Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
21 February 2023
Elmira Man Pleads Guilty to Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kevin Walker, age 32, of Elmira, New York, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-New York Division, and Steven A. Nigrelli, Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police made the announcement.
Walker admitted that on February 12, 2022, he drove a rental vehicle from his residence in Elmira to Cortland, New York. He intended to meet another individual in the parking lot of a Cortland business to sell to that individual 447 grams of pure methamphetamine, which Walker had in the trunk of the vehicle. Walker further admitted that he also possessed 137 grams of cocaine in the vehicle.
At sentencing, scheduled for June 21, 2023, Walker faces at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison, a maximum fine of $10,000,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The New York State Police and DEA investigated the case, with assistance from the Elmira Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case.
District Man Admits to Perpetrating Sophisticated Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Suzgo Phiri, 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in District Court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper who scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2023. Phiri faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, plus possible fines and restitution.
According to court documents, between 2018 and his arrest in March of 2022, Phiri - who used multiple false identities including: “Malcolm Tucker,” “David Campbell,” “Eric Brooks,” “Aaron Brooks,” “John Sanders,” “Jaamal Brooks,” “Brady Jones,” and “Payton Deel” – committed multiple fraud schemes. In one fraud, he generated approximately $10,000 per week through a scheme that exploited weaknesses in the payment processing systems used by Square and American Express. The defendant moved fraudulent “tip” amounts that were instantly credited by Square to bank accounts that he had opened using one of many false identities and then quickly withdrew those funds before the fraud could be detected. The government has identified at least $300,000 in gross proceeds from that scheme.
In addition to the fraudulent identity scheme, the government has identified numerous other instances in which the defendant has possessed false identification documents, bank records, and bank cards for individuals other than himself.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Denison Youth Pastor Sentenced for Child Exploitation ViolationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A former youth pastor has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Chad Michael Rider, 49, of Anna, Texas, was found guilty by a jury on July 22, 2022, of three counts of sexual exploitation of children, also referred to as the production of child pornography. Today, Rider was sentenced to a total combined sentence of 720 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant.
According to the court documents and testimony at trial, in August 2022, Homeland Security Investigations agents were investigating David Pettigrew, of Denison, for child pornography offenses. Agents seized a computer hard drive from Pettigrew’s office at the Denison Church of the Nazarene. Forensic review of the device revealed videos of Pettigrew and Rider setting up to film children while bathing at the church. Additional videos were located in which Rider filmed two other children in residential settings.
“Justice has been served on Chad Michael Rider for his role in the production of child pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “He used his trusted roles as a church leader, care giver to at-risk teens, and as a trusted member of his community to plant secret recording devices in bathrooms and other places where children would be disrobed. This shocking breach of trust was committed by an individual who had falsely sewn a firm belief of good character of himself in so many parents in his community. This case stands as a stark reminder of our common duty as citizens to watch out for the most vulnerable among us. I appreciate the members of law enforcement, community members, and especially the victims who had the courage to stand up and stop Rider before he could victimize others.”
“This defendant and his cohort routinely preyed on the innocence of several children that looked to him for guidance as members of his church. He had no concern for the life-altering harm his devious actions would cause those he victimized,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “Unfortunately, no amount of prison time can restore their innocence but rest assured, this community is safer with this sexual deviant behind bars.”
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from Anna Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa J. Miller and Jay Combs.
###
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Six Years for Firearm Possession Related to Illegal Gun SalesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Covington has sentenced Robert Humberston (39, Sarasota) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Humberston had pleaded guilty on December 2, 2021.
According to court documents, in March 2021, law enforcement officers recovered three firearms from a felon during a probation search. The felon was prohibited from possessing firearms and informed the officers that they had purchased all three firearms from Humberston, as recently as January 2021. The felon showed the officers a series of Facebook messages where Humberston arranged for the sale of a firearm.
Law enforcement officers secured a search warrant for Humberston’s Facebook account. The account contained several pictures of Humberston holding various firearms, along with numerous posts and messages relating to the sale of firearms. The officers discovered the chain of messages where Humberston agreed to sell the firearm to the felon. Tattoos in the photos also matched those on Humberston.
Humberston has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dillon Shane Browning, 31, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2021, Browning sold approximately 13.77 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at his Charleston residence.
Browning admitted to that transaction and to selling approximately one-half of an ounce of methamphetamine to the confidential informant at his Charleston residence on March 12, 2021. After the second transaction, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Browning’s residence and found approximately 233 grams of methamphetamine in an outbuilding. Browning admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and further admitted that he intended to sell it in the Charleston area.
Browning is scheduled to be sentenced on My 24, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-6.
###
Carlsbad man sentenced for enticement of a childRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Billy George West was sentenced to 14 years in prison and order to pay a $5,000 fine pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015. West, 79, of Carlsbad, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on January 10, 2022.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 30, 2021, West exchanged sexually explicit messages via telephone with a nine-year old girl in Florida. During the exchange, West using the screen name “Piper,” sent a photo of his genitalia and received a photo of the victim’s genitalia. West admitted that he knew the victim was a minor.
Upon his release from prison, West will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Carlsbad Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and R. Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case.
# # #
23-30
Cape Girardeau Man Admits Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Tuesday admitted being caught with a fully automatic Glock pistol during a traffic stop in October.
Kaydence K. Robertson, 21, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to one count of possession of a machine gun. Robertson admitted that he was inside a speeding vehicle that was pulled over by the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 23, 2022. A deputy found a .45-caliber Glock pistol modified with an illegal 3D-printed “switch” to make it fully automatic. The deputy also found marijuana, suspected crack cocaine, oxycodone and a 9mm Glock pistol, Robertson’s plea says.
Glock switches, sometimes referred to as “auto sears,” are considered machine guns under federal law, even if not installed in a firearm.
Robertson is scheduled to be sentenced May 15. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
California man who shipped meth from Sinaloa Cartel to Butte community sentenced to eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A California man who admitted to a drug trafficking crime for shipping methamphetamine from the Sinaloa Cartel into the Butte community for redistribution was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Heriberto Tavares, 30, of Anaheim, California, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that from about November 2018 to November 2019, Tavares served as a stash house for the Sinaloa Cartel. Tavares acted as the Amazon shipping services for the cartel, shipping drugs from Mexico into the United States at the direction of the drug trafficking leaders. In some instances, Tavares had 20 pounds of meth, which is the equivalent of approximately 72,480 doses, at a time in his home.
Law enforcement learned that Tavares was shipping drugs, which originated in Mexico, into Montana. During an undercover operation, an agent ordered meth from Humberto Villareal, of Sinaloa, Mexico, who was sentenced in 2021 to 17 years in federal prison for conviction of meth trafficking in the Butte area. In July 2019, law enforcement received a package, sent from Tavares, that contained 474 grams, or a little more than one pound, of meth and heroin. Agents paid for the drugs Tavares sent by wiring money to Ricardo Ramos Medina, in Sinaloa, Mexico. Medina was sentenced in 2020 to eight years in federal prison for conviction on trafficking pounds of meth and other drugs to the Butte area.
Tavares was indicted as part of an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization that brought massive quantities of meth, counterfeit oxycodone pills and heroin into Butte for redistribution through out the state. The investigation resulted in federal convictions of 22 persons. Tavares is the last defendant to be sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Butte-Silver Bow Police.
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.
XXX
Broken Arrow Man Pleads Guilty After Illegally Applying for and Receiving a $20,665 Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
A man who received $20,665 from the Small Business Administration after fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Malcolm Andre Jones, 31, of Broken Arrow, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. In his plea agreement, Jones admitted that he devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration of the funds.
Specifically, Jones knowingly submitted a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan application to Capital PF, a Small Business Administration approved lender. The loan application Jones prepared and submitted falsely claimed that he operated a landscaping business and that all loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes. Instead, when he obtained the funds in March 2021, he used the loan proceeds for miscellaneous non-business expenses, including paying bills and purchasing a couch and an automobile. Jones further fraudulently submitted a forgiveness application for the loan and was granted forgiveness based on his submission.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection- Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Cella is prosecuting the case.
To learn more about the Justice Department’s COVID response and to report COVID-19 fraud, visit: https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For further information on the Criminal Division’s enforcement efforts on PPP fraud, including court documents from significant cases, visit the following website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
Box Elder man sentenced to prison for domestic abuseRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man who admitted to assaulting a woman with whom he was in a relationship on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Clay James Bad Hawk, 25, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to domestic abuse by a habitual offender.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in December 2021, Bad Hawk punched, slapped, kicked and strangled the victim, identified as Jane Doe, with whom he was in a relationship. Bad Hawk assaulted Jane Doe in a bedroom in his residence, and two girls from across the street yelled through the bedroom window at Bad Hawk that the police were called. Jane Doe hid until the porch until she was found by police. Jane Doe was treated for injuries at a local hospital. Bad Hawk had two prior domestic violence convictions from the Chippewa Cree Tribal Court.
