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of February 13, 2023, the defendant yelled at the victim, a stranger, multiple times on the Metro as the pair were travelling in the same car on the Green Line. As the train stopped at the Gallery Place Station, the defendant approached the victim, entered his personal space, and took his North Face backpack. When the victim asked for his backpack, the defendant brandished and opened a switchblade as he warned the victim to back away.
The defendant and the victim both exited at Gallery Place. While the victim ran for help and found nearby officers, the defendant looked in both directions before jumping back on the train, with the victim’s backpack in his hand, as the doors were closing. Once he got back on the train, the defendant hid the backpack in a translucent trash bag. The defendant then exited at the next stop, Mount Vernon Station, where he walked throughout the station constantly looking over his shoulder before exiting the station on foot. Just over an hour later, the defendant returned to the Gallery Place Station, still carrying the victim’s belongings. Metro surveillance footage captures the defendant in the immediate moments after the robbery and confirms his flight path. He was apprehended at Gallery Place that night and charged with armed robbery.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. It was investigated, prosecuted, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Omeed A. Assefi and Sabena Auyeung, of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Nielsen and Kathleen Kern, Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Carolyn Carter-McKinley, and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.
Defendant who brought homemade gun to downtown Seattle protest sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle –A former North Carolina man who brought an improvised gun to a 2020 Seattle protest and threatened to kill police was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for possession of a destructive device, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Devinare Antwan Parker, 31, was arrested Sunday evening, May 31, 2020, after he possessed an improvised firearm capable of firing shotgun shells. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The offense conduct was extremely dangerous…. It was a very volatile time when emotions were running high. He basically had a homemade shotgun which was extremely dangerous.”
According to records in the case, at about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, May 31, 2020, two Seattle Police Officers were driving their marked patrol car north on Third Avenue near Benaroya Hall. They saw Parker, who was downtown in violation of the curfew, walking down the middle of the street. Parker was ultimately arrested. When he was searched, officers found an improvised firearm constructed of two pieces of pipe and a firing pin with a laser pointer/ flashlight attached to the side. Parker also carried several shotgun shells that fit the device.
As he was being arrested, Parker shouted at the officers that he brought the weapon to the protest to shoot and kill police officers.
Following Parker’s federal arrest, prosecutors worked with his counsel to get him mental health treatment and the opportunity to resolve the case in King County’s mental health court. However, Parker repeatedly refused to participate in the mental health program, violated the conditions of his release with illicit drug use, and posted images on social media showing him using marijuana and displaying drugs, large amounts of cash, and apparent firearms parts.
In asking the court for a 27-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Erin H. Becker wrote to the court, “The government has struggled at length to reach a resolution in this case that would ensure community safety. For a long time, the government believed that this goal could be achieved through Mental Health Court. Parker’s mental illnesses and presumed addictions obviously present a danger to the community, and they may well have contributed to his offense. MHC offered an avenue for intensive oversight and supportive treatment to mitigate those risks. Unfortunately, it appeared that everyone wanted such a resolution except for Parker.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin H. Becker.
Crownpoint Woman Ordered to Pay over Half a Million in Restitution to the Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Marylynn Harry was sentenced to 5 years unsupervised probation and ordered to pay $551,436.00 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Harry, 63, of Crownpoint, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on Feb. 8, 2023, to Social Security fraud, a felony offense under federal law.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, Harry’s father, Alfred Becenti, passed away in October of 1996. At the time of his death, Becenti was receiving Retirement Insurance Benefits payments from SSA. Following her father’s death, Harry made herself the co-owner of the bank account the payments were deposited into and obtained numerous debit cards linked to account. She concealed and did not notify SSA or the bank of her father’s death and continually made use of the deposited funds. Over the course of twenty-five years, Harry fraudulently collected $551,436.00. When agents from SSA Office of the Inspector General confronted her, Harry quickly admitted wrongdoing.
The SSA Office of the Inspector General investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick E. Cordova prosecuted the case.
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23-125
Convicted Felon Who Illegally Possessed Ghost Guns, Ammunition, and Silencers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A West Greenwich man who was previously convicted and incarcerated on state felony firearm charges and who was later found by federal agents to be illegally in possession of firearms and parts to make – and stockpile – a collection of un-serialized, privately made firearms, also known as “ghost guns,” along with silencers and thousands of rounds of ammunition, was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Walter Garbecki, 38, previously admitted to a federal judge that, between March and July 2022, when he was unable to lawfully purchase firearms and ammunition from federally licensed firearms dealers due to previous felony convictions, he used various websites to purchase, firearm triggers and so-called “lower parts kits” to construct Glock-style pistols. Garbecki also ordered 2,480 rounds of ammunition, including 800 rounds of hollow point ammunition; firearm magazines and pistol holsters; and firearm maintenance supplies from the websites.
“Whether they are purchased, stolen, or manufactured at home from an internet-ordered kit, federal law is clear: firearms do not belong in the hands of felons, and we will work tirelessly to take them, and the criminals who carry them, off of our streets,” remarked U.S. Attorney Cunha. “I commend our federal partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their superb investigative efforts to keep Rhode Island communities safe.”
Garbecki pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on March 2, 2023, to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and possession of firearm mufflers or silencers. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to thirty-six months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
At the government’s request, items seized from Garbecki’s home on September 20, 2022, by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, including four fully functioning ghost guns and two in various stage of assembly; three silencers; approximately 1,500 rounds of ammunition; and various parts and kits used to assemble “Ghost Guns,” have been forfeited to the government, and will be destroyed.
“When individuals illegally manufacture firearms because they are unable to purchase them legally, ATF will continue to pour our resources into stopping these crimes in their tracks,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson.
“Walter Garbecki’s three-year sentence should serve as a warning to those who intend to misuse the U.S. Mail for this type of criminal activity,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The collaborative efforts and dedication of the Postal Inspectors, Special Agents of the ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office resulted in bringing Garbecki to justice. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains vigilant, pursuing criminals like Garbecki to ensure the public's trust in a safe and secure mail system.”
According to state court records Garbecki was convicted in 2019 in Rhode Island state court on charges of sale or possession of silencers; unlawful devices attached to a semi-automatic weapon allowing automatic fire; possession of a firearm while delivering or manufacturing a controlled substance; and drug trafficking. In that matter, law enforcement seized, among other items, an AR-15 style rifle that Garbecki modified to allow it to fire automatically; a Taurus .40 caliber handgun; three shotguns; seven rifles; a homemade firearm silencer; and cocaine and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
The current federal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Fentanyl, Firearms, and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Weare man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing firearms and ammunition as a prohibited person, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Brian Elliott, age 32, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for September 21, 2023. The defendant was indicted on March 21, 2022.
Elliott fled on foot following a vehicle stop by an officer of the Goffstown Police Department on May 22, 2021. During flight, Elliott dropped a backpack containing approximately 138 grams of fentanyl and various types of ammunition. A loaded firearm was also recovered from the scene the next day. On May 24, 2021, Elliott was apprehended at a Holiday Inn in Manchester, where negotiators succeeded in getting him out of his room. A subsequent search of his hotel room yielded additional fentanyl, as well as another firearm and ammunition. Elliott is a convicted felon and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
The charging statute for the drug offense provides a sentence of at least five years and no greater than 40 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least four years, and a maximum fine of $5,000,000. The charging statute for the felon in possession of firearms and ammunition offenses provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, a maximum term of supervised release of four years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Goffstown Police Department and Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
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Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Exporting Firearms to GhanaRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Eric Nana Kofi Ampong Coker, age 41, of Columbia, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the illegal export of firearms.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore; and Stephen Maloney, Director of Field Operations for the Baltimore Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”).
According to his guilty plea, since 2017 Ampong Coker has purchased at least 81 firearms from three separate Maryland Federal Firearms Licensees (“FFLs”) and in 2019 received Regulated Firearms Collector status through the Maryland State Police, which waived the restriction on the number of firearms he could purchase during a 30-day period.
As detailed in the plea agreement, investigators also determined that prior to 2021 Ampong Coker had shipped passenger vehicles to Ghana. In May 2021, federal agents surveilled Ampong Coker as he retrieved firearms purchased from one of the FFLs and was then observed in a variety of locations, including a business that packaged and shipped items from the Port of Baltimore. A shipping vehicle was subsequently seen departing that location on May 27, 2021. On May 29, 2021, Ampong Coker was searched as he was departing the United States from Detroit, Michigan, bound for Ghana. Among other items seized in his luggage were foam cutouts used for packaging and securing firearms in gun cases.
In early June 2021, HSI and CBP agents identified a shipping container scheduled to depart the Port of Baltimore for Tema, Ghana, on June 14, 2021. Included in the listed contents of the container was a 2018 Toyota Corolla registered to Ampong Coker. The list of contents of the container did not include any firearms. On June 8, 2021, HSI, ATF, CBP and other agents searched the contents of the shipping container. Within the trunk of the 2018 Toyota Corolla, which had the Defendant’s name on cardboard on top of the vehicle, the agents found a grey suitcase. Secreted in the lining of the suitcase, the agents found five 9mm handguns previously purchased by Ampong Coker.