The FBI, Chippewa Cree Tribal Law Enforcement and Rocky Boy’s Police Department investigated the case.
XXX
Boston Man Charged with Armed Robbery of Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been arrested and charged in connection with the Jan. 4, 2023 armed robbery of a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier in Massachusetts.
Anthony Diaz, 20, was charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with a United States Postal Employee, while they were engaged in the performance of their official duties, and did so by use of a deadly weapon, a firearm. In addition, Diaz was also charged with assaulting a person having lawful charge, custody, and control of United States mail, money, and other property of the United States, with the intent to rob, steal and purloin that mail, money, and other property of the United States, and in doing so put the life of that victim in jeopardy by the use of a firearm. Diaz was arrested on Feb. 17, 2023 and, following an initial appearance in Worcester this afternoon, was detained pending a hearing set for Feb. 27, 2023.
According to the charging documents, USPS has seen a rise in the use of Arrow Keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An Arrow Key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These Arrow Keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 12 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS Arrow Keys from letter carriers in at least 10 instances. Additionally, of these 10, six of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both.
It is alleged that, on Jan. 4, 2023, in Peabody, Mass., Diaz approached a USPS letter carrier and stated, “Give me the keys,” while pointing a semi-automatic pistol at the victim. After the victim handed Diaz the USPS vehicle key, Diaz allegedly responded, “Give me the rest of the key,” and “Hurry up or I’ll shoot you.” The victim removed his keychain, which was attached to his belt, containing his USPS Arrow Key and asked if he could have his vehicle key back. Allegedly, Diaz did not respond, as he turned, placing the firearm in his right jacket pocket, and walked directly to the dark grey sedan parked in the area of 3A Veterans Memorial Drive. It is further alleged that Diaz stopped at the rear of the vehicle with the trunk open, before getting into the driver’s seat and departing.
“The national trend of threatening, assaulting and robbing United States postal employees for Arrow Keys has sadly made its way to Massachusetts. Postal workers are essential to countless aspects of our community and often go to great lengths to provide their invaluable services, at times in incredibly challenging circumstances,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We allege Mr. Diaz targeted a mail carrier and robbed the victim at gun point for an Arrow Key. I commend the excellent investigative work by our USPIS partners, and issue warning to anyone seeking to harm postal workers for financial gain: you will be identified, apprehended and prosecuted in federal court.”
“Today’s arrest has been a true team effort,” said Darnell Edwards, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service would like to thank Peabody Police, Boston Police, and the Massachusetts State Police for their assistance in this investigation. Let today’s arrest serve as an example to criminals: if you target U.S. Postal Service employees and accost them with a gun, you will be identified and prosecuted. Postal Inspectors are watching, and we will tirelessly pursue you to bring you to justice.”
The charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; USPIS Acting INC Edwards made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes 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.
Beaumont Postal Employee Guilty of Stealing MailRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Pamela Jo Rosas, 64, pleaded guilty to theft of mail by a postal employee today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, in April 2022, postal inspectors became aware that multiple valuable coins had been stolen after they had been mailed through the U.S. Postal Service. An investigation revealed that Rosas, a postal employee, had stolen the coins while sorting mail at a central mail processing facility in Beaumont. Rosas was arrested and admitted to stealing various items throughout her employment, including large amounts of valuable coins.
Rosas was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2022 and faces up to five years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.
###
Beaumont Man Guilty of Federal Violations in Animal Cruelty CaseRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Decorius Mire, 23, pleaded guilty to animal crushing today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
Animal crushing is defined under federal criminal law as, “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”
According to information presented in court, on October 15, 2021, Mire and a co-defendant encountered a live domestic cat in the parking lot of a Beaumont apartment complex. The co-defendant, encouraged by Mire, kicked the cat as if kicking a football field goal, propelling the cat approximately 15 to 20 feet through the air. Mire filmed the event with his cellular telephone and posted the video on his social media accounts where it was commented on and shared with others.
Mire was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sep. 28, 2022 and faces up to seven years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte.
###
Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Emmanuel Medina, age 35, of Albany, pled guilty today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf made the announcement.
Medina admitted that on June 27, 2022, Troy Police Officers responded to a disturbance call in Lansingburgh and found him outside of a house, attempting to conceal a loaded handgun inside of a Jeep Wrangler. Medina eventually stepped away from the vehicle and was safely detained. Officers found a loaded Hi-Point Firearms .380 ACP pistol in the part of the Jeep where Medina had just been observed. Medina admitted that he possessed the handgun in order to protect the cash proceeds (totaling about $2,610.22) that he had generated from recent, prior heroin sales, as well as to protect himself when he had sold and possessed that heroin.
Medina has been in custody since his arrest on June 27, 2022. He faces at least 5 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on June 21, 2023 by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes.
This case was investigated by the Troy Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting the case.
Alamo Resident Faces Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Ozymandias Troy Watson appeared today in United States District Court to face a federal charge that he possessed with intent distribute fentanyl in the form of counterfeit “M30” pills, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. Watson made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Oakland before United States Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.
The charge was set out in a criminal complaint filed February 10, 2023, and unsealed in federal court today. According to the criminal complaint, Watson, 18, of Contra Costa County, possessed numerous fentanyl “M30” pills and intended to distribute them. The complaint describes a drug transaction where “M30 pills,” that are alleged to have been provided by Watson, were sold to an individual who subsequently died of an overdose. The complaint alleges that Watson possessed approximately 130 “M30” fentanyl tablets.
In sum, the complaint charges Watson with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C). The statutory maximum for the charge is a maximum 20 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum of 3 years’ supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only after considerations of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statue governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. 3553.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chambers of the Oakland Branch of the United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Leeya Kekona. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and the Dublin Police Department.
One Pill Can Kill: Beware of pills bought on the street: One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a highly potent opiate that can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that purport to mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs, but can be obtained at a lower cost. However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl create huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills and can easily cause death. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are usually shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies.
24 Individuals Indicted for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of CocaineRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a seven-count indictment charging 20 men and four women with trafficking cocaine in the District of Puerto Rico, beginning in 2017. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversees the investigation, with the collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Ponce Municipal Police, and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury. The United States Marshals Service also collaborated during the arrests.
According to the charging document, from 2017 through the date of the return of the indictment, 24 individuals conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The defendants are:
Arthur W. Rodríguez-Sánchez, a.k.a. “Drizmali/Chino/Quemao/Templo/Chal/Chal F”
Emmanuel Rodríguez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Jibaro”
Smill E. Gómez- De La Cruz, a.k.a. “Pampara/Pompera/Pampera/Carlos/Carlitos”
Ruben E. Vidal-Flores
Juan C. Cuevas-Feliz
Yan C. García-Pola
Victor X. Zorrilla-Mejías
Wilfredo R. Vázquez-López, a.k.a. “W/Www”
José A. Aquino-Perales
Alexis Abreu-Cordero, a.k.a. “El Viejo/Alexis/Alexis Ozuna-Cordero”
Peter J. Reyes-Suárez
Ángel L. Hernández-Díaz, a.k.a. “Coly/Coli/Coli El Fuerte”
Ángel L. Santiago-Rivera
Jorge Rodríguez-Flores
Héctor Zayas-Schulze
José Velázquez-Madera
Kenneth A. Cruz-Fontánez
Michael Agrinsoni-Mejías,
José M. Hidalgo-Duarte
Jesús H. Vega-Rivera, a.k.a. “Gipeta/Jipeta/Millonario 27”
Verónica Questell-Rodríguez
Deyanira Velázquez-Álvarez
Kailyn N. Rivera-Torres
Zuleyka Torres-Mejías
Also, 21 defendants are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and conspiracy to import cocaine from the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, and the British Virgin Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands, into Puerto Rico.
The defendants made multiple trips between Puerto Rico and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands to transport narcotics. During their smuggling ventures, the defendants used two or three vessels in order to distract law enforcement officers. In addition, they recruited trusted females that could pose as decoys in the vessels to district law enforcement. They also recruited defendant José A. Aquino-Perales, a PRPB FURA police officer that acted as a lookout in Puerto Rico for the drug trafficking organization.