Law enforcement authorities identified another shipping container bound for Ghana containing other vehicles associated with Ampong Coker. The vessel on which this container was loaded sailed from the Port of Baltimore in May 2021, was intercepted at sea on June 14, 2021, and returned to Baltimore on August 20, 2021, without having been off-loaded in Ghana or any other port enroute. On August 25, 2021, this container was searched, revealing six 9mm handguns and 16 9mm pistol magazines found in the vehicles associated with Ampong Coker.
Ampong Coker admitted that all of the firearms and magazines were identified on the U.S. Department of Commerce Control List, and he had not obtained the required license or written approval to export the weapons to Ghana.
Ampong Coker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for illegally exporting firearms. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has scheduled sentencing for September 6, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, HSI, and CBP for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, who is 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 and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Colombian Man Extradited to the United States for Role in Extensive Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man has been extradited to the United States from the Republic of Colombia to face charges related to his alleged role in a sophisticated money laundering organization that laundered approximately $1 million in proceeds from drug trafficking through United States banks.
Luis Fernando Galindo Ramos, 55, was arrested in Cali, Colombia on Nov. 9, 2021 and extradited to the United States today. Galindo was detained after appearing in federal court in Boston earlier today. On Aug. 19, 2021, Galindo was indicted by a federal grand jury on money laundering conspiracy, laundering of monetary instruments and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.
According to the charging documents, in or about August 2016, an investigation began into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Cali, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization allegedly laundered approximately $1 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE).
Galindo allegedly arranged the domestic transfer of substantial amounts of bulk cash within the United States. He maintained the security of those funds during the transfers through the exchange of passcodes. The funds were subsequently integrated into bank accounts located in the United States and held in the names of businesses and individuals in order to repay drug suppliers in Colombia. It is alleged that, by using the BMPE, Galindo conspired to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement. Approximately $550,000 in laundered bulk currency was seized during the investigation.
The charges of money laundering conspiracy and laundering of monetary instruments each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. The crime of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the amount involved. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Galindo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of Levy’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Coal Company and Agent Sentenced for Submitting False Coal Dust SamplingRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Black Diamond Coal Company, LLC and Walter Perkins, a certified dust examiner, were sentenced on Thursday for violating the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) regulations requiring accurate respirable coal-dust-sampling in underground coal mines. Black Diamond was sentenced for submitting false samples and Perkins was further sentenced for lying to MSHA special investigators.
Respirable coal dust causes pneumoconiosis or “black lung” disease in coal workers. Black lung is a progressive and irreversible disease leading to lung failure and death. However, it is preventable, by reducing the levels of respirable coal dust miners are exposed to while in the mines.
According to court documents, on October 6 and 7, 2020, Black Diamond Coal submitted dust-sampling results to MSHA for its required quarterly sampling. Those results were abnormally low and led to inquiries from the MSHA Barbourville District Office. On October 8, 2020, MSHA inspectors and investigators visited the Black Diamond Number 1 mine in Floyd County. There, they found the company’s continuous personal dust monitor (CPDM) running on the surface, in a first aid trailer. The CPDM should be worn by a miner underground, as he worked his normal shift, to accurately sample the coal dust underground.
A forensic analysis of the CPDM confirmed that it had not moved in days, despite Black Diamond submitting dust samples claiming it was conducting its required sampling underground, in accordance with MSHA’s mandatory health and safety regulations.
Perkins was employed by Black Diamond and was certified by MSHA as a dust-examiner. As part of his certification, he was trained by MSHA on how to properly conduct the required dust-sampling. When confronted with the CPDM running in the first aid trailer, Perkins claimed that he had given the CPDM to miner operating the continuous mining machine, but the operator had returned it to him stating that the CPDM had stopped working because of a fault. That was false and Perkins later admitted that he never gave the CPDM to the miner operator and the device never experienced a fault.
“Enforcement of mandatory health standards is a top priority for me and this Administration,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “The Mine Safety and Health Administration can only protect miners from the risk of developing black lung disease if it has accurate sampling results. Given the troubling spike in black lung cases in Appalachia, we must hold accountable those who choose not to comply with the law and put miners’ health and lives at risk.”
Black Diamond was sentenced to pay a fine of $200,000 and to two years of probation. Further, because there is no immediate way of knowing whether any miners may develop black lung because of dust overexposure, Black Diamond was ordered to pay restitution of $400 to any miner who is no longer employed in the mining industry – meaning they no longer have access to free black lung screenings – to obtain their own screenings. This restitution for miners exposed to unknown respirable dust levels, after a company falsified the dust-sampling, is the first of its kind.
Perkins, 45 of Harlan County, was sentenced to a 12-month split sentence, with 6 months to be served in prison and 6 months to be served in home detention, followed by one year of supervised release to follow.
“The purpose of these safety regulations is to prevent a progressive and irreversible disease,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “If employers falsify the dust sampling, not only are they are violating the law they are dramatically reducing the safety of their employees. That is simply unacceptable, and compelled us to prosecute this case.”
“Mine operators bear the responsibility for the safety and health of the miners they employ, and when operators avoid their legal obligation, the U.S. Department of Labor will use its enforcement powers to hold them accountable,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. “We thank the United States Attorney’s Office for partnering with us to enforce critical health regulations designed to prevent black lung.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by MSHA’s Barbourville District Office. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Greenfield and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grover, from the Department of Labor, represented the United States.
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Clermont County woman sentenced to more than 4 years in prison for COVID-19 relief fraudRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Kasey Hamer, 37, of Batavia, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 55 months in prison for pandemic relief fraud.
As part of her sentence, Hamer was ordered to pay more than $185,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, Hamer orchestrated a scheme to defraud several programs administered by the Small Business Administration designed to provide COVID-19 relief.
Hamer purported to assist family members and friends to apply for several CARES Act loans. Using the names, social security numbers and other identifiers of others, Hamer significantly overstated the gross revenues, monthly payroll, and/or number of employees for the businesses filed. Hamer then controlled disbursements of the loan funds that were issued to family and friends.
For example, in June 2020, Hamer falsely claimed that a relative ran an event planning business that generated gross revenues of nearly $105,000 and employed 15 people. Hamer knew this information was false.
Hamer also filed numerous fraudulent loan applications in her own name. For example, in one application, Hamer falsely claimed to make over $8,000 per month as a marketer.
In total, Hamer and her associates requested more than $1 million in relief loans and received more than $150,000 in SBA program funds. Hamer used the funds she received for purchases at restaurants and retail stores, online gambling and gambling.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed June 7 by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole. The case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo represented the United States in this case.
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Chief Compliance Officer Convicted of $50M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Florida man today for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Steven King, 45, of Miramar, was the chief compliance officer of a pharmacy holding company that fraudulently billed Medicare over $50 million for dispensing lidocaine and diabetic testing supplies that Medicare beneficiaries did not need or want. King and his co-conspirators operated A1C Holdings LLC, which held pharmacies in various states, including All American Medical Pharmacy in Warren, Michigan. When A1C secured prescriptions and refills on behalf of its pharmacies for medically unnecessary lidocaine and diabetic testing supplies, it violated Medicare and pharmacy benefit manager rules.
King and his co-conspirators took several steps to conceal their scheme, including enrolling their mail order pharmacies as brick-and-mortar retail locations to evade more rigorous oversight, shipping prescription refills for high-reimbursing medications and supplies without patient consent, concealing the ownership of A1C Holdings LLC and its pharmacies, and transferring patients among pharmacies without patient consent. King and his co-conspirators took each of these steps to ensure that Medicare continued to be billed for profitable medications and supplies. As chief compliance officer, King was in a unique position to prevent and report the fraudulent scheme, but he used his position to defraud Medicare instead.
The jury convicted King of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14 and he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine King’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Shankar Ramamurthy and Acting Assistant Chief Andrew Barras of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Central Texas Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Gatesville man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco on Wednesday to 240 months in prison for possession of visual depictions of sexual activities by minors.
According to court documents, Christopher Dallas Nelson, 43, possessed and uploaded images of prepubescent minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct to various social media platforms.
“The defendant in this case was dealt a significant and warranted prison sentence for his heinous actions,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “Let this serve as a reminder and a warning to others that our society will not tolerate such vile abuse of vulnerable, innocent children. Sexual predators like Nelson will face the full force of the law and the consequences will be severe.”
"The FBI is committed to protecting children from abuse and exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. for the FBI San Antonio Division “Thanks to the hard work of the Southern Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the assistance our law enforcement partners, this individual is now off the streets."