“Today’s arrests dismantle an organization that coordinated not only the international smuggling of drugs, but also the movement of drug proceeds, which is essential to the success of these illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue maximizing our multi-agency efforts and will combine resources to investigate and prosecute those who smuggle drugs into Puerto Rico.”
In addition to the drug trafficking charges, four defendants are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, which involved the proceeds of dealing in controlled substances.
The defendants are facing a forfeiture allegation of the following property:
- A lot of land located at Bo. Calabazas, in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
- A two-level house located at Urbanization Vista de Lago Campo, in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
- Property located in Urbanization Villa Del Rey, Section IV, Lot 12, 4-G, located in Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Property located at Sector Coco Barrio Jueyes, in Salinas, Puerto Rico
- Six vessels
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section Max J. Pérez-Bouret; Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción; and AUSA Jorge L. Matos are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
21-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Assaulting a U.S. Customs and Border Protection OfficerRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Cesar Alejandro Avendano-Soto, 21, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Avendano-Soto pleaded guilty to one count of Assault on a Federal Officer Resulting in Bodily Injury. The court also ordered a restitution hearing scheduled for April 25, 2023.
On March 24, 2020, at a port of entry in Nogales, Arizona, Avendano-Soto attempted to enter the United States. After being asked for proof of citizenship, Avendano-Soto became angry and intentionally slammed a Customs and Border Protection officer to the ground, where her head hit the concrete.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah B. Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01527-TUC-SHR (DTF)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-022_Avendano-Soto# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
20 February 2023
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Call with UK Security Minister and German and French CounterpartsRead the Press Release
This morning, Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco spoke with U.K. Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and counterparts in Germany and France about recent threats against journalists critical of the Iranian regime. The Deputy AG and counterparts discussed the recent closure of broadcaster Iran International’s London studios following persistent threats. The Deputy AG noted that this activity occurs less than one month after the Justice Department announced its disruption of a murder-for-hire plot originating from Iran that targeted a U.S.-based Iranian-American journalist.
19 February 2023
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Attendance at the 2023 Munich Security ConferenceRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco was in Munich this week to participate in both the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference and the Munich Security Conference, which brings together leaders from around the world to tackle current and future challenges to our global security.
On Friday, the Deputy AG delivered the closing keynote at the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference and discussed the department’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the ecosystem that fuels malicious cyber activities and to prioritize prevention of cyberattacks and the department’s work with the victims of cybercrime.
As part of the United States delegation to the 2023 Munich Security Conference, a leading global forum on key security policy challenges, Deputy Attorney General Monaco participated in several discussions regarding national security challenges facing the United States and its partners. The Deputy AG spoke on a panel with European leaders regarding “strategic corruption” when a nation weaponizes corrupt practices for strategic purposes.
The Deputy AG also held several bilateral meetings with European law enforcement and national security partners, including the European Commissioner for Home Affairs as well as the heads of both INTERPOL and EUROPOL. In each of those discussions, Deputy Attorney General Monaco reinforced the Justice Department’s commitment to standing with our partners around the world — and the people of Ukraine — in continuing to investigate Russian war crimes and to enforce the global sanctions levied against Russia for its unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. She also emphasized the importance of international partnerships to combat transnational threats of terrorism, cybercrime and synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.
While in Germany, the Deputy AG also traveled to Nuremberg, to visit the Nuremberg Trials Memorial. She had the opportunity to tour the museum and the courtroom in the Palace of Justice where the leaders of the Nazi regime were tried before an International Military Tribunal following World War II.
She returned to Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
Photo credit: MCSC. Deputy AG Monaco delivering the keynote at the 2023 Munich Cyber Security Conference (MCSC). Deputy AG Monaco with EUROPOL Executive Director Catherine De Bolle. Photo credit: Munich Security Conference. Deputy AG Monaco with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. Deputy AG Monaco with others in the courtroom in the Palace of Justice where the leaders of the Nazi regime were tried before an International Military Tribunal following World War II.
17 February 2023
Woman Sentenced for Federal Witness Tampering in Relation to Trial for Gang-Related Murder and Multistate Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Springfield woman was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison for witness tampering that occurred at the onset of a multi-week federal trial against four individuals relating to a murder, violent gang enterprise, and a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Virginia, California, and several other states.
According to court documents, Keira Ta, 27, was a member of the Lady Tigers, which was a subset of a violent Northern Virginia Street gang called the Reccless Tigers. Gang members, over a number of years, engaged in a persistent pattern of intimidation and retaliation against anyone who were believed to have cooperated with law enforcement. Gang members labeled those who cooperated with law enforcement as “snitches,” and used social media to convey threats to witnesses and inform other gang-members of their identities. In retaliation, gang members committed assaults, attacked homes with Molotov cocktails, and even murdered an individual who testified against a member of the Reccless Tigers in a Commonwealth of Virginia case.
According to court records, criminal racketeering and other charges against numerous members of the Reckless Tigers gang led to a trial that commenced on April 11, 2022. The allegations in the trial included, among other things, that certain defendants were involved in the murder of a former Commonwealth witness as described above. On the evening of April 11, 2022, after speaking through a jail call to a leader of the gang who was a defendant in the trial, Ta posted to social media revealing the names of the government’s upcoming witnesses, labeling them each a “snitch” and instructing associates to “come watch the snitches snitching.” Thereafter, the trial was delayed and certain witnesses in the trial later refused to identify the leader of the gang in open court because of the defendant’s threat. On May 6, 2022, a jury convicted four defendants affiliated with the Reccless Tigers of numerous charges relating to a murder, a violent gang enterprise, and a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather D. Call and Ryan B. Bredemeier prosecuted the case.
The investigation into the Reccless Tigers criminal organization is a multi-jurisdictional OCDETF case involving the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF, HSI, IRS, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Fairfax County Police Department, Prince William County Police Department, City of Richmond Police, Montgomery County (MD) Police, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Falls Church Police, City of Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Fire Marshal, Prince William County Fire Marshal, Stafford County Fire Marshal, City of Monterey Park (CA) Police, Garden Grove (CA) Police, Anaheim (CA) Police; Trinity County (CA) Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, DEA San Francisco Division – Reading Office, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Department of Food & Agriculture, California Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Cannabis Control, U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California – Sacramento Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California – Santa Ana and Riverside Offices, and the FBI’s Field Offices in Richmond, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-100.
Winnebago Man Receives Probation for Physical Assault on an OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced today that Garry Hunter Little Walker, age 34, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Omaha by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., to a three-year term of probation for Assault on an Officer with Bodily Contact.
On June 3, 2022, Victim 1, an officer with the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services was called to a residence near Lyndon Ave. in Rosalie, Nebraska, which is within the territorial confines of the Omaha Indian Reservation. Upon arrival, Victim 1 found Little Walker seated in the vehicle having an argument with his grandmother and the mother of his children. Victim 1 attempted to place Little Walker in handcuffs and Little Walker pushed Victim 1 and began running away. Victim 1 unsuccessfully attempted to deploy his taser twice. Little Walker ran into a house and shut and locked the door. Upon Victim 1 entering the house, he found Little Walker standing in the kitchen with his fists clenched and standing in a fighting posture. Little Walker stated he was not going to go to jail. When told he had very little options, Little Walker asked Victim 1, “How do you want it then? I’m going to rack real hard.” Victim 1 took a step toward Little Walker and Little Walker lifted his right hand and swung over his grandmother and struck Victim 1 in the left side of the head. Little Walker then grabbed Victim 1 by the head. Victim 1 lifted Little Walker and then took him to the ground. Little Walker would not let go of Victim 1’s head after repeated orders to let go. Little Walker then began reaching for Victim 1’s gun. Victim 1 pepper sprayed Little Walker and, in the process, incapacitated himself as well. Victim 1 while still suffering the effects of the pepper spray tried to take Little Walker out of the house. While doing so, Little Walker lunged at Victim 1 and elbowed him in the face before falling onto the ground. Victim 1 received his law enforcement training from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy and the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services operates under a 638 contract.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services.
Wilder Man Sentenced for Possession of Unregistered Explosive DeviceRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on February 16, 2023, William Hillard, 51, of Wilder, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont to serve 32 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession of an unregistered explosive device. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Hillard to serve a three-year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.