The FBI and Temple Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gloff prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
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Buffalo Man Sentenced for Assaulting an FBI AgentRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Tyler Collins, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of assaulting a federal officer and causing a bodily injury, was sentenced to time served (approximately nine months) and three years’ supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Franz M. Wright and Douglas A. C. Penrose, who handled the case, stated that on July 12, 2022, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Collins attempted to enter the FBI-Buffalo Division main office but was denied entry by the security guards inside of the front door. At the time, three federal agents were walking back to the main office and encountered Collins, who they observed was yelling into the intercom system. Collins was heard yelling expletives while physically banging on the FBI building’s door demanding entry. One of the federal agents attempted to calm Collins, at which time Collins punched the federal agent, physically assaulting him. One of the other federal agents discharged pepper spray, in an attempt to subdue Collins, who then fled on Elmwood Avenue. Collins was later taken into custody that evening after he was found walking on Delaware Avenue.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
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Bloods Gang Leader Sentenced to 37 Years in Prison for Murder-for-Hire Committed at McDonald's Drive-ThruRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez sentenced Bushawn Shelton to 37 years’ imprisonment for his leadership role in the October 4, 2018 killing of 71-year-old Sylvester Zottola and the July 11, 2018 attempted murder of Salvatore Zottola. The defendant pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy on August 22, 2022.
Co-defendants Anthony Zottola and Himen Ross were sentenced to life imprisonment following their convictions at trial. Co-defendants Herman Blanco, Arthur Codner, Jason Cummings, and Branden Peterson previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment that ranged from 16 to 22 years.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“For more than a year, the defendant led the charge in stalking, beating, stabbing, and eventually shooting an elderly man purely for money,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The lengthy sentence meted out brings an end to the brutality of this violent group. The community is safer as a result.”
As proven at the trial of Shelton’s co-conspirators, Anthony Zottola, Sr., hired Bushawn Shelton to kill Zottola’s father, Sylvester, and his brother, Salvatore. Shelton recruited numerous others to commit the murders, and together they engaged in a year-long conspiracy to carry out a series of violent attacks against Sylvester and Salvatore Zottola. Among other attempts, on November 26, 2017, Sylvester Zottola was menaced at gunpoint by a masked individual. On December 27, 2017, three men invaded Sylvester Zottola’s residence, struck him on the head with a gun, stabbed him multiple times, and slashed his throat. Zottola survived the attack. On July 11, 2018, a gunman shot Salvatore Zottola in the head, chest, and hand in front of his residence. Zottola survived the shooting.
Shelton arranged for the placement of a tracking device on Sylvester Zottola’s car, allowing co-defendant Himen Ross, a fellow Bloods gang member, to track Sylvester Zottola to a McDonald’s restaurant on Webster Avenue. There, while Zottola waited at the drive-through to pick up a cup of coffee, Ross fatally shot him multiple times. Ross and Shelton exchanged texts immediately after the hit, and then Shelton and Anthony Zottola exchanged texts, in which Anthony was informed that his father had just been murdered. Shelton texted Anthony Zottola: “Can we party today or tomorrow?” Anthony Zottola assured Shelton that he would have Shelton’s payment for carrying out the murder ready soon: “I have the cases of water in a day or so.” A photograph later recovered from one of Shelton’s cellular telephones depicts a cardboard box of bottled water, as well as over $200,000 in banded currency.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Kayla C. Bensing, Emily J. Dean, Devon Lash, and Andrew M. Roddin are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of paralegal specialist Brittany Wissel. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Morris assisted with forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
BUSHAWN SHELTON (also known as “Shellz”)
Age: 39
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-609 (S-3) (HG)
Bastrop Man Sentenced in Human Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Deray Montrez Richard, 38 of Bastrop, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 228 months (19 years) in prison in connection with a human trafficking case. Richard was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9,000.
“This is another case of a defendant taking advantage of vulnerable individuals in our society for selfish reasons,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “We know that there are many other instances of human trafficking and forced labor across our district and we are committed to funneling resources toward combating such heinous activity.”
According to evidence presented to the court, Richard met a 20-year-old female (Victim 1) on Facebook in the fall of 2020 and he convinced her to travel with him. In December 2020, Richard and another female (Victim 2) drove to Kentucky to pick up Victim 1 in order to prostitute for Richard. Once they picked her up, Richard and the two females drove to Mesquite, Texas where they got two hotel rooms. While in Mesquite, at Richard’s direction, Victim 1 saw several johns and performed sexual acts in exchange for money. Richard kept the money and in fact physically assaulted and forced Victim 1 to engage in prostitution. Richard left Mesquite with the two female victims, arrived in Bossier City, Louisiana on December 12, 2020, and rented two rooms at a local hotel. While in Bossier City, Richard directed Victim 1 to post escort ads on the internet advertising sexual services. He later got into an argument with Victim 1 that escalated to him beating her.
On December 13, 2020, Richard and the two female victims moved to another hotel in Bossier City and rented two rooms. While there, both female victims saw several johns and performed sexual acts at Richard’s direction. Later that day, Richard began to physically assault both female victims at the hotel. Victim 1 was able to flee the room and report the fight to the hotel clerk, then ran to a nearby convenience store for assistance. Officers with the Bossier City Police Department arrived, and Richard was arrested. After further investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Richard was indicted by a federal grand jury on human trafficking charges. Richard pleaded guilty to a charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion in February 2023.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Bossier City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell.
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Atlantic County Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting State Health Benefits ProgramsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A retail director for a local candy company was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for defrauding New Jersey state health benefits programs out of over $2 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Nicholas Tedesco, 49, of Linwood, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
Nicholas Tedesco’s brother and a leader in the conspiracy, Matthew Tedesco, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on Aug. 17, 2017 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 26, 2023. Nicholas Tedesco’s co-defendant, Christopher Broccoli, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on July 28, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2023. Two doctors involved in the scheme, John Gaffney and Brian Sokalsky, also pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 16, 2023, and Aug. 22, 2023, respectively.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2015 through April 2016, Nicholas Tedesco and others, working under conspiracy leader Matthew Tedesco, recruited individuals in New Jersey to obtain very expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications from an out-of-state pharmacy, Central Rexall Drugs Inc. in Louisiana. The conspirators knew that certain compound medication prescriptions – including pain, scar, antifungal, and libido creams, as well as vitamin combinations – were reimbursed for thousands of dollars for a one-month supply. The conspirators also knew that some New Jersey state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, municipal police officers, and state troopers, had insurance coverage for these particular medications.
Nicholas Tedesco recruited and paid several individuals to receive the medically unnecessary medications and to recruit others to receive them, including co-defendant Christopher Broccoli. The medically unnecessary prescriptions for individuals recruited by Nicholas Tedesco were authorized by Gaffney and Sokalsky.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Nicholas Tedesco to three years of supervised release. As part of the plea agreement, Nicholas Tedesco must forfeit $782,767 in criminal proceeds and pay restitution of $2.04 million.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone in New York, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Christina O. Hud of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Deputy Criminal Chief R. David Walk Jr. of the Criminal Division.
Armed Harnett County Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Dunn man was sentenced today to 212 months in prison for multiple charges, including drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Anthony Puente, 35, previously pled guilty to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Harnett County Sherriff’s Office oversaw multiple controlled purchases from Puente. In addition, an agent with the Dunn Police Department who was patrolling local hotels based on reports of increased narcotics activity in the area, observed Puente’s vehicle in two of the hotel parking lots. The officer approached Puente’s vehicle and, after detecting the odor of marijuana, asked Puente to exit the car. Puente consented to a weapons frisk, which uncovered 40 grams of crystal methamphetamine, five grams of cocaine and two grams of marijuana. After finding the drugs on Puente, the officer conducted a search of the car which yielded a 9mm pistol, six rounds of 9mm ammunition, 16 12-gauge shot gun shells, and additional amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Dunn Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-297-FL and 5:21-CR-189-FL.
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Ada Resident Sentenced for Witness Tampering and Federal Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timmie Lee Runnels, age 33, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for tampering with a witness in a federal case, and 10 years for being a felon in possession of ammunition, to run concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Ada Police Department, the Coal County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 18, 2022, Timmie Lee Runnels pleaded guilty to one count of Tampering with a Witness and one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition.
During the plea hearing, Runnels admitted that on January 5, 2021, he was involved in an altercation in Ada, Oklahoma, during which Runnels fired a gun at another vehicle. Officers searched Runnels’ vehicle and located 41 rounds of ammunition. Runnels was a convicted felon at the time of the incident. The defendant also admitted that from April 2021 to September 2021, while in jail awaiting trial, he made telephone calls with the intent to keep a witness from testifying in his case.
“The defendant knowingly interfered with a federal investigation by attempting to prevent his victim from testifying,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold offenders like Mr. Runnels accountable, while ensuring victims are heard and supported.”
“The defendant, a violent felon, used a firearm and was found in possession of ammunition, then attempted to avoid prosecution by intimidating a witness,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This type of behavior cannot—and will not—be tolerated. The twenty-year sentence imposed by the Court ensures that Runnels is off the streets and no longer a threat to the residents of the Eastern District.”
The Honorable Patrick R. Wyrick, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Runnels will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Zachary W. Parsons represented the United States.
21 Plead Guilty to Federal Charges in Maury & Lewis County Drug Distribution ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – 21 individuals charged with distributing substantial amounts of controlled substances in and around Maury County and Lewis County, Tennessee, have pleaded guilty to federal drug distribution charges, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
An indictment returned in December 2021 charged the following 14 individuals with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine, between March 2018 and September 2019:
Julio Esparza, aka Beto, 46; Freddy Quinones, 49; and Jesus Silva, aka Barbas, 41, all of McAllen, Texas; Brandon Dailey, aka Willie Earl, 40; Henry Davis, aka Hank, 43; Vincent Conner, aka Roe, 38; Derrick Nixon, aka Chewy, 55; Shanika Odom, aka Butterball, 32; Terry Strayhorn, aka Goldie Mac, 42; and Samuel Abernathy, 45, all of Mount Pleasant, Tenn.; Brent Burns, aka Smiley, 39; and Tristen Tisby, aka Jolly, 31, both of Columbia, Tenn.; and Tory Hardison, 28; and Carson Lunn, 26, both of Pulaski, Tenn.
In another indictment, the following seven individuals were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and oxycodone, between October 2017 and November 2020:
Michael Sowell, aka Mac Black, 38; Frank Sparkman, aka Chucky, 42; Antonio Sowell, aka Premo, 38; Tanasha Vaughn, aka Nesha, 24, all of Hohenwald, Tenn.; Charles Lowe-Kelley, aka White Chaz, 31, of Columbia, Tenn.; and Darron Weakley, aka Snype Lucas, 37; and Antonio Laster, aka Lil Memphis, 33, both of Nashville, Tenn. Michael Sowell and Antonio Sowell were also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
A third indictment charged Keadrick Duke, aka Kebe, 41, of Columbia, Tenn., with distribution of crack cocaine in November 2018.
Every defendant charged across these three indictments has now pleaded guilty, except for Brandon Dailey, who died while awaiting trial.
Many of these defendants face mandatory minimum prison terms of five, ten, or fifteen years, and up to life in prison when they are sentenced later this year.
This case is the result of a multi-agency investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Columbia Police Department; the Hohenwald Police Department; the Spring Hill Police Department; and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Levine and Nani Gilkerson are prosecuting these cases.
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7 June 2023
Wilson Man with Two Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced to 19 Years After Armed Robbery of Speedway Gas StationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Antwon Demarco Perry, of Wilson, was sentenced today to 228 months in prison for brandishing a firearm during a robbery. Perry, 37, pled guilty to the charge on March 16, 2023.
“Violent robberies like this often leave victims traumatized for years, even when no shots are fired,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This store clerk was just doing her job when she was held at gunpoint and ordered to hand over the cash in the register. The Wilson Police Department is partnering with our office to get dangerous, repeat felons off the streets to make our communities safer.”
“We value our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Wilson Police Chief Scott Biddle. “The arrest and prosecution of chronic, violent offenders like Mr. Perry are vital to making Wilson a safe place to live and raise a family. This partnership resulted in the conviction and sentencing that will keep Mr. Perry off the streets of Wilson for a long time.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on November 5, 2019, at around 10:30 p.m., officers with the Wilson Police Department responded to an armed robbery call at the Speedway gas station at 1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Wilson. The store clerk told officers that a masked man wearing a gray-camouflage jacket and light blue gloves pointed a firearm at her and demanded money from the register. She handed over money from the register, and the robber fled on foot.
The State Crime Lab analyzed matching light blue gloves recovered during the course of the investigation for DNA, and the results came back as a match for Perry. When investigators approached Perry, he admitted to committing the robbery to repay a drug debt.
This is Perry’s third federal felony conviction. In 2004 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, he was convicted of numerous offenses, including armed carjacking and use of a firearm during that crime, and received a 60-month sentence. Then, in 2012, Perry was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina of possessing a firearm as a felon and received a 71-month sentence.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Wilson Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-0052-D.
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Wilmington Man Sentenced to 90 Months for Drug Conspiracy Which Led to an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Stefano Saienni, 31, of Wilmington, was sentenced on June 1, 2023, to 90 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced sentence. The government successfully argued at sentencing that Saienni sold fentanyl-laced pills that ultimately led to the overdose death of William H. Ebert, IV. While the Department of Justice typically does not disclose the names of victims, Mr. Ebert’s family wish that he not be forgotten.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2022, the New Castle County Police Department responded to a fatal overdose in Bear, Delaware. After locating and analyzing the victim’s cellular phones, law enforcement located messages between Saienni and the victim coordinating the sale of counterfeit oxycodone pills, which contained fentanyl. Within those messages, Saienni often described the counterfeit pills as “fire” knowing there was fentanyl inside.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the sentencing, “Illicit drug overdoses continue to destroy families and ravage our communities. Investigating and prosecuting those who sell fentanyl and counterfeit pills is paramount to my office and our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners. We will seek justice against those who profit from illegally selling fentanyl. As importantly, if customers die from using their product, drug dealers will face the prospect of significant prison sentences.”
“The dangers of fake pills cannot be underestimated, as evidenced by Saienni’s sale of them that resulted in an overdose death,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Fake pills are more widely available, more accessible, and deadlier than ever before. Learn more about the dangers of fake pills at www.dea.gov/onepill.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin P. Pierce prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the DEA and the New Castle County Police Department.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to helping those who suffer from substance abuse. If you need help, drug treatment information is available any time through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Treatment Referral Routing Service, found online at dpt2.samhsa.gov/treatment/ or by dialing 1.888.545.2600.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-CR-00054.
Whiteside County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzling from Labor OrganizationRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Whiteside County man has been sentenced to a federal prison term for embezzling from a labor organization.
BRENT TOPPERT, 43, of Morrison, Ill., was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston to five months in federal prison, to be followed by six months of home detention. Toppert was also fined $5,000.
Toppert was the elected Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Local 238 of the Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America, a labor organization that represents members who provide security at a nuclear plant in Cordova, Ill. Toppert pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year and admitted that from 2013 to 2018 he made several unauthorized withdrawals from SPFPA’s bank account, totaling $55,140.98, which he converted to his personal use.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Love and Vincenza Tomlinson.
“While the vast majority of union officials do their work diligently and without incident, unfortunately criminal violations do occur,” said District Director Murray. “When they do, it is the union and its members that are the victims. Brent Toppert embezzled over $55,000 from SPFPA Local 238 that should have been used for its members’ benefit. OLMS is committed to holding accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position for financial gain at the expense of their fellow union members.”
Utah Man Facing Federal Charges After Allegedly Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging an alleged Utah drug dealer for distributing an illicit drug that resulted in the death of another person.
According to a criminal complaint, Shereldon Cly Yanito, a/k/a “Bobby,” 23, of Grand County, Utah, allegedly sold fentanyl to a victim who overdosed and was found dead by responding officers on April 15, 2022, in San Juan County. A post-mortem examination concluded that the victim died as a result of fentanyl intoxication. According to associates of the victim, Yanito sold counterfeit blue “M30” pills containing fentanyl to the victim. Financial research revealed that on April 14, 2022, the night before the victim’s deadly overdose, a $40 financial transaction occurred between the victim’s digital wallet account and Yanito’s digital wallet. In May 2023, Yanito allegedly admitted to an undercover agent via social media that he previously sold “blues” for $40 but had stopped. Following some additional messages regarding powder cocaine, Yanito agreed to meet the undercover agent but was arrested during a traffic stop and transported to Grand County Jail.
Yanito is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Yanito is scheduled for an arraignment on his indictment Thursday June 8, 2022, at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler in Room 2B 206 in the U.S District Courtroom located at the state courthouse in St. George, Utah.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
Union County Man Convicted of Tax Evasion and Failing to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was convicted of tax evasion and failing to file personal income tax returns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announced today.
Jonathan D. Michael of Springfield, New Jersey was convicted of one count of tax evasion, from 2014 through 2018, and five counts of failing to file tax returns during the same period. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Michael worked as a mechanic by a port-operating company in New Jersey. From 2014 through 2018, Michael earned over $1.4 million from the port-operating company. In February 2014, he submitted a Form W-4, “Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate” to his employer in which he falsely claimed to be completely exempt from federal income tax withholding, which caused the employer to stop withholding federal income taxes from his wages. In November 2016, after the IRS sent Michael a notification that he was not entitled to claim exempt status, Michael wrote the company and claimed that his false W-4 was correct. Despite earning income each year over the threshold that would require him to file individual income tax returns, Michael failed to file such tax returns with the IRS for the years 2014 through 2018.
The maximum penalty for tax evasion is five years of in prison; the maximum penalty for failure to file as charged in Counts Two through Six is one year per count.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Feldman Nikic of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark and by Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recovers Millions in PPP Fraud JudgmentsRead the Press Release
Oxford, Mississippi – U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner announced today that in addition to ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi is conducting a comprehensive civil investigation regarding potential fraud involving the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, that has resulted in over $20 million dollars in judgments to date. Specifically, the investigation is using the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733 to target fraudulent loans obtained through the Paycheck Protection Program.
The Civil Division’s lawyers have obtained more than 150 False Claims Act judgments to date (more than any other district in the country) and obtained millions of dollars in those judgments. In addition to allowing the government to recover treble damages or triple the amount of the PPP loan, the False Claims Act also allows the United States to recover up to $27,018 in penalties for each PPP loan, bank processing fees, and a $402 court filing fee.