In April 2022, a confidential source (CS) reported to the Hartford, Vermont Police Department (Hartford PD) that Hillard possessed explosive devices (bombs) at his residence in Wilder, Vermont. The CS provided Hartford PD one bomb that the CS said was made by Hillard. Hartford PD obtained a warrant to search the residence and on April 5, 2022, assisted by Special Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), executed it. During this search, law enforcement found eight bombs, some of which had shrapnel inside, and bomb-making materials, including explosive powder, fuses, and pipes. Law enforcement also found a semi-automatic rifle, two loaded ammunition magazines with 17 rounds of ammunition contained inside, and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition of various calibers. Hillard did not register the bombs with the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record as required. In addition, Hillard had previously been convicted of felony offenses and therefore was prohibited from possessing the foregoing weapons.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Hartford, Vermont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the investigation and prosecution of Hillard.Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Hillard. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara M. Puls represented Hillard.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Violent Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies Across Virginia, Pennsylvania, and MarylandRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to committing five different armed robberies of convenience stores, hotels, and banks between October 2021 and December 2021.
According to court documents, over the course of two months, Rickley Joshua Senning, 33, and Jesann Willis, 36, traveled throughout Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania to commit armed robberies. At each location, Senning entered brandishing a firearm at employees. In total, 15 different victims were held at gunpoint. The Virginia armed robbery occurred at a jewelry store in Richmond. Senning held the business owner and the business owner’s son at gunpoint while Willis collected over $100,000 of jewelry belonging to the business. The robberies in Maryland and Pennsylvania took place at a mix of gas stations, convenience stores, and banks.
Senning is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the armed robberies as well as a mandatory minimum of seven years and maximum of life in prison for brandishing a firearm during the jewelry store robbery. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Colonel Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. 3:22-cr-28.
United States Files Complaint Against Illegal Robocall Telemarketers and Telecommunications Service ProvidersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a civil enforcement action against several corporate and individual defendants for alleged violations of the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) in connection with telemarketing campaigns that have illegally bombarded American consumers with millions of robocalls.
According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, defendant telecommunications service companies Stratics Networks, Inc. and Netlatitude Inc., along with defendant Kurt Hannigan, Netlatitude’s president, violated the TSR by providing substantial assistance and support in the form of technological services to telemarketers that unlawfully called consumers with robocalls delivering prerecorded marketing messages, called numbers listed on the National Do Not Call Registry, and failed to truthfully identify the seller of the goods and services being marketed. These alleged robocalls include numerous “ringless voicemails” delivered to consumers without making their phones ring.
The complaint also brings claims against several additional defendants that allegedly used Stratics Networks, Inc.’s ringless voicemail platform to illegally telemarket credit-card debt relief services. According to the complaint, defendants Tek Ventures, LLC (also doing business as Provident Solutions), Atlas Marketing Partners, Inc., Atlas Investment Ventures, LLC, Eric Petersen and Todd DiRoberto (who are co-owners of those three companies), Kasm, and Kenan Azzeh (owner and director of Kasm) violated the FTC Act by misrepresenting the terms and outcomes of their debt relief services. These defendants also violated the TSR by making those misrepresentations, by failing to clearly and truthfully identify the seller of their services, and by calling consumers with prerecorded messages without first obtaining their consent. The complaint also alleges that defendants Tek Ventures, LLC, Atlas Marketing Partners, Inc., Atlas Investment Ventures, LLC, Eric Petersen, Todd DiRoberto, and two additional defendants – Ace Business Solutions LLC and its owner and director Sandra Barnes – violated the TSR by requesting and receiving payments from their debt relief customers before renegotiating or otherwise altering the terms of those customers’ debts.
The complaint seeks a permanent injunction to prohibit the defendants from future violations, as well as monetary civil penalties and relief to redress injury caused to consumers.
Two defendants in this action, Kasm and its owner and director Kenan Azzeh, have agreed to entry of a court order that resolves the claims against them. The stipulated order, if entered by the court, would prohibit these defendants from further violations and impose a monetary judgment of $3,380,000, suspended to $7,500 due to their limited ability to pay.
“The Department of Justice is committed to stopping individuals and companies from making illegal robocalls and peddling predatory debt relief services,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to enforce the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule against those who use misleading sales tactics to prey on consumers.”
“This case targets the ecosystem of companies who perpetrate illegal telemarketing to cheat American consumers who are struggling financially,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC will continue to take aggressive action to protect consumers from the scourge of illegal robocalls.”
Senior Trial Attorney Daniel K. Crane-Hirsch and Trial Attorneys Matthew A. Robinson and Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, in conjunction with staff at the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney and Maine Prosecutors’ Joint Statement Regarding Domestic Violence-Related Protective Orders and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee joined Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and Maine’s District Attorneys in a statement today to reassure domestic violence victims in Maine following a recent appellate court decision in Louisiana.
“In 1994, Congress passed Section 922(g)(8) of Title 18, United States Code, a law prohibiting firearm possession by individuals subject to a court order that restrains them from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner or child. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in United States v. Rahimi recently ruled that this federal statute is unconstitutional. The Rahimi decision is not binding on the District of Maine, which is in the First Circuit.
While the Rahimi decision is reviewed, it is the position of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Maine Attorney General’s Office, and Maine’s District Attorneys, that this federal statute, and a parallel state law found at Section 393(D)(1) of Title 15 of Maine’s Revised Statutes, are presumed constitutional.
Domestic abusers in Maine should be aware that both statutes will be enforced.”
# # #
Two Multi-State Methamphetamine Traffickers Sentenced to a Combined Fifteen Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Christopher Stafford, 37, of Princeton, Indiana and Donnell White, 47, of Louisville, Kentucky have been sentenced to 5 and 10 years in federal prison, respectively. Both defendants pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, between November 6 and 22 of 2019, Christopher Stafford and Donell White conspired together to possess and distribute between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine ice.
On November 20, 2019, law enforcement officers pulled Stafford over in Princeton, Indiana. During the traffic stop, officers searched the vehicle and located approximately 190 grams of methamphetamine. When interviewed by police, Stafford admitted to distributing additional methamphetamine that he purchased from Donnell White over a prior, two-week period.
On November 22, 2019, White agreed to sell one pound of methamphetamine to Stafford for $3,800. White agreed to deliver the substances from Louisville, Kentucky to Stafford’s residence in Gibson County, Indiana. On the same day, Stafford was stopped by law enforcement officers on Interstate 64. During the traffic stop, officers located approximately one pound of methamphetamine in Stafford’s vehicle.
The sentence was announced by Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Indianapolis Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Doug Carter, Superintendent of the Indiana State Police, and Derek McGraw, Chief of Police for the Princeton Police Department.
“Methamphetamine has devastating, and sometimes deadly, effects on users, their families, and our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Concerted efforts to bring this deadly drug across state lines and into our district will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to find those responsible for significant drug trafficking and hold them accountable in federal court.”
“The sentencing of Mr. Stafford and Mr. White send an important message that drug traffickers will be held accountable for selling poison on our streets. It is a big win for law enforcement when we can stop highly addictive drugs, such as methamphetamine, from reaching our communities and causing harm,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon. “DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state and local partners to keep our communities safe. DEA commends the outstanding work of the Princeton Police Department, Indiana State Police and the United States Attorney’s Office during the course of this investigation.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by the Princeton Indiana Police Department and Indiana State Police. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that both Stafford and White be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 and 5 years, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
Two More Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion Dollar Schemes Involving Preparation of False Tax Returns for Professional Athletes and PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Two California men have been sentenced to prison in a conspiracy to defraud the IRS and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal loans initiative designed to help businesses pay their employees and meet expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanh Ngoc Rudin of Rosemead, 58, was sentenced to 34 months in prison on Feb. 10, 2023, and his coconspirator, Seir Havana of North Hollywood, 46, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison. Thanh Rudin’s brother, Quin Rudin, was sentenced in October 2022 to 10 years in prison for his role in the scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thanh Rudin was a principal of Mana Tax Services, a tax preparation business in the Los Angeles area. Havana was the company’s Vice President/Director and Chief Executive Officer. Quin Rudin was its Secretary, Director, and Chief Financial Officer. They engaged in two fraud schemes using Mana Tax, while Quin Rudin was still on supervised release for a different fraud scheme in California.
The defendants prepared and filed with the IRS a series of false income tax returns on behalf of at least nine professional athletes. The false tax returns reported fictitious business and personal losses to generate refunds the athletes were not entitled to receive. The defendants also filed amended tax returns for most of the athletes for prior years to correct what they falsely characterized as “errors” made by the athletes’ previous accountants. Mana Tax charged the athlete clients 30% of the fraudulent tax refunds. The tax fraud scheme caused a total tax loss of more than $19 million.