In addition to the civil judgments the office has obtained, investigations initiated by the Civil Division’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Attorney, Harland Webster, have also uncovered fraud schemes that subsequently resulted in criminal prosecutions. One includes Chris Lick of Starkville, Mississippi, who was sentenced to 78 months for submitting a fraudulent PPP loan application and has a $12,000,000 civil judgment. Another example is Mississippi attorney and SBA employee LaKeith Faulkner, who was sentenced to 62 months and ordered to pay $10,600,000 in restitution for his role in a scheme to obtain fraudulent PPP loans.
In announcing the ongoing investigations, U.S. Attorney Joyner remarked, “We anticipate focusing on PPP fraud for several years to come and are proud to be recovering tax-payer money. We will not allow fraud schemes to remain unchecked in our district and we will use all civil and criminal remedies available to hold accountable those who committed fraud.”
Civil Chief John E. Gough, Jr. stated, “We are uncovering fraud throughout our district. This fraud scheme was rampant, and we would like the public’s help in recovering these ill-gotten funds. If you have a tip regarding potential fraud in our district, please contact us by sending an email to USAMSN.CovidFraudNDMS@usdoj.gov .”
The investigations into PPP fraud by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi have been ongoing for approximately 12 months and have expanded to areas all across the District. Recent amendments to federal law have extended the statute of limitations for civil and criminal fraud enforcement actions involving PPP loans from six years to a period of up to ten years.
Two men sentenced for methamphetamine trafficking in West VirginiaRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men were sentenced today in separate cases for trafficking methamphetamine in Randolph and Hardy Counties.
William Thomas DeSantis, 32, of Akron, Ohio, will serve 10 years and 4 months in prison for transporting methamphetamine from Ohio to Randolph County, West Virginia. During a traffic stop, officers found nearly 600 grams of methamphetamine in magnetic storage boxes hidden throughout DeSantis’s vehicle. The investigation revealed that DeSantis was a supplier for several people in Elkins, West Virginia, transporting hundreds of grams of methamphetamine to be sold.
In a separate case, Scott Allen Greenwalt, 50, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 8 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations. Investigators used a confidential informant on several occasions to purchase methamphetamine from Greenwalt in Hardy County. Officers executed a search warrant and found nearly 50 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm pistol in Greenwalt’s house.
The Mountain Region Drug Task Force investigated the DeSantis case. The Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the Greenwalt case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted both cases on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Two Pocatello Police Officers Honored in Justice Department’s Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community PolicingRead the Press Release
BOISE – Two Pocatello Police Department officers—Corporal Demetrius Amos and Patrolman First Class Mackenzie Handel—received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing at a ceremony presided over by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Monday in Washington, D.C. Corporal Amos and Patrolman Handel were two of only nineteen law enforcement officers and deputies from 15 jurisdictions across the country to receive this prestigious honor this year.
The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and Tribal sworn rank-and-file officers, deputies, and troopers for exceptional efforts in community policing. The awarded individuals have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations, or innovations in community policing.
Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei and Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad attended the ceremony along with representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
“Every day, law enforcement officers across the country are asked to respond to some of the most difficult, most dangerous, and most traumatic moments that our communities face,” said Attorney General Garland. “Today’s awardees exemplify the very best of the noble profession of policing.”
In May 2022, Officers Demetrius Amos and Mackenzie Handel and their trainees (new hires on just their third day with the Pocatello Police Department) responded to a domestic disturbance in which a man was threatening a woman and a child with a gun. When the officers and trainees arrived, the subject turned his rifle on them. Officer Amos fired twice, and the subject fled to an alley, took cover, and lay in wait to ambush them when they followed. When they did, he fired multiple rounds—gravely injuring Amos and then injuring Officer Handel, who had placed himself in the line of fire to protect his trainees. Handel was able to direct additional responding officers to the subject, who surrendered, and to guide a new hire in providing emergency medical care for Amos and himself. The subject was transported to a local hospital by ambulance; Amos and Handel were evacuated in patrol vehicles. Officer Handel’s selflessness and quick thinking resulted in his own injury but likely saved the lives of officers around him, including Officer Amos. Amos’s encouraging messages to his department through his period of recovery unquestionably improved morale among colleagues who had been affected by the incident.
“Corporal Amos and Patrolman Handel are extremely well-deserving of this honor,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. “They responded with bravery and professionalism to protect the community from a cowardly act of violence. The officers that assisted them immediately after the shooting and, indeed, the entire Pocatello Police Department, also have our praise and gratitude. All of their actions during this traumatic event, and in its aftermath, represent the best of law enforcement and are a credit to Idaho.”
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing is made possible through the Department’s work with national law enforcement stakeholder groups, who play a vital role in the review process. The result is this annual awards program, which allows the Department to highlight a group of officers whose commitment to their communities is obvious through their exceptional efforts.
A list of award winners can be found here. Complete information on the Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing can be found here.
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Two Green Bay Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl Disguised as Percocet.Read the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 24 and June 1, 2023, Senior U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Don A.K. James, Jr. (age: 24) and Frederick L. Brewer (age: 34) to 15 years and 12 years in federal prison, respectively, after a jury convicted the Green Bay men of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Possessing Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute, and Distributing Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841 and 846.
The evidence presented at trial showed that in January and February 2022, Brewer sold fentanyl pills to an informant working with the Brown County Drug Task Force (“BCDTF”). The potentially lethal pills had been illicitly manufactured to resemble Percocet®, in the form of blue “M30” pills. After BCDTF investigators arrested Brewer, they learned that James—Brewer’s brother—had negotiated with an Arizona-based source to buy thousands of counterfeit Percocet® “M30” pills containing fentanyl. James flew to Arizona in early January 2022 to buy at least 15,000 pills. While there, he sent a video to a large-scale buyer in the Green Bay area. The video showed that James had at least 19,000 pills to distribute. James flew back to Wisconsin and boasted to the buyer that James now had 30,000 fentanyl pills and was ready to do business. Brewer conspired with and assisted James in the fentanyl-trafficking operation, including when James returned from Arizona with the “load” of pills. When James was arrested, he attempted to swallow a bag of 58 fentanyl pills. After a several-minute struggle, during which BCDTF investigators administered Narcan to protect James against a potential overdose, they caused James to spit out the still-intact bag. James feared that he had swallowed two pills and pleaded for additional medical help. Investigators quickly summoned an ambulance, which transported James to the hospital for medical clearance. James later posted bail and was released, only to be re-arrested in June 2022 when he was found in possession of over 750 fentanyl pills with the intent to distribute.
In sentencing both men, Judge Griesbach emphasized that trafficking fentanyl is equivalent to distributing “poison.” The judge cited recent data from the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) that 6 in 10 counterfeit pills tested at DEA Crime Labs contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. In 2021, the DEA determined that 40% of pills were potentially lethal, but by 2022, the fatal dosage increased to 60% of tested pills.
According to the DEA, fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug poisoning in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Tim Funnell prosecuted the cases.
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Two Federal Bureau of Prisons Employees Charged with Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate Resulting in His DeathRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury indicted a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant and a BOP registered nurse yesterday with violating the civil rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in his death.
The indictment alleges that on Jan. 9, 2021, Lieutenant Shronda Covington, 47, of Chesterfield, Virginia, and Registered Nurse Tonya Farley, 52, of Chesterfield, Virginia, were on duty and working in their official capacities at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg, Virginia. On that day, they allegedly each willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care, resulting in W.W.’s death, even though each knew that W.W. had serious medical needs. Farley is also charged with writing a false report about the incident, and Covington and Farley are each charged with making false statements to federal agents about the incident.
The civil rights charges each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, the false report charge carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and each false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Russell W. Cunningham of the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Washington Field Office made the announcement.
DOJ OIG investigated the case.
Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Federal Bureau of Prisons Employees Charged with Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate Resulting in His DeathRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury indicted a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant and a BOP registered nurse yesterday with violating the civil rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in his death.
The indictment alleges that on January 9, 2021, Lieutenant Shronda Covington, 47, of Chesterfield, and Registered Nurse Tonya Farley 52, of Chesterfield, were on duty and working in their official capacities at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg, Virginia. On that day, they allegedly each willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care, leading to W.W.’s death, even though each allegedly knew that W.W. had serious medical needs. Farley is also charged with writing a false report about the incident. Covington and Farley are each charged with making false statements to federal agents about the incident.
The civil rights charges each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, the false report charge carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and each false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge of the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Washington Field Office, made the announcement.
DOJ OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-68..
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Two D.C. Businessmen Found Guilty of Bribing D.C. Tax Official to Erase Millions in Tax LiabilityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today, a federal jury found Anthony Merritt, 48, of Washington D.C., and Andre De Moya, 54, of Temple Hills, Maryland, guilty of bribery, conspiracy, and wire-fraud offenses arising from their scheme to bribe former D.C. Tax Official Vincent Slater, so that Slater would erase millions of dollars of their District tax liabilities. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for De Moya on October 17, 2023; and for Merritt on October 23, 2023.
According to the evidence at trial, De Moya paid Slater, a former employee of the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR), to fraudulently eliminate tax liabilities of businesses owned by De Moya and others, including Arman Amirshahi and Charles Zhou. Anthony Merritt served as a middleman, whom De Moya and Slater relied upon to communicate with Slater and who facilitated the bribe payments. Merritt also took a cut of the bribe payments. Amirshahi, Zhou, and Slater all previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this and related bribery schemes, and are awaiting sentencing.
The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, with the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
The statutory maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years in prison; for bribery, is 15 years in prison; and for wire fraud, is 20 years in prison. A federal court judge will determine the appropriate sentence based on the guideline range and other factors.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the agencies who investigated the case, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, with substantial assistance by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Integrity and Oversight. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Amanda Rhode, and Mariela Andrade, and former paralegal specialist Aisha Keys.
Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Macey and Timothy Visser, who prosecuted the case at trial, and Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Miller and Molly Gaston, and former AUSA Amanda Vaughn, who investigated the case.
Statement from Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice on the Adoption of the Equal Access to Justice Resolution at the United Nations Crime CommissionRead the Press Release
The Office for Access to Justice today issued the following statement from Director Rachel Rossi following the adoption of the “Equal Access to Justice for All” resolution at the 32nd Session of United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna, Austria:
“The Office for Access to Justice is pleased to have played a role in the recent adoption by consensus of the first UN-CCPCJ resolution on access to justice. This resolution recognizes that when access to justice is limited or restricted in criminal justice systems, the rule of law is undermined. The resolution emphasizes the importance of United Nations Member States taking ‘all necessary steps to provide fair, transparent, effective, non-discriminatory and accountable services that promote access to justice for all;’ notes the importance of cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships; promotes efforts that reduce inequities in justice systems; and requests that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime hold a first-ever convening of experts on enhancing equal access to justice for all. The adoption of this resolution is a significant step forward, as it establishes goals that reflect the same work and mission our Office has undertaken here in the United States.”
Starkville Man Sentenced in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and money laundering.
According to court documents, Terrance Chandler, 44, of Starkville, Mississippi, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance and one count of money laundering. Chandler was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown to 240 months in prison for both counts. He was further sentenced to three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
Court records show that Chandler was involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting large quantities of marijuana and methamphetamine from Texas and distributing them throughout the Northern District of Mississippi, the Southern District of Mississippi, and elsewhere. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned over a year. Chandler was indicted along with fourteen other individuals.
“The U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of individuals who choose to illegally sell dangerous and unlawful drugs in our towns and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We hope that today’s sentence will make other individuals think twice before they choose to seek quick profits from distributing illicit drugs.”
“Terrance Chandler’s sentence is a victory for law enforcement and the people of Mississippi. Chandler was a major player in a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into our state,” said Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “His conviction and sentence should send a clear message to other drug traffickers that they will be held accountable for their crimes. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Multiple agencies assisted with the investigation including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Mississippi Highway Patrol, Starkville Police Department, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Department and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Hampton and Sam Stringfellow prosecuted the case.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane, WA – Earlier today, Senior United States District Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen sentenced Jaiden Gyvan Petersen, age 24, of Spokane, Washington, to 240 months in federal prison today for two counts of Production of Child Pornography (240 months on each count to be served concurrently). At the conclusion of his prison term, Petersen will spend the rest of his life on federal supervision. Senior Judge Nielsen ordered restitution to the victims of Petersen’s offenses in the amount of $23,400. Petersen had entered a guilty plea to two counts of Production of Child Pornography on December 8, 2022.
This case stemmed from a CyberTip or a notice to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reporting the online exploitation of children. The FBI received the CyberTip, which originated from Snapchat, indicating child pornography had traveled across Snapchat’s servers from Petersen’s Snapchat account.
Petersen was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted the Snapchat account in question was his. He further admitted he had been receiving and distributing child pornography for years.
Law enforcement obtained a federal search warrant and searched serval of Petersen’s electronic devices. All of these devices were reviewed forensically. During the review, the FBI found at total of over 1,000 child pornography images and 10 child pornography videos. Three images were of a local production victim — i.e., a victim of a separate defendant also prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington — that were traded directly with Petersen. Other illicit images in Petersen’s possession included urination and child bondage.
During the investigation, the FBI also located child pornography images Petersen had produced himself. Specifically, Petersen produced child pornography with a six-year old child to whom he had access when Petersen was himself was 17-years old. Petersen later distributed these images after he became an adult. Because Petersen produced those images when he was 17 years old, the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney is prosecuting the case pertaining to this first victim.
As an adult, Petersen produced additional child pornography of two other children. The children were 13 years and 14 years old respectively when the production occurred. The older child was a person Petersen knew personally, and the younger child was a person Petersen met on Xbox Live. Petersen asked both victims to produce very specific images of child pornography and to send these materials to him, often through Snapchat.
At today’s sentencing, Senior Judge Nielsen noted the seriousness of the misconduct and stated, “Your conduct will have an adverse effect psychologically on the lives of your victims.” Judge Nielsen also told Petersen that the victims he selected were young and vulnerable, “so not only were they victims, but their family members are victimized also as a result” of Petersen’s actions.
“This case unfortunately serves as a stark reminder of the need to educate children, even young teenagers, of the dangers that lurk online,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Our office prioritizes these offenses against our community’s youngest and most vulnerable and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm children.”
“For years now, Mr. Petersen has shown a willingness to exploit children.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Not only did he receive and distribute disturbing images, he produced pornographic images with child victims he knew personally. This case demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our partners to protect children from people like Mr. Petersen, who seek to harm and exploit them.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
- Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The federal case was investigated by the Spokane Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Alison L. Gregoire, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. Hannah Sterns, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, will now take custody of Mr. Petersen to complete the prosecution pertaining to the youngest production victim.
2:20-CR-00146-WFN
Skaneateles Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Marc L. Leonardis, age 50, of Skaneateles, New York, was sentenced today to serve 188 months in prison for receiving child pornography within online groups designed for trading images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As a part of his earlier guilty plea, Leonardis admitted that he surreptitiously took images of a child and posted the images, more than 200 times, to three online trading groups, receiving images depicting the sexual exploitation of children in return. Leonardis also admitted chatting with members of the trading groups, including an undercover FBI agent, about his ongoing sexual abuse of the child whose pictures he shared.
In addition to the 188-month prison sentence, Hon. David N. Hurd sentenced to Leonardis to 15 years supervised release, which will commence upon his release from prison, ordered him to pay $5,000 in restitution to each of two victims of the pornography he received, and to pay a total of $5,100 in special assessments. Leonardis will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Capital Area and Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Forces, in cooperation the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York, prosecuted the case.
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 about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Six indicted in scheme that defrauded pandemic relief programs of more than $3 millionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A wide ranging fraud scheme, led by 29-year-old Paradise Williams, of Phoenix, was detailed today in a 26-count indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Two defendants were arrested Monday in Phoenix, a third was arrested in Houston, and three defendants were arrested in Washington State. Two Seattle defendants are detained at the Federal Detention Center with hearings scheduled Friday and next week.
“The participants in this fraud were relentless in exploiting pandemic relief programs that were intended to assist small businesses and people who were vulnerable to eviction,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “The need for the emergency rental assistance greatly outweighed the funds available, and we know that fraud schemes such as this one stole money that should have gone to those desperately needing help.”
According to the indictment, Paradise Williams was the hub in a wheel of fraud. She created fake documents and told her accomplices how to pose as landlords and tenants claiming to need rental assistance. Because the program would pay for back rent and future payments, the person posing as the fraudulent landlord got payments of tens of thousands of dollars for each fake tenant application. Williams received kickback payments from those who used the scheme for fraud. Williams herself received more than $740,000 in emergency funds by posing as the landlord on at least 21 different applications for rental aid. In fact, neither Williams nor her accomplices owned any rental properties and were not the tenants they impersonated.
In addition to Williams the grand jury indicted:
Rayvon Darnell Peterson, 32, of Seattle, Washington
Tia Janee Robinson, 28, of Fife, Washington
Jahari Asad Cunningham, 45, of Houston, Texas
D’arius Akim Jackson, 37, Bonney Lake, Washington
David Jesus Martinez, 32, Pacific, Washington
In addition to the rental assistance fraud, members of the group defrauded or attempted to defraud the unemployment systems in Washington, California, South Carolina, and Nevada.
Between June 2020 and August 2021, Williams and others submitted at least 35 fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) seeking more than $3.7 million from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Two of the loans were funded for a loss of $300,000. Williams assisted her accomplices with forging documents and fake tax statements to defraud the SBA. Williams used multiple common email addresses and a common naming convention for business names as she attempted the fraud.
Williams and others also sought to defraud a different SBA program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In April and May 2021, Williams, Jackson, and others submitted at least 13 fraudulent applications to the SBA PPP program seeking approximately $253,000. Nearly $212,000 was paid out.
According to the indictment the money was used for luxury cars, lavish trips, designer clothes, jewelry, and even plastic surgery. Williams used over $90,000 in cash and wire transferred funds, from the proceeds and kickbacks she received, to buy a 2018 Range Rover sport utility vehicle and a 2017 Lexus ES Sedan. Both vehicles were seized in Phoenix on Monday. In June 2021, Williams used funds from the frauds to travel to Miami and while there she rented a Lamborghini.