The Rudin brothers and Havana also prepared and submitted false applications for PPP loans on behalf of small businesses, shell companies, and other business entities they controlled, and took a fee of 30% of the fraudulent loan. They submitted fabricated tax returns to support the PPP loan applications, and some of the business owners never saw their loan applications before Mana Tax filed them. The loan applications grossly inflated the number of employees and monthly payroll costs. Some of the businesses had no payroll expenses and were not actually eligible for PPP loans.
During the investigation, the government seized more than $11.8 million of the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds from bank accounts controlled by the defendants. In addition, Havana surrendered cashier’s checks totaling approximately $5.6 million, representing a portion of the fees charged to professional athletes for the preparation of their false tax returns and a portion of the fees taken from the fraudulent PPP loans.
In total, the two schemes caused more than $44 million in losses to the United States.
In addition to their respective terms of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga ordered the defendants to each serve 3 years of supervised release. Thanh Rudin was ordered to pay $38,206,074.98 and Seir Havana was ordered to pay $38,673,403.24 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation made the announcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the U.S. Small Business Administration provided assistance with the investigation.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kimberly R. Pedersen are prosecuting the case.
Two Men Plead Guilty to COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Two men pleaded guilty yesterday for their involvement in a conspiracy to apply for and use Nevada and California unemployment insurance benefits debit cards that were issued in other peoples’ names.
Luigi J. Montes (42), of Sugar Land, Texas, and Peter Alexander Stincer (34), of Sylmar, California, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2023.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, from at least March 2020 to January 2021, Montes, Stincer, and co-defendant Alexander Hoyos Rivera, of Marion, Ohio, conspired to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) and the California Employment Development Department (EDD). As part of the scheme, they used stolen personal identifying information – such as victim names, dates of birth, and social security numbers – to defraud DETR and EDD. Once the claims were approved, unemployment insurance debit cards were sent to mailing addresses to which the defendants had access. After receiving the debit cards, they withdrew the funds at various ATMs located in several states, including Nevada, California, and Texas. In total, DETR, EDD, and other state agencies approved at least $934,129 in benefits for these fraudulent claims. During the conspiracy, the defendants fraudulently obtained at least $698,655 in benefits for their personal use.
At sentencing, Montes and Stincer each face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Fang is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, 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.
###
Two Maryland Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Home Invasion and Attempted Robbery in Northeast Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Gonzalez Pacheco, also known as “Jose Gonzalez,” 48, and Kenneth Demetrius Harris, also known as “Kenneth Vann,” 43, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, were sentenced to federal prison yesterday for their roles in an armed robbery on July 16, 2021.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, for the Metropolitan Police Department.
On November 8, 2022, Gonzalez and Vann each pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of threatening to kidnap or injure another person. As part of their pleas, they admitted that they entered a male victim’s apartment, knowing that he operated an illegal marijuana “dispensary” from that location, and intended to rob the male victim of both marijuana and cash. Upon entering the apartment, Gonzalez and Vann – both of whom were armed with 9mm semi-automatic handguns – discovered that the victim’s wife, female friend, and infant child were also in the apartment. The male victim attempted to wrestle Vann’s gun away, at which point Vann choked and punched the male victim. While Vann had the male victim in a headlock, Gonzalez pointed a handgun at the male victim’s wife, friend, and infant child, and told the male victim to calm down before someone got hurt. When the male victim relented, he, his wife, and his friend were bound and gagged with duct tape and zip ties, and the infant child was placed in a baby swing. The male victim was able to remove the duct tape from his mouth and call for help, and a neighbor called 911. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene and arrested Gonzalez and Vann before they could escape.
On February 16, 2023, the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia sentenced Gonzalez to 97 months in prison and sentenced Vann to 72 months in prison for their roles in the offense. Both Gonzalez and Vann will each serve an additional 36 months of supervised release upon their release from prison.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD and FBI. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Individuals Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Cattle-Trading Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Two individuals were sentenced today to six years in prison for their roles in a cattle-trading Ponzi scheme that resulted in millions of dollars in victim losses.
According to court documents, from late 2017 until early 2019, Reva Joyce Stachniw, 71, of Galesburg, Illinois, and Ron Throgmartin, 59, of Buford, Georgia, along with a co-conspirator, ran a Ponzi scheme by fraudulently representing to victims that their investments were backed by short-term investments in Stachniw and Throgmartin’s cattle and marijuana businesses. The victim-investors gave the conspirators money based on false promises that their investments would be used for legitimate activities related to those businesses. In actuality, the funds were used to pay earlier investors.
In August 2022, Stachniw and Throgmartin were convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In addition to their terms of imprisonment, Stachniw was ordered to pay $14,597,335.80 in restitution and to forfeit $6,013,370. Throgmartin was ordered to pay $14,597,335.80 in restitution and to forfeit $1,004,904.83. The restitution was ordered jointly and severally between the two.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office made the announcement.
The FDIC-OIG and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong and Trial Attorneys Brandon Burkart and Michael McCarthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Two Indicted After Drug Shipment Intercepted on Interstate 44 in St. Louis CountyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Texas and a woman from St. Louis, Missouri were indicted Wednesday on drug conspiracy charges after multiple kilograms of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were found during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County.
Francisco Manuel Mata-Martinez, 41, of El Paso, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The grand jury indicted Maricela Vazquez-Vargas, 38, on the conspiracy charge and a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On February 6, Mata-Martinez was identified as a possible courier of narcotics and stopped on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County, according to a criminal complaint filed prior to the indictment. After a narcotics detection dog alerted to the vehicle, officers found a duffel bag with seven packages containing a total of 8.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, 40 packages containing 25.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and 1.2 kilos of suspected ketamine, the affidavit says.
DEA agents and police watched as a St. Louis woman, Vazquez-Vargas, then arrived in the 4200 block of Delor Street in St. Louis to meet the drug delivery, the affidavit says.
A kilogram of suspected cocaine was later found in her home, the affidavit says.
Both are scheduled to be in court on February 23.
The conspiracy charge and the charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carry a penalty of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, or both. The other charges are punishable by five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Louis County Police Department and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dane Rennier is prosecuting the case.
Two Duluth Men Indicted for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. – A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against two Duluth men for a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from the spring of 2020, through July 2022, Tisco Rondell Cooks, 35, and Cole Alexander Heyn, 25, both from Duluth, conspired with each other to distribute quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Cooks is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Heyn is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Cooks and Heyn are currently in custody and will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Duluth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twenty-Six Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Terry Augusta Newsome (34, Tampa) to seven years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. The court also ordered Newsome to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Newsome had pleaded guilty on November 1, 2022.
According to court documents, on February 15, 2021, an officer from the Tampa Police Department observed Newsome driving a moped, failing to stop at a stop sign, and colliding with a bicyclist. The officer responded to the scene of the crash and called for emergency services.
When the officer arrived at the scene, he observed that Newsome and the bicyclist were both severely bleeding. The officer attempted to attend to Newsome’s injuries, but Newsome rose to his feet clutching a firearm that he had hidden under his shirt. Additional officers that had arrived on scene noticed a holster partially hidden under Newsome’s shirt. The officers restrained Newsome and retrieved a loaded firearm from Newsome’s pants.
At the time of the incident, Newsome had at least 26 prior state felony convictions, including 3 convictions for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, 5 for grand theft motor vehicle, 9 burglary, and 1 for armed robbery. Because of his prior felony convictions, Newsome is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Troy Rivetti to Serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Troy Rivetti, First Assistant to former United States Attorney to Cindy K. Chung, has been named Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania effective today.
In this position, Mr. Rivetti leads a staff of nearly 120 employees representing the United States in courts throughout Pennsylvania's western 25 counties, including staffed offices in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown.
Mr. Rivetti’s career in the Department of Justice has spanned more than 25 years. Most recently he served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney beginning in November 2021. Prior to that appointment, Mr. Rivetti held a series of leadership positions in the U.S. Attorney's Office, including serving as the Chief of the Criminal Division from 2019 to 2021. Mr. Rivetti joined the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1997. Throughout his career as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Rivetti’s primary area of concentration has involved the investigation and prosecution of violent crime, including large-scale drug trafficking organizations and firearms offenses.
Mr. Rivetti obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dickinson College and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Rivetti was employed for five years as a litigation associate at a large Pittsburgh law firm. He then served as a law clerk for two years for the Honorable D. Brooks Smith.