Wire fraud in connection with a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from SBA-OIG.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang.
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
Six Defendants Arrested for Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging six defendants — SALIF NDAMA-TRAORE, KYLE EMORDI, KEITH EMORDI, AMADOU TIDIANE BA, MOHAMMED NABI ELIKPLIM AKINOTCHO, and IBRAHIM BOCOUM — with conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a business email compromise (“BEC”) scheme that used spoofing attacks to deceive victims into sending a total of approximately $5.8 million to bank accounts that had been opened using fake and stolen information. All six defendants were arrested and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray in the Southern District of Texas. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Sitting behind their computer screens, the defendants and others used email spoofing to insert themselves into legitimate business transactions and deceived victims across the country into sending millions of dollars to fraudulent bank accounts. Thanks to the efforts of this Office and its law enforcement partners, the defendants now face the long arm of justice.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a business email compromise scheme in which they induced the victims to make fraudulent payments totaling more than $5 million. Additionally, in an attempt to conceal their actions, the defendants withdrew their ill-gotten gains in a manner intended to evade federal reporting requirements. As today’s action demonstrates, the FBI remains committed to bringing those who engage in fraudulent activity to justice.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “Business email compromise and money laundering schemes, although not violent, are not victimless and can be devastating to the organizations and individuals who fall prey to them. While the network of online criminals targeting unsuspecting victims is growing every day, today’s charges should send a clear message to scammers committing fraud – wherever they are based – that they will be identified and held fully accountable. The NYPD will continue to work tirelessly with all of our law enforcement partners to address this pervasive threat head-on.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
From July 2021 through February 2022, the defendants and others engaged in a fraudulent BEC scheme that involved impersonating legitimate business contacts by email to induce five victims — a hospital, a labor union, a law firm, a real estate closing company, and a logistics company — into remitting payments totaling approximately $5.8 million to fraudulent bank accounts. Each of the fraudulent bank accounts was opened shortly before the diversion of funds, and at least three accounts were opened using a fake driver’s license or stolen social security number. Internet protocol registration information also shows that the defendants logged into several of the fraudulent accounts online.
The funds were immediately moved from the fraudulent accounts to bank accounts held in the defendants’ own names or in the name of a defendant-owned company. The funds were then quickly transferred to additional savings or investment vehicles held in the defendants’ names, withdrawn in cash, or sent to co-defendants through ACH transfers or using a P2P payment service. Withdrawals were usually made in successive increments of less than $10,000 to avoid triggering federal reporting requirements. Some funds were pulled back after hitting the fraudulent accounts, resulting in the recovery of approximately $3.14 million and a total loss of approximately $2.66 million.
* * *
NDAMA-TRAORE, 39, KYLE EMORDI, 26, KEITH EMORDI, 29, and BOCOUM, 32, all of Houston, Texas; AKINOTCHO, 33, of Cypress, Texas; and BA, 35, of Sugar Land, Texas, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California; the FBI Field Offices in Columbia (Hilton Head Resident Agency), Houston, and Sacramento; and the police departments of New York City, the City of Beaufort, and Houston for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. v. Ndama-Traore et al IndictmentSioux City, Iowa Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Antonio Thomas Sioux Baker, 27, of Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced June 7, 2023, for assault of an intimate or dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Baker to 3 years imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Baker will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
In March of 2022, Baker assaulted the victim at a gas station on the Winnebago Reservation. The victim, who had been in a dating relationship with Baker, got into a physical altercation with another woman who was at the gas station with Baker. Baker intervened and pushed the victim to the ground. After the victim got up, Baker continued to push the victim who eventually retreated from the altercation with the other woman and with Baker. Baker pursued the victim and struck her in the mouth. The victim lost a tooth and had a large laceration to her lip, requiring stitches. The incident was caught on video by a bystander at the gas station.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Several traffickers sentenced for smuggling meth for cartelRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Four U.S. citizens and one Mexican national have been sent to prison following their convictions for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute meth associated with the Michoacan drug cartel, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Gerardo Martinez, 65, pleaded guilty March 9. Maria Valdez, 30, Rodrigo Sandoval, 31, both of Laredo, pleaded guilty Sept. 13, 2022, as did Jose Alfredo Cruz-Salas, 37, of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Karina Garcia, 27, Laredo, pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2022. All admitted to conspiracy to transport a total of approximately 75 kilograms of meth into the United States from Mexico.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed Martinez a 240-month term of imprisonment, while Sandoval, Garcia, and Cruz-Salas received 60, 36, and 72 months, respectively. Valdez received 188 months yesterday.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described how defendant Valdez was transporting meth in a vehicle while her five-month-old son was in an improperly-fastened infant car seat. The court admonished Valdez for putting her son at risk in such a way and costing herself the opportunity to watch him grow up.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo noted that high-purity Mexican meth was a dangerous and disfiguring drug wreaking havoc on the community. Not a U.S. citizen, Cruz-Salas is expected to face removal proceedings upon the completion of his sentence.
“Martinez was hiding in plain sight, maintaining a front as a taxi driver while secretly doing the bidding of the Michoacan cartel on the streets of Laredo,” said Hamdani. “My late father was a taxi driver and the actions of Martinez simply offend me. He trafficked in pure meth and recruited multiple drivers. The seized drugs could have ruined countless lives. Today’s sentencings underscore the scope of the threat transnational drug cartels pose and our efforts to combat them.”
The investigation revealed a complex conspiracy which began Feb. 1, 2017, and continued through Sept. 29, 2018. Martinez assisted drug traffickers in Mexico by finding and recruiting drivers willing to transport large quantities of high-purity meth through Laredo and further into the United States.
Martinez maintained a front as an independent taxi driver while working on behalf of the Michoacan cartel. He admitted to coordinating the distribution of meth through Laredo on five separate occasions.
Sandoval, Cruz-Salas, Valdez, and Garcia each previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to deliver and transport meth through Laredo while working for Martinez.
All but Karina Garcia will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Karina Garcia was permitted to self-surrender at a later date.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Codigo Siete with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Laredo Police Department and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. 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, mutlti-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Several charged in coordinated action in business email compromise and money laundering schemesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 11 people in multiple states are now in custody on charges filed in two separate business email compromise prosecutions in the Southern Districts of Texas and New York, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The two-count Texas indictment charges five - Bolaji Okunnu, 29, and Philip Ogbeide Jr., 33, both of Houston; Ayodegi Okunnu, 24, Austin; and Victor Rubio Jr., 26, and Bougar Robert Linares Soto, 41, both of Los Angeles, California. Okunnu and Ogbeide made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray in Houston this afternoon.
Six others – all of whom reside in the Houston area – are charged in the New York indictment and also expected to appear today. More information will be available later on this case.
All are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The charges unsealed today pertain to alleged schemes that caused millions in losses to victims who were deceived into sending money to those charged in the scheme.
The charges stem primarily from business email compromise schemes. Conspirators allegedly posed as legitimate businesses and fraudulently diverted money from victim bank accounts into accounts they controlled. According to the charges, they gained access to business email accounts and spoofed email addresses to deceive victims into believing they were making legitimate payments.
The Texas charges include an alleged scheme that fraudulently diverted payments intended for a vendor that had provided electrical and mechanical services to a township in New Jersey. The charges allege conspirators obtained access to the email account of one of the vendor’s employees. They then used that email account to request payment for services to be sent to a new bank account that did not belong to the vendor, according to the charges.
The New Jersey township was allegedly deceived into wiring $287,236 to a fraudulent bank account Rubio had opened instead of actually paying the vendor. The charges further allege conspirators laundered the funds in a manner designed to conceal the source, ownership and control of the funds by quickly transferring the money from Rubio’s account to other bank accounts they controlled. They then withdrew the fraud proceeds incrementally in cash.
If convicted, those charged in Texas each face up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation with valuable assistance from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Edison Police Department in New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Thomas Carter are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Repeat Offender Arrested for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly distributing methamphetamine.
Vincent Lambert, 40, has been indicted on three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lambert was arrested today and appeared in federal court in Boston. Lambert was detained pending further proceedings.
According to the charging document, Lambert distributed methamphetamine in Boston on Feb. 15, 2023 and April 4, 2023, as well as in Cambridge on March 2, 2023. It is alleged that the February transaction involved five grams or more of methamphetamine, and that the March and April transactions involved 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to the charging document, Lambert was previously convicted of narcotics offenses in Massachusetts state court.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 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 of and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $8 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Levy’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit 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.
Rattan Resident Sentenced for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Marci Ann Weedon, age 46, of Rattan, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On June 16, 2022, Weedon pleaded guilty to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. At the plea hearing, Weedon admitted that on November 11, 2020, she approached a woman in the parking lot of a bar in Antlers, Oklahoma, and stabbed her twice in the chest. According to investigators, witnesses reported that Weedon stated she thought the victim was someone else before fleeing the scene on foot. Pushmataha County Sheriff’s deputies responding to the incident apprehended and arrested Weedon a short distance from the crime scene.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted this case because the victim is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Pushmataha County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Weedon will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
Raleigh Man Involved in Gas Station Shootout Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Marcus Antonio Williams, 36, of Raleigh was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented in court, during the early morning hours of October 3, 2020, Williams was involved in an altercation with multiple other individuals at a gas station on Trawick Road in Raleigh. Surveillance video from the gas station shows Williams, a multi-time convicted felon, with a gun in his hand. The video appears to show Williams shoot the firearm at an individual. Another man then returned fire. Williams and another individual each received gunshot wounds from the shootout. Weeks later, on November 18, 2020, police served a search warrant at Williams’s residence in Raleigh. Amongst Williams’s personal items, police found a .45 caliber handgun which had been reported stolen from Durham, NC.
“Felons are not permitted to own a gun and those who participate in violent shootings in public areas are particularly dangerous,” said. U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “My office will continue to prioritize these cases to get these violent individuals off the street. But this case should also serve as a reminder for gun owners to safely secure their firearms to keep them out of the hands of dangerous felons like Williams. Safe storage of guns is one of the best ways to prevent gun violence in the first place.”
“The Raleigh Police Department is proud to have worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by providing the necessary evidence to prosecute this case,” commented Chief Estella Patterson. “The sentencing of Mr. Williams ensures that he is no longer free to endanger the lives of innocent community members through willful and violent shootings. It is a top priority of the Raleigh Police Department to make our city the safest in the country, and we will do so by preventing violent offenders, such as Mr. Williams, from ever having the freedom to hold a firearm ever again.”
Williams was named in a single-count indictment on April 7, 2021, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm for the gun found amongst his belongings on November 18, 2020. He pleaded guilty on October 20, 2021.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan . The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon L. Boykin and Sarah E. Nokes prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-155-FL.
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Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Former Employer of $4.4 Million in Fake Invoice SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BHASKARRAY BAROT pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud his former employer out of approximately $4.4 million. BAROT pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter on September 7, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Barot created fraudulent invoices and processed them for payment at the Manhattan-based company where he used to work as a procurement manager. Barot designed the invoices to closely resemble the invoices that the company received from real vendors and other entities owed payment from the company. But the fraudulent invoices differed in a crucial way: they directed payment into Barot’s pocket. Today’s guilty plea emphasizes that this Office will seek justice for companies that fall victim to corporate theft.”
According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings:
From at least in or about July 2018, up to and including at least August 2022, BAROT engaged in a scheme to defraud his former employer (the “Company”) of approximately $4.4 million through fake invoices designed to resemble those received from legitimate vendors of the Company. BAROT used his position as a procurement manager at the Company to process the fraudulent invoices for payment. When doing so, he often affixed the fake invoices to email messages that he, in some cases, sent in the names of employees of the Company’s real vendors so that it would appear as though the real vendors were seeking payment on the fake invoices.
The fake invoices, however, stated that payment should be made to entities with names that often differed slightly from those of the real vendor companies. BAROT then incorporated companies and opened bank accounts in the names of some of the entities listed for payment on the fake invoices so that he could collect the payments that the Company made on the fake invoices.
BAROT repeated these fraudulent tactics with more than a dozen fictitious entities and caused payment from the Company on approximately 40 fake invoices, totaling approximately $4.4 million.
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BAROT, 32, of Queens, New York, pled guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case 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.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Coyle is in charge of the prosecution.
Philadelphia Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA— A resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to a drug trafficking offense, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Fiordaliza Rodriguez Reyes, age 35, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 11, 2020, Rodriguez Reyes was arrested by troopers of the Pennsylvania State Police after she was stopped on Interstate 76 and a search of her vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 800 grams of heroin in the trunk. Rodriguez Reyes was transporting the heroin from New York City to Pittsburgh for further distribution.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court permitted Rodriguez Reyes to remain on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Rodriguez Reyes.
Oregon Man Convicted of Crimes Against Children OffenseRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Julian Muriera, 30 years old, of Hillsboro, Oregon, was found guilty after a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty against Muriera on the single count of the Superseding Indictment for attempting to produce child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery, with assistance of AUSA Brent Ecenbarger.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Dominique Thomas, 31, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Thomas to 90 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Thomas will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
From about July of 2016 to April of 2020, Thomas was part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana, in the Omaha area. Thomas was involved in the distribution of the drugs. During the conspiracy, on January 12, 2019, Thomas was stopped in Omaha with about 86 ecstasy pills. Then in August of 2019, officers intercepted THC vials that a co-defendant sent from Stockton, California, to Thomas. During a portion of the conspiracy, Thomas resided at an Omaha residence which served as a drug involved premises that the conspirators used to facilitate the drug trafficking.
Co-defendants Ty-Sean Nunn, George Buck, Willis Parker, Anthony Hill-Gaines, and Jerrell Jackson have all pled guilty to charges related to the conspiracy. They are all pending sentencing. Only co-defendant Terrance Traynham is pending trial. Traynham was previously sentenced to 106 months in federal prison for conduct related to this conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Receiving Child Pornography and Online Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison and five years of supervised release for receiving images of child sexual abuse and inducing a minor to send him sexually explicit images and engage in sexually explicit conduct over an online messaging service. David M. Frew, 42, of Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp on July 18, 2022, to an information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that FURRELL JOHNSON, age 33, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to a two-count indictment charging him with Carjacking and violating the Federal Gun Control Act.
Specifically, JOHNSON pleaded guilty to the carjacking of a Honda CRV on October 13, 2022. JOHNSON admitted that he pointed a handgun at the victim while he committed the offense.
On Count 1, the carjacking, JOHNSON faces a maximum of fifteen years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. On Count 2, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, he faces a minimum of seven years to a maximum of life imprisonment, which must run consecutive to any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to five years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
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 in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Haller.
Navajo Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, 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 Jameson Begaye was sentenced to 97 months in prison. Begaye, 44, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty on August 26, 2022, to voluntary manslaughter.
According to the plea agreement and court records, on March 7, 2021, in Shiprock, New Mexico, Begaye killed K.B. by shooting him in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis as Begaye was trying to forcefully enter the home of K.B.’s daughter, who was also Begaye’s ex-girlfriend. After shooting and killing K.B., Begaye fled the scene. Officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department were unable to locate Begaye that night but spotted his car outside Shiprock the following day. Begaye again fled from officers. During the ensuing high-speed pursuit, which reached speeds of 112 miles per hour, officers saw Begaye throw an object from the window of his car. Begaye also fired multiple gunshots from the car toward the officers. One round struck an officer’s windshield. Begaye eventually stopped and was arrested. When officers searched the roadway near the area police observed something being thrown from the car, they located the handgun used to kill K.B.
Upon his release from prison, Begaye faces three years of supervised release.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones prosecuted the case.
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Nash County Man Barred from Sweepstakes Scheme Targeting Senior CitizensRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – The United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina permanently enjoined Alpheus Brewer of Nashville, North Carolina, from further participation in a fraud scheme that victimized elderly Americans. The Government alleges that participants in the fraud scheme falsely claimed that individuals had won a sweepstakes or lottery, and then induced the victims to transmit money to Brewer to account for taxes and/or fees purportedly associated with, or to otherwise obtain the release of, the victims’ falsely promised winnings.
“Mr. Brewer is alleged to have taken advantage of some of the most vulnerable members of our community through his participation in a scheme that robbed them of their savings,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This action reflects our continued commitment to using every tool in our arsenal to combat elder fraud and abuse, and to ensuring justice for our community.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to investigating individuals who abuse consumer trust and target the elderly and vulnerable individuals because of greed,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke of the Atlanta Division. “Postal Inspectors, along with our federal partners, are committed to holding responsible those individuals who utilize the U.S. Mail in furtherance of illicit schemes at the expense of the public.”
The United States alleged that from approximately mid-2021 to at least early 2023, Brewer assisted and facilitated this predatory mail-fraud, wire-fraud, and money-laundering scheme that was, in a nutshell, a sweepstakes or lottery scam. Brewer received the victims’ funds through the United States Postal Service or commercial mail carriers, deposited the fraudulently obtained funds into various bank accounts that Brewer owned in the United States, and then permitted individuals in Jamaica to withdraw the funds through automated teller machines.
As alleged by the Government, on at least two separate occasions, the United States Postal Inspection Service warned Brewer that he appeared to be involved in a fraudulent scheme and informed him that he should not participate further. Brewer continued participating. When approached by law enforcement, Brewer admitted his participation in the scheme, explaining that he, too, was a victim of a lottery fraud scheme and was trying to recover his own losses. All told, the United States alleged that victims of this scheme lost approximately $143,000.
The United States filed a complaint against Brewer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1345, which allows the Government to enjoin certain fraudulent behavior. Brewer cooperated with the Government’s investigation and consented to the injunction, which the Court entered on June 1, 2023.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Anderson and Andrew Kasper represented the United States.
Other than the findings in the Court’s order, the United States’ factual assertions are allegations only. The Court has, however, determined that Brewer is liable in this civil action, and has entered the injunction against him.
Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CV-260-FL.