Three Miami Men Sentenced to Life for Pawn Shop Robberies and MurdersRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Senior United States District Judge James I. Cohn has sentenced Jonathan Cruz, 36, Eric Ortiz Melendez, 28, and Jorge Aponte Figueroa, 25, to life in federal prison for their participation in violent robberies and murders.
The sentences follow two federal trials. The first was a Miami trial where in March 2022, a jury found Aponte Figueroa guilty of carjacking resulting in death and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The second trial happened in Fort Lauderdale, where in November 2022, a jury found Cruz, Ortiz Melendez, and Aponte Figueroa guilty of committing armed robbery of nine pawn shops in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties (and conspiring to do so), as well as killing a customer during a robbery in Little Havana. That jury also found Cruz guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to the trial evidence, beginning in October of 2016, Cruz, Ortiz Melendez, and Aponte Figueroa, along with five previously convicted co-conspirators, agreed to commit armed robberies of pawn shops throughout South Florida. They would steal jewelry and resell it. Cruz would scout the pawn shops, then organize and direct the robberies.
After obtaining guns and tools from Cruz, the coconspirators would drive to the stores, commit the robberies, and return to Cruz’s home with the jewelry. Cruz would sell the stolen jewelry and give coconspirators their cut.
Shots were fired during robberies in Pembroke Park, West Park, and Miami, one of which resulted in the murder of an elderly customer at a Little Havana pawn shop.
The spree began to unravel after one pawn shop robbery in Hialeah, when officers with Hialeah Police Department arrested three of the robbers at the end of a high-speed chase.
Additionally, in May 2017, Aponte Figueroa and two co-conspirators carjacked at gunpoint an Uber driver while he slept in his minivan. After driving the victim throughout Miami-Dade County, Aponte Figueroa pointed a gun at him, stole his wallet, and shot the victim seven times, including close range shots to the head. The victim died.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Benham of the FBI Miami Field Office announced the life sentences.
FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Hialeah Police Department, City of Hollywood Police Department, City of Miami Gardens Police Department, City of Palm Springs Police Department, and Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Jodi Anton prosecuted this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling the asset forfeiture aspect of the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 17-cr-20487.
###
Three Indicted in Nationwide Controlled Substance ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a nationwide conspiracy to traffic controlled substances from Arizona into Massachusetts. Defendants allegedly hid drugs in packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items.
Denise Guyette, 29, of Woonsocket, R.I.; Gerardo Garza, a/k/a “Oso,” 47, of Yuma, Ariz.; and Nathan Boddie, 38, of Pawtucket, R.I., were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Guyette was arrested on Feb. 8, 2023 and was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Boddie was arrested on Feb. 6, 2023 and is currently being held in state custody in connection with Rhode Island state charges. Boddie will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Garza was arrested on Feb. 10, 2023 in the Southern District of California and was detained pending a detention hearing. He will also appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to court documents, in or about April 2022, law enforcement opened an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Guyette. It is alleged that Guyette conspired with Garza, Boddie and others to traffic various controlled substances – including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and cocaine – in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and elsewhere. It is further alleged that the DTO routinely used the mail to ship drugs from Arizona to Massachusetts, often hiding the drugs within packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items. Between May and October 2022, investigators seized seven packages containing a total of over 900 grams of methamphetamine, thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, as well as suspected Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a very strong psychedelic.
“Fentanyl and methamphetamine are serious, lethal threats to the well-being of our communities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify drug traffickers and stop the flow of illegal drugs into Massachusetts where they cause pain and destruction. Drug trafficking frequently intersects with illegal firearms and other criminal conduct. This instance proved no different. Ghost guns were seized as well as a 3-D printer we allege was used to print ghost gun parts. It is our contention that this seizure likely saved countless lives.”
“Operation Raising Arizona has dealt a significant blow to a drug trafficking organization that we believe is responsible for operating nationwide, flooding communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island with highly addictive and deadly narcotics. All three individuals we’ve removed from the street are accused of being prolific drug dealers who thrived on selling drugs and believed they could pull the wool over the eyes of investigators by hiding their product inside toys and other common household items,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The violence associated with the illegal drug trade, as illustrated by our seizure of multiple ghost guns, is a threat to our communities, and the FBI and our partners are committed to working together across jurisdictions to take down criminals who insist on bringing their harmful business to our neighborhoods.”
On Feb. 6, 2023, Boddie was arrested in Rhode Island following a traffic stop during which a 9mm handgun ghost gun loaded with five rounds of ammunition, an empty 9mm magazine and a 10-round capable magazine loaded with one round of ammunition were allegedly located inside his vehicle. Additionally, during a search of his person, it is alleged that Boddie attempted to swallow a plastic bag containing 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
At the time of Guyette’s arrest on Feb. 8, 2023, approximately 15 pounds of a crystal substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine and thousands of suspected fentanyl pills weighing over 400 grams were located in a safe in her bedroom. A digital scale as well as multiple Rhode Island and Massachusetts driver’s licenses, Social Security cards and credit cards in the names of other individuals were also found during a search of Guyette’s residence. During a search of Boddie’s Rhode Island residence, investigators seized two ghost guns, a 3-D printer used to print ghost gun components, approximately 150 grams of suspected methamphetamine as well as 10 different driver’s licenses, each bearing Boddie’s photo with names and addresses of other individuals.
In total, law enforcement seized over 16 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 700 grams of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl over the course of the investigation.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Hudson Police Chief Richard DiPersio made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Imperial County Resident Agency and Yuma Resident Agency; United States Postal Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Woonsocket (R.I.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Three Illinois Men Admit 2020 St. Louis CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men from Illinois pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges and admitted carjacking a St. Louis, Missouri woman in front of her house in 2020.
Lamont Carter, 28, of East St. Louis, Jerray Jackson, 25, of Washington Park, and Montez Wicks, 27, of East St. Louis, each pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
They admitted that on June 1, 2020 a woman preparing to leave for work was getting into her 2013 Ford Explorer. A black Audi pulled up and two men got out, pointed guns at her and ordered her out of her SUV. The two men stole the Ford while the third man followed in the Audi.
Four days later, the Audi was spotted by Richmond Heights police in a caravan of vehicles near the Galleria Mall. Police followed the Audi into St. Louis, where it crashed near Forest Park Community College. Carter, Jackson and Wicks ran but were eventually caught by officers with the Clayton Police Department. They left a Ruger 9mm pistol and a stolen Glock .40-caliber pistol behind in the Audi.
The Ford’s owner identified all three men as the carjackers, their plea agreements say.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Clayton Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce is prosecuting the case.
Three Hudson County Men Charged with Narcotics and Firearms Related Offenses Inside Jersey City Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three Hudson County, New Jersey, men were charged by complaint with narcotics and firearms related violations, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.
Shiquwan Johnson, aka “Big Shy,” 37, is charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Johnson is associated with a neighborhood street gang that operates around the Bergen Avenue/Lexington Avenue area in Jersey City.
Douglas Sherman, aka “Dougie,” 40, is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.
Perry Capers, aka “Diddy,” 36, is charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. Capers is also associated with the neighborhood street gang that operates in and around Bergen Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Jersey City.
All three defendants appeared on Feb. 16, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen. Johnson and Sherman consented to detention and Capers was released and placed on home incarceration.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement officers began investigating an apartment building in January 2023 and observed numerous hand-to-hand drug transactions on a near-daily basis. The investigation revealed multiple stash locations for narcotics and firearms in the building, including inside an apartment unit rented by Sherman, a pipe, and a mailbox associated with the apartment unit rented by Sherman. While executing search warrants on Feb. 15, 2023, law enforcement officers recovered hundreds of grams of suspected cocaine and tens of grams of suspected heroin, three firearms, and additional ammunition.
Johnson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sherman and Capers face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, for their assistance.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara Kim of the Office’s OCDETF/Narcotics Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Third conspirator convicted at trial for stealing trade secrets from aircraft manufacturersRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The third defendant in a conspiracy to steal valuable proprietary information from aircraft manufacturers has been found guilty after a three-day trial.
Joseph Pascua, 60, of Escondido, Calif., awaits sentencing after a U.S. District Court jury found him guilty of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Pascua faces a statutory sentence of up to 10 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Manufacturers spend millions of dollars and countless hours of employee work time to research, design and develop unique products,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Joseph Pascua and his co-conspirators attempted to shortcut this process by stealing valuable proprietary information to benefit a competitor – and they’re being held accountable for this theft.”
As described at trial, Pascua was one of three defendants who schemed to speed the process for developing and testing an aircraft de-icing design by stealing proprietary information from an aircraft manufacturer. They planned to profit by using stolen information to expedite Federal Aviation Administration certification, and then selling the design to a competing aircraft company.
The three originally were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2019; Pascua’s case initially was dismissed and he was indicted separately in November 2021. He was found guilty by a jury after a three-day trial in Savannah before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, and now awaits sentencing upon completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
Co-defendant Gilbert Basuldua, 63, of Hilton Head, S.C., is serving an 80-month sentence after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, while Craig German, 60, of Kernersville, N.C., is serving a total of 90 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, and later being found guilty by a jury on charges of Perjury and False Statements to a Government Agency for lying during his initial sentencing hearing.
“The FBI is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who engage in illegal and deceptive practices to steal trade secrets and protected information from companies who spend millions of dollars to develop it,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “As this extensive investigation comes to a close, let these convictions be a reminder that the FBI will not tolerate criminals that violate laws that protect companies and are in place to keep Americans safe.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Employer of Nearly $10 MillionRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Horizon City man pleaded guilty in federal court in El Paso Tuesday to wire fraud.
According to court documents, Ricardo Robles, 41, was employed in a position in which he was responsible for purchasing goods from suppliers. His employer would then resell the goods for profit. Robles created numerous sham companies beginning in 2010 and used those sham companies to purchase goods and inflate the prices along with his co-conspirators. On his employer’s behalf, Robles would then purchase from his sham companies and divert portions of those payments to his personal bank accounts.
Robles pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Robles also agrees to pay restitution of approximately $9,890,489.53. A sentencing date has been tentatively set for May 30. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels is prosecuting the case.
###
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Tyler Deandre Johnson (27, Tampa) to three years and eight months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $40,039.67, which represents the proceeds Johnson obtained from these offenses. The federal sentence is to run consecutively to a three-year state prison sentence Johnson is currently serving on four Hillsborough County state cases. In those cases, Johnson was convicted of three counts of fleeing to elude, two counts of armed possession of a controlled substance, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Johnson had pleaded guilty to the federal charges on November 15, 2022.
According to court records, between March 16 and June 15, 2021, Johnson used Green Dot VISA debit cards and PayPal credit cards with stolen account numbers embossed on them to purchase a total of $40,039.67 worth of merchandise. The merchandise included jewelry and cellphones. Because another person’s name was embossed on these cards, Johnson used fraudulent identification cards to corroborate the names on the debit and credit cards as his own.
This case was investigated by the U.S. General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, Southeast and Caribbean Regional Investigations Office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Southeast Region, Amtrak - Office of Inspector General, Central Region, the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, the Davie Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Belleview Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and the Synchrony Bank Special Investigations Team. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Talladega Man Sentenced to More than 19 Years in Prison on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – Today, a federal judge sentenced a Talladega man on drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey Maze sentenced Antoine Marque McClellan, 32, to 232 months in prison. McClellan pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in October 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Anniston police officers conducted two traffic stops, within two days, on vehicles occupied by McClellan. On June 11, 2021, Anniston police officers conducted a traffic stop in Heflin, on a vehicle driven by McClellan. Upon searching the vehicle, officers recovered a plastic bag containing marijuana and a clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine. In the trunk of the vehicle, officers recovered a backpack containing three more clear plastic bags containing methamphetamine.
On June 12, 2021, an Anniston police officer conducted a traffic stop in Anniston on a vehicle in which McClellan was a passenger. Officers recovered five individual bags of “ice” methamphetamine from a cardboard box stuffed under the spare tire in the trunk of the vehicle.
In total, officers recovered over six kilograms of pure methamphetamine from McClellan.
This investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Lengua Doble. OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Established in 1982, OCDETF is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized-crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to enforcement. OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its partners in concentrated, coordinated, long-term enterprise investigations of transnational organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks.
The DEA investigated the case, along with the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit and the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Garnett prosecuted the case.
Tahlequah Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Assaulting Two Victims with a Bat and FirearmRead the Press Release
A defendant who broke into a Broken Arrow home and assaulted a woman and man in 2017 was sentenced Friday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Louis Clayton Chaffin, 45, of Tahlequah, to 84 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release.
Chaffin previously pleaded guilty to first degree burglary in Indian Country and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country.
“Louis Chaffin broke into a home wielding a bat and gun. He then assaulted two victims, seriously injuring them. Fortunately, the incident was deescalated when the homeowner stepped in and stopped him,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Today’s 7-year sentence should make it clear that this office and our law enforcement partners will hold violent perpetrators accountable.”
Chaffin admitted that on Dec. 9, 2017, he broke into the home by kicking in the front door and while carrying an aluminum baseball bat and a 9mm pistol. Chaffin struck the man and woman with the bat repeatedly. He pointed the gun at the man and pistol whipped him in the face. The incident only ended after another individual, the homeowner, took out his own gun and ordered Chaffin to leave.
As a result of the assault, the male victim suffered broken facial bones and a fractured skull. The female victim suffered a concussion from the beating, and her face later required numerous stitches.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Broken Arrow Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Harder and Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.
Standing Pine Man Pleads Guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Standing Pine man pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2021, Kendall Ben, 33, assaulted a female and fractured her arm in the Standing Pine community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
Ben is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
South Los Angeles-Based Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Leading Crack Cocaine Manufacturing and Distribution Ring in WattsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A leader of the Bounty Hunter Bloods (BHB) street gang pleaded guilty today to federal drug and firearms charges for leading a manufacturing and distribution of crack cocaine conspiracy in and around the gang’s “territory” of the Nickerson Gardens public housing projects in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Damion Baker, 45, a.k.a. “Fatts,” of Compton, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Baker is the lead defendant in an April 2021 indictment targeting members and associates of the BHB street gang for drug- and firearm-related crimes.
According to his plea agreement, from August 2019 to May 2020, Baker organized and led a drug trafficking conspiracy in which he and his accomplices agreed to distribute cocaine. Specifically, Baker arranged to obtain powder cocaine from at least two drug suppliers. He then directed his co-conspirators to cook, and would himself cook, the powder cocaine and manufacture it into crack cocaine to sell to customers, including back to his powder cocaine suppliers to sell in crack form.
Baker directed his accomplices in the packaging, sale, and delivery of crack cocaine to customers, which included co-conspirators and other BHB gang members. Baker also directed the receipt and storage of drug proceeds throughout BHB-claimed territory in South Los Angeles.
As part of these activities, Baker arranged for an accomplice’s residence in the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts to be used as a stash house in which Baker and his co-conspirators continuously sold crack cocaine over a period of many months. Baker recruited and hired co-conspirators to work at the Watts stash house and directed them in selling narcotics to customers there and in nearby areas, restocking the stash house’s drug supply, and transporting drug proceeds to Baker and other accomplices at various locations.
Baker admitted in his plea agreement to possessing a firearm in May 2020. He was not permitted to do so because he previously had been convicted of felonies in Los Angeles Superior Court, including a cocaine possession charge in 1998 and a domestic violence-related charge in 2001. He admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the firearm for the purpose of protecting his crack cocaine distribution business.
Baker also agreed to forfeit the firearm and $44,600 in cash law enforcement seized at his residence in Compton and at another residence in San Pedro.
United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled a July 14 sentencing hearing, at which time Baker will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum of 40 years in federal prison for the drug trafficking conspiracy charge, and up 10 years in federal prison for the firearms offense.
The other 11 defendants in this indictment either have pleaded guilty or signed plea agreements in this case and await sentencing. Another BHB gang member, and Baker’s second in command in the drug trafficking conspiracy, Tony Carr, 52, a.k.a. “T-Bone,” of Watts, pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of cocaine trafficking conspiracy and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Aenlle-Rocha sentenced Carr to 188 months in federal prison.
In April 2021, law enforcement conducted a takedown in which 22 BHB members and associates were charged in a total of nine federal grand jury indictments. Of those 22 defendants, prosecutors have secured 19 convictions.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs, which consists of the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy E. Pomerantz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Scherier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on February 13, 2023.
James Verbrugge, 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Verbrugge was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on December 2, 2022.
Verbrugge, along with his co-conspirators, was responsible for distributing 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine in the District of South Dakota. On April 7, 2022, Verbrugge assisted his co-conspirators in completing a sale of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Verbrugge provided his co-conspirators with methamphetamine so they could complete the sale. The transaction took place in a grocery store parking lot where they exchanged approximately 333.8 grams of methamphetamine, which was at 98% purity, in return for $4,600.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen, who also serves as a prosecutor with the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.
James Verbrugge was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
###
Senior Oil and Gas Trader and Brazil-Based Intermediary Charged in Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Connecticut charging a Connecticut man and a foreign national with conspiracy, multiple counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to pay bribes to Brazilian officials to win contracts with Brazil’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (Petrobras).
According to court documents, Glenn Oztemel, 64, of Westport, worked as a senior oil and gas trader at two Connecticut-based trading companies (Trading Company #1 and Trading Company #2). Eduardo Innecco, 73, a dual Brazilian and Italian citizen, worked as an oil and gas broker and agent for Trading Company #1 and Trading Company #2 in Brazil. Between approximately mid-2010 and continuing into 2018, Oztemel, Innecco, and others allegedly paid bribes to Petrobras officials for their assistance in helping Trading Company #1 and Trading Company #2 obtain and retain business with Petrobras, including by providing Oztemel, Innecco, and others with confidential information regarding Petrobras’ fuel oil business. As alleged, Oztemel and his co-conspirators caused Trading Company #1 and Trading Company #2 to make corrupt payments – disguised as purported consulting fees and commissions – to Innecco, knowing that Innecco would pay a portion of those funds to Brazilian officials as bribes. To conceal the scheme, Oztemel, Innecco, and their co-conspirators allegedly used coded language to refer to the bribes and communicated using personal email accounts, fictitious names, and encrypted messaging applications.
Oztemel and Innecco are each charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of violating the FCPA, and two counts of money laundering. They face up to five years in prison for each of the bribery conspiracy and bribery charges, and up to 20 years in prison for each of the money laundering conspiracy and money laundering charges.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Avery for the District of Connecticut, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Second and Third Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion Dollar Schemes Involving Preparing False Tax Returns for Professional Athletes and PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two California men have been sentenced to prison in a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal loans initiative designed to help businesses pay their employees and meet expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thanh Rudin, 58, was a principal of Mana Tax Services, a tax preparation business in the Los Angeles area. His coconspirator, Seir Havana, 46, was the company’s Vice President/Director and Chief Executive Officer. The defendants engaged in two fraud schemes using Mana tax. First, they prepared and filed with the IRS a series of false income tax returns on behalf of at least nine professional athletes. The false tax returns reported fictitious business and personal losses to generate refunds the athletes were not entitled to receive. They also filed amended tax returns for most of the athletes for prior years to correct what conspirators falsely characterized as “errors” made by their previous accountants. Mana Tax charged the athletes a fee of 30% of the resulting refunds issued by the IRS. The tax fraud scheme caused a total tax loss of more than $19 million.
Second, the defendants prepared and submitted false applications for PPP loans on behalf of small businesses, shell companies, and other business entities they controlled. The co-conspirators prepared fraudulent PPP loan applications for these firms in exchange for a fee of 30% of the resulting loan. The co-conspirators submitted fabricated tax returns to support the PPP loan applications, and some of the business owners never saw their loan applications before Mana Tax filed them. To obtain fraudulent PPP loans, the co-conspirators grossly inflated the number of employees and monthly payroll costs claimed on the applications. Some of the businesses were not eligible for any PPP loan funds at all because they did not have any payroll expenses.
During the investigation, the government seized more than $11.8 million from bank accounts containing PPP loan fraud proceeds controlled by the conspirators. In addition, Havana surrendered cashier’s checks worth approximately $5.6 million, representing a portion of the fees charged to professional athletes for the preparation of their false tax returns, and a portion of the fees charged for obtaining fraudulent PPP loans. The two schemes resulted in total losses of more than $44 million.
Havana, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison. Thanh Rudin was sentenced on February 10 to 34 months in prison. Thanh Rudin’s brother, Quin Rudin, was sentenced in October 2022 to 10 years in prison for his role in the scheme.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and U.S. Small Business Administration provided assistance with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kimberly R. Pedersen for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Chief David Zisserson of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-116.
Recidivist Defendant Charged in Connection with Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme Targeting Senior Executives of Investment FirmsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a criminal Complaint today charging JONATHAN GHERTLER with engaging in a sophisticated scheme to impersonate senior leaders of two Manhattan-based investment firms, resulting in over $1 million in losses to their portfolio companies, and impersonating a partner of a global law firm on telephone calls with federal agents who were investigating the scheme. GHERTLER was arrested yesterday and will be presented in the Middle District of Florida on Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Jonathan Ghertler impersonated some of the most prominent figures in finance and law to defraud companies of over $1 million and convince federal investigators to stop their investigation into his scheme. Ghertler is a serial fraudster and has been prosecuted for similar impersonation schemes and frauds in the past, including by this Office. Today’s arrest demonstrates this Office’s commitment to stopping recidivist fraudsters like Ghertler and to seeking justice for victims of financial frauds.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, Ghertler impersonated high-level executives at two different financial firms and directed personnel from those firms to pay for non-existent internal investigations aimed at determining if there were links between individuals associated with the firms and Jeffrey Epstein. In addition, when he learned his fraud was being investigated, he impersonated a partner of a law firm purportedly representing one of the financial firms and attempted to convince federal agents that no crime had been committed. The action we have taken today will ensure Ghertler – in his true identity – will be forced to face the consequences of his deceit.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
From at least in or about December 2021, up to and including at least June 2022, GHERTLER impersonated the General Counsel of a global private equity firm (the “Private Equity Firm”). In doing so, GHERTLER fraudulently caused the Private Equity Firm’s portfolio companies to pay at least $200,000 to fund a non-existent internal investigation into alleged links between senior employees of the Private Equity Firm and Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier who, before he died on or about August 10, 2019, had been charged in the Southern District of New York with sex trafficking of minors and conspiring to commit sex trafficking of minors.
In addition, from at least May 2021, up to and including February 2023, GHERTLER impersonated the founder of an investment firm (the “Investment Firm”), directing the Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”) of one of the Investment Firm’s portfolio companies (the “IF Portfolio Company”) to make at least $865,000 in payments to fund a non-existent internal investigation related to the founder’s alleged relationship with Epstein. In recent weeks, GHERTLER, posing as the founder of the Investment Firm, had discussed with the CEO the possibility of making a large investment into a restaurant chain owned by another investment firm.
On or about February 7, 2023, after learning from the CEO that federal investigators were investigating a potentially fraudulent payment made by the Investment Firm, GHERTLER, posing as a partner (the “Partner”) at a global law firm, spoke on the phone with Special Agents with the FBI. GHERTLER told the federal agents that the IF Portfolio Company had chosen not to report the fraud because it had been “made whole” by the fraudster.
On or about February 10, 2023, GHERTLER, impersonating the Partner, spoke again with federal agents. GHERTLER said, after “consult[ing]” with “associates and lower-level partners” at the Global Law Firm who “used to work” at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, “our position is that, uh, the law states that, umm, you know, if the money was paid back prior to, uh, the crime being, uh, discovered, uh, it’s not a crime.” GHERTLER added that his “client [i.e., the founder of the Investment Firm] has a lot of other issues he is dealing with right now, so this is one he really doesn’t need to deal with.”
* * *
GHERTLER, 60, of Orlando, Florida, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison; and one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are 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 FBI and additionally thanked the Orange County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office and Orlando Police Department for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sowlati is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Readout of Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta’s Trip to MemphisRead the Press Release
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta traveled to Memphis today to attend the investiture of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee and meet with local Memphis officials and community leaders.
Associate Attorney General Gupta met with Mayor Jim Strickland and Police Chief C.J. Davis to discuss the city’s request for assistance from the CRI-TAC initiative, funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) as well as the city’s response to the tragic death of Tyre Nichols. The Justice Department’s ongoing federal criminal civil rights investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols is being handled jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, the Civil Rights Division and the FBI.
In a meeting with two dozen local faith and community leaders, the Associate Attorney General heard from local leaders about the need for fair policing, as well as their efforts on the ground to support those most at risk of becoming intertwined with the criminal justice system. She discussed the department’s programs, including those that support police community trust and community violence intervention efforts, and the department’s ongoing efforts to make grant funding more accessible to local community groups.
In the afternoon, Western District of Tennessee District Judge S. Thomas Anderson presided over the investiture of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz. Associate Attorney General Gupta spoke at the ceremony, along with former U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and the Honorable Julia S. Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, for whom U.S. Attorney Ritz served as a law clerk. The investiture was attended by several federal district and court of appeals judges, as well as local law enforcement and community leaders and elected officials.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta with U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz and community leaders Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta (front center), U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz (front left), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren (front right) and staff from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee