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13 February 2023
Redding Man Sentenced for Serial Arsons in Shasta-Trinity National ForestRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eric Michael Smith, 41, of Redding, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison and ordered to pay $19,071 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for being a serial arsonist in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between June 2019 and July 2020, Smith set no less than 11 fires on national forest land. Smith also admitted to abandoning at least 11 campfires on national forest land during this same general period.
Smith used virtually undetectable ignition sources, such as cigarette lighters and handheld torches, to start his wildfires in remote locations of the national forest. Many of the fires Smith admitted to setting began in the early morning hours of the day, making detection and firefighting by authorities potentially more challenging. One of the fires set by Smith in July 2020 burned so close to Interstate 5 near Turntable Bay Road that first responders closed a portion of the highway to prevent the blaze from burning numerous vehicles and residences on the other side of the interstate.
Smith was arrested in late July 2020, following an extensive investigation in which law enforcement agents installed a tracking device on his vehicle to monitor his movements and surveilled him for days.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.
Red Lake Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake man has pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2022, Devin Anthony Sumner, 20, and the victim had been involved in a relationship. In the early morning, and while in his car, Sumner became angry at the victim and began to physically assault the victim by slapping and punching. During the assault, Sumner grabbed a 12-gauge G-Force Arms shotgun and repeatedly hit the victim on the hands and body with the shotgun. As a result of being hit with the shotgun, the victim sustained serious bodily injuries including a broken and fractured hand, multiple lacerations, and bruises, all of which necessitated emergency hospital treatment and eventual surgery.
Sumner pleaded guilty on February 9, 2023, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2023.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead and Emily A. Polachek.
Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – George Daren Hall, also known as “Pops,” 47, of Nitro, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 10, 2022, Hall sold approximately 65 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant outside of a Nitro residence.
Hall is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 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 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the West Virginia State Police Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor 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. 3:22-cr-166.
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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing Five Minor Victims and Recording the Sexual Abuse over 13 YearsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Garnell Eugene Graves, age 59, of Baltimore, to 50 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for four counts of sexual exploitation of a child related to his sexual abuse of five minor victims. The sentence was imposed late on February 10, 2023.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates, and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from 2007 to 2020, Graves sexually abused five minors between the ages of 6 and 13 years old. Beginning in 2007, Graves regularly sexually abused Minor Victim 1 from the time she was eight until she was 11 years old—and continued to exploit her until she was 16 years old. Graves recorded some of the sexual encounters and sometimes showed Minor Victim 1 the videos of the abuse. Graves also often gave Minor Victim 1 gifts, including a smartphone, in exchange for her “forgiveness” and to encourage her not to inform her mother. Additionally, Graves placed a hidden camera in Minor Victim 1’s bedroom and recorded videos of Minor Victim 1 in various stages of undress.
Graves admitted that he sexually abused Minor Victim 2 when Minor Victim 2 was 12 years old. On three occasions, Graves photographed himself sexually abusing Minor Victim 2, who appeared to be sleeping at the time.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Graves sexually abused Minor Victim 3 from age 6 through age 13. In at least one instance, Graves told Minor Victim 3 that they would get married and have children in the future. Graves also showed Minor Victim 3 images of Graves and Minor Victim 1 engaging in sex acts that were taken during his abuse of Minor Victim 1. Graves admitted that to conceal his conduct and prevent Minor Victim 3 from disclosing Graves’ abuse to others, Graves provided Minor Victim 3 with food, money, and other gifts. When Minor Victim 3 tried to end the abuse, Graves threatened Minor Victim 3 by telling her that if she stopped, he would abuse Minor Victim 5. As a result, Graves continued to abuse Minor Victim 3—and ultimately sexually abused Minor Victim 5 anyway. On at least 11 instances between 2014 and 2017, Graves sexually abused Minor Victim 3 and produced videos and images documenting that abuse.
Graves further admitted that he sexually abused Minor Victim 4 when she was between 9 and 10-years old. In 2017, Graves produced ten images Minor Victim 4 laying on a bed with her genitals exposed. The images were located on Graves’ digital devices. As he had previously done with Minor Victim 1, Graves showed pornography to Minor Victim 3 and Minor Victim 4 on a social media platform and told the victims of his desire to engage in the same conduct with them.
Graves also admitted that he sexually abused Minor Victim 5. Specifically, when Minor Victim 5 was approximately 6 or 7 years old, Graves entered the room where she was sleeping and took Minor Victim 5 to another room, where he sexually abused her. After the encounter, Graves instructed Minor Victim 5 not to tell anyone.
The videos and images documenting Graves’ abuse of Minor Victims 1, 2, 3, and 4, were located on his digital devices after his arrest in December 2020.
Graves has two previous convictions related to his sexual abuse of two other minor victims. Specifically, in 1991, Graves was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a minor child in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In 1998, Graves was convicted of sexual offense in the third-degree involving another victim, in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Poplar man sentenced to 38 months in prison for assaulting officer with hammerRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Poplar man who admitted to hitting a police officer in the head with a hammer as law enforcement was responding to an assault at his home was sentenced today to 38 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nolan James Hendrickson, 34, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to assault with a dangerous weapon.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in March 2022 on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Hendrickson assaulted and strangled a woman, identified as Jane Doe 1, at his mother’s apartment. Police responded and found Hendrickson strangling Jane Doe 1. The victim, identified as Jane Doe 2, a police officer, tried to stop the assault, but Hendrickson lunged at the officer and hit her in the face with a hammer. Another responding officer fired a round at Hendrickson but missed. As police arrested Hendrickson, he continued to be combative. Hendrickson acknowledged he had been using alcohol and methamphetamine. The victim was treated for injuries from the hammer assault.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Peck Department of Law and Justice.
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Owner of San Bernardino County-Based Construction Firm Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Failing to Report $4.8 Million to IRSRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The owner of an Inland Empire business was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for filing false tax returns that failed to report more than $4.8 million in income over a five-year period, resulting in his failure to pay $1.6 million in taxes due to the IRS.
Liang Tai Chen, 62, the owner of the Chino-based construction company Mass Development Inc. (MDI), who is identified in court documents as a resident of Los Angeles County, was sentenced by United States District Judge Marc C. Scarsi. Judge Scarsi also ordered Chen to pay $1,642,935 in restitution.
Chen pleaded guilty in September 2022 to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return.
From January 2013 through October 2017, Chen oversaw MDI’s daily business activities and was listed as the owner of MDI on its financial documents. To conceal income, Chen deposited only a portion of the checks made payable to MDI into the company’s bank account and then cashed nearly $5 million of additional checks made payable to MDI at a bank and a local liquor store that offered check-cashing services.
In relation to MDI’s federal tax returns, Chen provided the tax return preparer with statements from MDI’s business bank account and falsely advised the tax return preparer that all of MDI’s income had been deposited into the business bank account.
By failing to tell MDI’s return preparer that he had cashed a substantial portion of business checks made payable to MDI, Chen caused MDI to falsely report its gross receipts to the IRS. This underreporting resulted in an underpayment of federal taxes totaling $1,642,935.
“[Chen’s] conduct was the result of his intentional choices and actions as a mature (he was in his 50s) and highly educated adult (master’s degree and degree in civil engineering) over a period of years, as opposed to a single aberrant or opportune act, in which [Chen] repeatedly filed false tax returns,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Austin Bruce Jeffreys, 28, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was sentenced today to nine years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for crimes arising from a drug-related June 2021 shootout in Huntington.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 14, 2021, Jeffreys spoke by phone with an inmate at the Western Regional Jail. The calls were recorded. The inmate asked Jeffreys to go to a Huntington residence and retrieve a quantity of suboxone that belonged to the inmate, but was in the possession of another person. Jeffreys admitted that he told the inmate he would be carrying a loaded Bersa Thunder .380-caliber Combat pistol while retrieving the drugs.
When Jeffreys and another individual arrived at the Huntington residence, a shootout occurred before Jeffreys could recover the drugs. After the shooting, Jeffreys made another recorded phone call with the inmate and admitted to his role in the shooting. Several days later, Jeffreys was arrested and once again admitted to his role in the shooting and further admitted that he knew the drugs he tried to recover were intended for distribution.
Jeffreys pleaded guilty to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The inmate, Jacob Benjamin Loper, 21, pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute suboxone and conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Loper was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on May 9, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police, the Huntington Police Department, and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Investigations Unit.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 3:21-cr-216.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Poly-Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Monge-Ponce, aka Ramon Maciel-Ponce, aka Jose Ponce (Ponce), 33, of Mexico, entered a guilty plea today to conspiring to manufacture, to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in January 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at an unoccupied residence in Madera and found a methamphetamine lab, along with 10 pounds of finished methamphetamine, 4 pounds of heroin, 1 pound of cocaine, and 25 pounds of marijuana. Ponce, Oscar Rene Marrot-Garcia, 30, of Chowchilla, and Francisco Alcantar-Miranda, 34, of Mexico were also inside, and Ponce was in possession of an unregistered firearm, three cellphones, and pay-owe sheets.
Alcantar and Marrot previously entered guilty pleas and were sentenced to 10 years and six and one half years, respectively.
Ponce is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on May 22, 2023. Ponce faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, along with a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET), and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) High Impact Investigation Team (HITT), consisting of agents of Homeland Security Investigations, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sheriff’s Offices of Fresno, Tulare, and King Counties, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Darius Harshaw, 36, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams of fentanyl and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, in August 2021, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation jointly with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Darius Harshaw. On September 15, 2021, officers executed a search warrant where Harshaw resided and located numerous narcotics, including 873 grams of fentanyl, a firearm, and a money counter.
As a result of his prior felony history, Harshaw is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm.
Harshaw pled guilty to ownership of the narcotics and the firearm on November 7, 2022.
On February 9, 2023, United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Harshaw to 180 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was jointly investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance of ATF and the Department of Homeland Security Investigation.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Allen, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Man Pleads Guilty to Strangling his Dating PartnerRead the Press Release
A man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to a December attack on his girlfriend, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Imari Jamil Hines, 36, of Owasso, pleaded guilty to assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and suffocating in Indian Country.
In the early morning hours of Dec. 16, 2022, Hines and the victim got into an argument that turned physical inside the victim’s apartment. According to court documents, the victim told police that when the confrontation escalated, Hines pushed the victim and began strangling her. He then punched the victim in the face and banged her head on the ground repeatedly. The victim reported that she was able to flee the apartment, and Hines left the scene in her vehicle.
Officers observed bruising and red marks on the victim’s neck and petechiae in the victim’s eyes consistent with being strangled. They also noted the victim suffered a black eye and bruising on her face.
The FBI, Tulsa Police Department and Owasso Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko A. Boulieris is prosecuting the case.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Thousands of Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that CAMILO ENRIQUEZ-NUNEZ, a/k/a “Viejo,” the leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine, pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer to conspiring to distribute more than 5,000 kilograms of cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Thanks to our partners at the DEA, approximately 1,300 kilograms of cocaine was seized before it could hit the streets. Now, the leader of this major trafficking organization has been held accountable for his crimes.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Information and other filings and statements made in court:
ENRIQUEZ-NUNEZ controlled a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) responsible for trafficking more than 5,000 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States.
On September 29, 2021, law enforcement officers seized 920 kilograms — more than one ton — of cocaine belonging to the DTO in New Jersey. Three defendants were arrested in New Jersey along with that seizure.
On July 18, 2022, ENRIQUEZ-NUNEZ was arrested in Puerto Rico. At approximately the same time as the arrest, law enforcement also seized approximately 380 kilograms of additional cocaine, four assault rifles, and $750,000 in cash belonging to the DTO.
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ENRIQUEZ-NUNEZ, 43, of Puerto Rico, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Sentencing before Judge Engelmayer is scheduled for May 30, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel P. Rothschild, Kevin Mead, and Marguerite B. Colson are in charge of the prosecution.
Kern County Resident Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Role in Disability Benefits Fraud Scheme and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Javier Jimenez Alvarez, 52, of Arvin, was sentenced today to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $3,397,775 in restitution for one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to launder money, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between March 31, 2010, and March 11, 2015, Jimenez Alvarez and others submitted claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) seeking disability benefits for other individuals who were not entitled to disability benefits. After submitting the false claims, Jimenez Alvarez and others would receive debit cards loaded with disability benefits and withdrew those benefits from the accounts for cash. As part of this fraud, Jimenez Alvarez and others would also respond to EDD requests for supplemental information, causing EDD to provide additional benefits to the debit cards. Additionally, Jimenez Alvarez knowingly and intentionally attempted to conceal these transactions and convert all of the stolen funds into cash.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the California Employment Development Department, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandre Dempsey prosecuted the case.
Kern County Man Charged in Operation Red Reaper Pleads Guilty to Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Calif. — Ernesto Zibray, 34, of Delano, pleaded guilty today to distribution of over 500 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Zibray was charged as part of Operation Red Reaper, a multi-agency operation that resulted in three federal cases charging a total of 23 individuals. The months-long investigation uncovered evidence that the Nuestra Familia prison gang and its associates were responsible for large-scale trafficking of methamphetamine and other controlled substances, as well as various firearms offenses and other violent crimes in Kings and Tulare Counties.
According to court documents, on May 6, 2019, Zibray, who was on probation for another offense, distributed 2 pounds of methamphetamine to co-defendant, Tiffany Feller, in Delano. Moments later, investigators conducted a traffic stop on the car in which Feller was traveling, searched the car, and found the methamphetamine. Zibray was arrested in June 2019.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Kings County Gang Task Force, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the FBI, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Kimberly A. Sanchez are prosecuting the case.
Zibray is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on May 22, 2023. Zebray faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a fine up to $10 million. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Justice Department Brings Awareness to Teen Dating ViolenceRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. The Justice Department’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) will hold an observance event Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 at 11am EST.
The event will be open to the public in a virtual format and will feature remarks from Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and OVW Director Allison Randall along with presentations by youth leaders from Jewish Women’s International, MCSR and other organizations engaged in violence prevention efforts.
Join OVW and its guests at www.justice.gov/live to take part in this vital initiative and bring awareness to teen dating violence.
If you are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, or other forms of related abuse, help is available. Call the Teen Dating Abuse Hotline at 1-866-331-9474; Victim Connect at 1-855-484-2846; or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
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Jury Finds St. Petersburg Man Guilty of Fraud Scheme to Strip Liens from Vehicles and Obtain Clear TitlesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jonathan Daniels (44, St. Petersburg) guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Daniels faces a maximum penalty of 62 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2023. Daniels had been indicted on August 25, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Daniels and his co-conspirators were involved in a fraud scheme to strip bank liens from 100 vehicles and obtain clear titles to the vehicles. The conspirators submitted fraudulent and counterfeit documents and fake certified mail receipts to tax collector offices in Florida to make it look like the vehicles had towing and storage liens, which enabled the conspirators to obtain clear titles to the vehicles and sell the vehicles to unsuspecting buyers for profit.
One of Daniels’s co-conspirators, Ian McGeehan, has pleaded guilty. His sentencing is scheduled for May 4, 2023.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
Jury Finds Felon Guilty of Possessing Firearm and Multiple Bags of Drugs for DistributionRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Curtis Tyrone Johnson (35, Melbourne) guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute various controlled substances. Johnson faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 10, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, on March 25, 2022, the Melbourne Police Department and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, along with members of the DEA and the FBI, executed search warrants at two residences on Williams Street in Melbourne. While law enforcement moved in to set a perimeter one street south, Johnson came jogging down the side of a residence holding a black bag. Upon making eye contact with law enforcement, Johnson took off running through backyards on Ryoland Street. Agents following Johnson observed him holding the black bag and a firearm. Johnson was given commands to put his hands in the air but instead threw the black bag and firearm over a fence into a church parking lot. Both items, the Glock .40 caliber pistol loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, and a bag containing approximately 181 grams of methamphetamine, 35 grams of crack cocaine, 15 grams of fluorofentanyl, and 194 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone – a drug similar to MDMA – were recovered.
After he was arrested, Johnson told agents that they “didn’t get no gun off me” and asked if possession is nine-tenths of the law. Further investigation revealed that a vehicle located in an open field, which had been towed to the Melbourne Police Department pending a search warrant, belonged to Johnson and his girlfriend. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and located $7,000 inside a sock and two digital scales. During a jail phone call that Johnson had placed to his girlfriend after his arrest, Johnson instructed his girlfriend to get the title to the car because there were 8 “wraps” in the vehicle, which is common street terminology for a stack of $1,000.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Melbourne Police Department, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Beatriz Gonzalez and Megan Testerman.
Investiture Ceremony for United States Attorney Kevin G. RitzRead the Press Release
Kevin G. Ritz will be formally installed as the 51st United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. Nominated by President Joe Biden on July 29, 2022, Ritz was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on September 22, 2022. As the United States Attorney, Ritz is the chief federal law enforcement officer in West Tennessee. The Honorable S. Thomas Anderson, United States District Judge, for the Western District of Tennessee will convene the Investiture. Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta will be among those providing remarks.
DATE: Friday, February 17, 2023
TIME: 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Memphis City Hall
City Council Chambers
125 North Main Street
Memphis, Tennessee
NOTE: Credentialed members of the media are invited to participate. Please RSVP to Cherri.Green@usdoj.gov or 601.961.9192.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Benjamin Jack Reed, 41, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 29, 2022, Reed and a co-defendant sold approximately 27 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a Huntington parking lot.
Reed is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor 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. 3:22-cr-211.
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Grand jury indicts 3 men with crimes involving 2 drug-related murdersRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Three defendants are charged with crimes related to two murders in Cincinnati during the summer of 2021.
Antwan Coach, Jr., 20, of Cincinnati, and Markel Hardy, 21, of Cincinnati, allegedly robbed and murdered Kamar Williams on July 5, 2021, in North College Hill. According to the eight-count superseding indictment, Coach and Hardy robbed Mr. Williams of marijuana and a firearm and shot him to death.
It is alleged that the third defendant, Jamal Binford, 33, of Dallas and Cincinnati, unlawfully assisted Hardy after the July murder.
In August 2021, all three defendants allegedly conspired to murder a second victim in connection with 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Binford, Coach and Hardy are charged with the Aug. 1, 2021, murder of Deonte Nuckols in St. Bernard.
Binford was arrested this morning at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and appeared in federal court in the Northern District of Texas.
The case pending against Binford, Coach and Hardy was unsealed today.
If convicted as charged, each of the defendants faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge; North College Hill Police Chief Ryan Schrand; and St. Bernard Police Chief Michael Simos announced the charges. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division also aided during the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley N. Brucato and Frederic C. Shadley are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Fresno Man Charged in Operation No Fly Zone Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Patrick Feaster, 23, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Feaster was one of seven Fresno residents charged federally as a result of Operation No Fly Zone, a multi-agency investigation that sought to address a rise in the number of shootings and homicides in Fresno. According to court documents, on March 16, 2022, investigators learned that Feaster would be going to a residence in Fresno to pick up a firearm and an extended magazine. Shortly after Feaster left the residence, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on his car, but Feaster failed to yield. Feaster got out of the car with a bag, and fled on foot. After a chase, officers arrested Feaster and seized the bag from him. Inside the bag, officers found a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine.
Feaster is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on May 30, 2023. Feaster faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Fresno Police Department; the Fresno-area Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC); the California Department of Justice; the California Highway Patrol; the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office; the Kings County Sheriff’s Office; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Frankfort Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing and Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material via PlatoRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Jonathan P. Colson, 52, of Frankfort, Indiana, was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing and possessing child sex abuse material depicting prepubescent children.
According to court documents, from April 2018 to April 2020, Colson utilized the chat feature of the online gaming platform, Plato, to send sexually explicit messages describing child sex abuse material to another individual. During those online conversations, Colson bragged that he was molesting children in his family. Colson also distributed child sex abuse material to the individual. The individual contacted law enforcement. Law enforcement officers identified the user of the online gaming application as Colson and recovered the messages and images that Colson had sent and distributed to the individual using Plato.
On August 20, 2020, law enforcement officers searched Colson’s home pursuant to a federal search warrant, and recovered several devices used by Colson to download, distribute, and possess child sex abuse material. The images and videos that Colson distributed and possessed included depictions of children as young as 10 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
“Criminals like this defendant exploit the perceived anonymity of online gaming platforms to further their sexual interest in children,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Pedophiles who believe they can continue to trade horrific images of child sexual abuse online are sorely mistaken. The sentence imposed today shows that these offenders will be identified and will be removed from our communities.”
“While no amount of time in federal prison can undo the damage this predator did to his young victims, it should send a strong message to others who would engage in criminal sexual activity that the FBI and our partners will continue to pursue those who would victimize young children,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton.
The FBI investigated this case with valuable assistance from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Indiana State Police. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane M. Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Stinson ordered that Colson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years following his release from federal prison and pay $5,000 pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Colson must also register as sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.
In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
For-Profit Virginia School Settles False Claims Act Allegations Involving Military Veteran’s SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Pinellas Corporation (Pinellas), a for-profit school offering computer training courses in McLean and Richmond, and CEO and sole owner Paul Giordano, of Washington, D.C., agreed to pay $450,000 to settle allegations that Pinellas paid bonuses to consultants based on their success in securing enrollments of students receiving military veterans benefits.
Under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill), military veterans can receive tuition assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enroll as students at approved educational institutions. Their tuition assistance is paid directly to the educational institution. During the relevant period, education institutions could not be approved to enroll students receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits “if the educational institution provides any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial aid to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance.”
The United States alleged that from 2015 through 2016, Pinellas d/b/a New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Richmond Virginia, and New Horizons Computer Learning Center Of Washington, D.C., at Giordano’s direction, paid bonuses to consultants who recruited students receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill financial assistance based on their success in securing enrollments. The United States further alleged that, between August 15, 2015, and December 31, 2016, Pinellas falsely certified that it had exercised reasonable diligence in meeting all applicable requirements of Title 38 of the U.S. Code in submitting nearly 1,000 claims to the VA for Post-9/11 GI Bill payments.
The government alleged that because of the false certifications Pinellas made to the VA, the VA paid tuition payments to Pinellas that Pinellas was not eligible to receive, in violation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the False Claims Act.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Starr and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Krista Anderson. The civil claims settled by this False Claims Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Nationwide “Felony Lane Gang” ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tyrone Parker, age 41, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville, made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Parker admitted that he was involved in a fraud scheme known as “Felony Lane Gang” between 2019 and 2020. Parker and his co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking into cars, often targeting those parked by women at locations such as health and fitness centers, daycares, and parks. Parker and other members of the conspiracy stole debit cards, credit cards, checkbooks, and photo identifications in these “smash-and-grab” vehicle thefts, and they used these stolen items to commit bank fraud by recruiting women to impersonate the smash-and-grab victims and cash checks in drive-through bank lanes. The recruited check cashers were almost always suffering from an addiction to controlled substances and were provided payment at least partially in narcotics.
Parker was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $132,990, and to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $7,202. Parker will serve a 3-year term of supervised release after completing his term of imprisonment.
Parker was one of nine men charged in a 13-count indictment for their roles in the scheme. Keyshawn Arnold, age 25, of Schenectady, New York; Gary Grier, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Joshua Mallory, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale; and Terrell McDonald, age 32, of Troy, New York, previously pled guilty for their roles in the indictment. The remaining co-defendants are:
- TYRONE PARKER, JR. a/k/a “Ty,” a/k/a “Cheese,” a/k/a “Little Thigh,” age 22, of Fort Lauderdale;
- CEDRIC LYNCH, a/k/a “City,” a/k/a “C,” age 37, of Orlando, Florida;
- ROBERT NATSON, a/k/a “Big Rob,” age 36, of Fort Lauderdale; and
- RANDALL TAYLOR , a/k/a “Gucci,” a/k/a “Guwop,” age 37, of Fort Lauderdale.
Each of the remaining defendants is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and/or aggravated identity theft, and they are scheduled for trial in federal court in Albany on July 10, 2023. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants whose cases remain pending are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Westchester Resident Agency of the New York Field Office and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Albany, Miami, and Salt Lake City, and Resident Agencies in Savannah, Georgia, and Portland, Maine, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by numerous law enforcement agencies, including, within New York, the New York State Police; Columbia County Sheriff's Office; Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; Monroe County Sheriff’s Office; Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office; Warren County Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of the Town of Bethlehem; Glens Falls; Gloversville; Greenburgh; Greece; and Watervliet; and elsewhere, Connecticut State Police; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Georgia State Patrol; Illinois State Police; Massachusetts State Police; Broward County, FL Sheriff’s Office; Northern York County, PA Regional Police; Southern Chester County, PA Regional Police; Utah County, UT Sheriff's Office; and the police departments of Auburn, MA; Bath, ME; Biddeford, ME; Bozeman, MT; Brunswick, ME; Caernarvon Township, PA; Chester Township, PA; Cinnaminson, NJ; Darien, CT; East Norriton Township, PA; Easthampton, MA; Greenwich, CT; Lower Moreland Township, PA; Manheim Township, PA; Portland, ME; Portsmouth, NH; Saco, ME; Salisbury, MA; Sanford, ME; Scarborough, ME; Somersworth, NH; South Portland, ME; St. George, UT; Syracuse, UT; Tinicum, PA; Towamencin, PA; Tewksbury, MA; Wakefield, MA; Yarmouth, ME; and York, ME.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie, Michael F. Perry, and Paul Tuck are prosecuting the case.
Florida Cardiology, P.A. and 10 Physicians Agree to Pay $2 Million to Settle False Claims Act LiabilityRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that Florida Cardiology, P.A., Sandeep Bajaj, Karan Reddy, and eight other physicians have agreed to pay the United States and the State of Florida $2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting inflated claims to Medicare and Medicaid and for billing while the physicians were outside the United States.
The United States and the State of Florida previously intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against Florida Cardiology and the physician-defendants on June 27, 2022. The lawsuit and settlement relate to the submission of claims that were improperly billed or performed, and submitted or caused to be submitted by Florida Cardiology, Sandeep Bajaj, Abbas Ali, Karan Reddy, Claudio Manubens, Milan Kothari, Saroj Tampira, Sayed Hussain,Raviprasad Subraya, Harish Patil, and Edwin Martinez.
According to the lawsuit and settlement agreement, Dr. Bajaj and Dr. Reddy caused Florida Cardiology to bill for more intravascular stents than were actually inserted into patients; Dr. Bajaj caused Florida Cardiology to bill for radiofrequency ablations that were not performed by him and in some instances, were not performed by a qualifying provider; and all ten physician-defendants caused Florida Cardiology to bill for procedures and services while they were outside the United States. According to the Complaint in Intervention, except in limited circumstances, providers cannot bill for services while outside the United States. According to the settlement agreement, Florida Cardiology submitted these false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
“Fraud schemes represent a tangible threat to our public health programs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “This civil settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to the integrity of these programs, and to holding providers accountable for the truth of what they represent in their claims.”
“The defendants in this case attempted to rip off taxpayers—even going as far as billing Medicaid and Medicare for services they claimed were provided to patients in Florida while these doctors were actually out of the country. As a result of their brazen scheme and the great work of whistleblowers, my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and our federal partners, these defendants will now pay for ripping off taxpayers,” stated Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
“Health care professionals participating in Medicare and Medicaid are expected to abide by rules meant to protect patients, and to properly bill the programs on which their patients rely. Physicians who put financial gain above the well-being of patients and the integrity of federal health care programs will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate such allegations to protect the beneficiaries of all HHS programs.”
“We commend the U.S. Attorney’s office, the Florida MFCU, HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their commitment to safeguarding the TRICARE Health Plan,” stated the Defense Health Agency. “Their efforts protect taxpayer dollars to ensure our service members, veterans, and their families continue to receive the highest degree of medical care.”
“False claims threaten the integrity of the Federal health care programs and waste American taxpayer funds,” said Conrad J. Quarles, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, OPM OIG. “We applaud our partners at the Department of Justice for holding providers accountable for fraudulent billing practices.”
The settlement concludes a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by Relators Derrick Graham and Jesse Frauenhofer. The Relators sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act permitting private citizens to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. The Relators will receive $420,000 of the proceeds from the settlement with the Defendants.
This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the Florida Office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“MFCU”), the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor and Florida MFCU’s Senior Assistant Attorney General Matthew Vitale led the investigation.
The case is captioned United States and the State of Florida ex rel. Graham and Frauenhofer v. Florida Cardiology, P.A., et al, Case No. 18-cv-1444-Orl-RBD-LHP. The settlement resolves the United States and the State of Florida’s claims in that case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Erie Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Erie, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Walter Scott McMahon, age 56, of Erie, PA, pleaded guilty to Count Two of the Superseding Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, from July 2019 to June 2020, McMahon did conspire to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2023. The law provides for a minimum of 10 years in prison to a maximum of life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McMahon. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possession of Firearms, Ammunition and Distribution of A Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Evan Ingram (42, Clearwater) with seven counts of distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Ingram faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the distribution charges and a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison on each of the possession of firearm and ammunition charges.
According to the indictment, on seven separate dates in August and September 2022, Ingram distributed cocaine. On four dates during that time frame, he possessed a firearm. The indictment also alleges that Ingram has previously been convicted of seven felonies, including three or more violent felonies or serious drug offenses. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Concord Man Charged with Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND - Javier Antonio Ramirez made his initial appearance today on a federal complaint charging him with receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.
According to the affidavit supporting the complaint, in January 2023, a student, identified in the complaint as “Minor Victim 1,” suffered from a suspected fentanyl overdose at a school in Contra Costa County. A school nurse administered multiple doses of Narcan to the minor victim in an attempt to save her life. When law enforcement officers arrived, the minor victim was conscious and was subsequently transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The complaint describes the investigation leading law enforcement officers to conclude Ramirez, a 28-year-old Concord, California resident, provided the fentanyl to the minor victim, including taking her to San Francisco to obtain fentanyl. Further, the complaint affidavit alleges that law enforcement reviewed Ramirez’s cell phone and that this search revealed multiple videos and images taken of him having sexual intercourse or engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a minor. As alleged in the complaint affidavit, on Ramirez’s cell phone, law enforcement also found other files containing child pornography, including a file Ramirez received on January 3, 2023, with an approximately nine-minute video depicting a child, approximately 6- to 8-years-old, being sexually exploited by an unidentified male.
Ramirez is charged with receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2). Ramirez remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing set for February 16, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. before, U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.
A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a statutory minimum of 5 years’ and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. Ramirez also faces an additional term of supervised release, restitution, and additional financial assessments; however, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Volkar 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 Homeland Security Investigations and the Contra Costa Sherriff’s Office.
Colorado Laser Technology Company Agrees to Pay More Than $400,000 to Resolve Allegations that it Improperly Used Foreign SubcontractorsRead the Press Release
DENVER – Vescent Photonics, Inc., a laser technology company located in Golden, Colorado, agreed to pay $402,621 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by using contractors located outside of the United States in research projects funded by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
The SBIR program is a federal program intended to foster eligible small businesses in the United States through federally funded research and development awards. Awards are made by various government agencies to eligible small businesses for them to use domestically, in conducting research and developing technology with potential commercial benefits. The government does not own the research it subsidizes through the SBIR program or share in the profits from commercial applications. In order to ensure that taxpayer dollars are properly spent, the Small Business Administration, and each agency issuing awards, publishes eligibility requirements for participation in the program. One eligibility requirement for SBIR funds is that all research and development must be performed in the United States. More details on the SBIR program are available at https://www.sbir.gov/faqs/general-questions.
According to the United States, Vescent, a company that conducts research and development of complex laser technologies, applied for and received two SBIR awards, one from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and one from the United States Air Force. Vescent then subcontracted with two foreign nationals, located in foreign countries, to perform research and development on these SBIR projects. In doing so, Vescent failed to comply with the SBIR requirement that all research and development be performed in the United States, and violated the False Claims Act.
“SBIR funds are intended to help support qualified small businesses in the United States, and to encourage domestic innovation and domestic technology development,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Diverting SBIR funds to foreign nationals located abroad undermines the purpose of this funding and violates the rules of the SBIR program.”
“Protecting research and development programs funded by NASA is a priority for the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG). The settlement agreement with Vescent Photonics is the result of a joint effort to protect SBIR contracts from fraud and abuse, and this case demonstrates the commitment of the NASA OIG and our law enforcement partners to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute companies that defraud SBIR programs,” said Bob Steinau, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, NASA OIG.
“This case demonstrates the dedication of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, to tirelessly investigate fraudulent conduct that undermines the integrity of the SBIR program,” said DCIS Assistant Inspector General Paul Sternal. “The outcome in this case reflects our steadfast commitment to hold those who defraud the United States Government and the Department of Defense accountable for their actions.”
“This settlement represents the combined efforts of partnering agencies to defend programs designed to assist domestic small businesses to ensure they are able to thrive and compete. We are fully committed to ensuring integrity within Air Force-funded acquisition programs,” said James P. Stoddard, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations (OSI).
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only.
This matter was investigated by NASA OIG, the DCIS, and the U.S. Air Force OSI. It was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeyen Wu.
Clay County Man Arrested and Charged with Distributing and Possessing Child Sex Abuse Videos and ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and the return of an indictment charging Carl Stephen Smith, Jr. (32, Green Cove Springs) with distributing and possessing child sexual abuse materials using the internet. If convicted, Smith faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Smith was arrested on January 31, 2023, and has been detained pending trial in this case.
According to court documents and evidence proffered in open court, in July 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline report from an online social media application (app) that three child sexual abuse videos had been uploaded on the app by a user named “daddysir142.” The IP address used to upload these materials resolved to an internet service provider in Green Cove Springs. An investigation commenced by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office revealed nine other CyberTipline reports submitted by several online social media apps for IP addresses that traced back to either the same internet service provider account at Smith’s residence or a cellphone service carrier used by Smith.
On January 31, 2023, members of the Northeast Florida Intercept Task Force, including agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Clay County Sheriff's Office, and other state and local investigators, executed a federal search warrant at Smith’s residence and seized a cellphone belonging to Smith. A forensic review of this device revealed that it contained at least 15 videos and 14 images depicting young children being sexually abused. The review also showed Smith had distributed one such video over the internet on January 6, 2023, using a social media app.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Setting Fire to Cell Phone StoreRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago resident has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for setting fire to the Boost Mobile Store located at 809 E. 79th Street in 2019.
In the early morning hours of September 10, 2019, OTHO HARRIS, 63, of Chicago broke the front door of the store, poured gasoline into the building, and set it on fire because he was upset with the store’s response to his broken cellphone. The day before, on September 9, Harris got into a confrontation with a store employee about the broken cellphone and slammed the phone down onto the ground and exited the store after the employee said the phone could not be repaired. Harris, who plead guilty to one count of arson in September of 2022, has a lengthy criminal history involving multiple prison sentences for other violent crimes.
On February 9, 2023, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr., imposed the 96-month prison sentence. The court also ordered Harris to pay $195,701 in restitution for the extensive damage the fire caused to the Boost Mobile store.
The sentence is announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffery L. Matthews, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri represented the government.
Brookfield Restaurant Agrees to Permit Service Animals and Improve Accessibility in ADA SettlementRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with Lake Shore Lounge, Inc., doing business as Down the Hatch restaurant in Brookfield, to resolve allegations that the restaurant was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”).
The settlement agreement resolves an ADA complaint filed by an individual with disabilities alleging that Down the Hatch required the removal of a service animal from the restaurant as a condition of service. An additional complaint alleged that the restrooms and parking spaces were inaccessible to individuals with physical disabilities.
As a result of the settlement agreement, the restaurant is in the process of posting signage indicating “Service Animals Welcome,” implementing a “Service Animal Policy,” which includes the types of legally permissible inquiries employees may make of a customer who enters the restaurant with a service animal, and training employees regarding the policy. Down the Hatch has also made a compensation payment to the complainant as required by the agreement. In addition, Down the Hatch agreed to make significant improvements that will increase accessibility to restrooms and parking spaces on the premises.
Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including restaurants, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that the owner of Down the Hatch has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to promptly address the ADA issues without litigation.
“We enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that individuals are able to access and enjoy the state’s restaurants, service establishments, retail stores and other places of public accommodation,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “The ADA requires businesses to appropriately serve the diverse populations of patrons who live, work, and visit Connecticut. We appreciate Down the Hatch’s commitment to increasing access to its restaurant for individuals with disabilities who require service animal assistance and those with mobility challenges.”
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William M. Brown, Jr. and Stewart Dearing of the District of Connecticut in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Bartlett Man Sentenced for Solicitation of Child Pornography and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Joel Evan Lattimer, 43, of Bartlett, TN., has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for solicitation of child pornography and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, between October and November 2021, FBI undercover agents communicated with Lattimer using social networking applications, such as Whisper, Kik, and Wickr. During the investigation, the undercover agents posed as a father and his minor daughter who told Lattimer that the father frequently sexually abused his 12-year-old daughter. He requested to see photos and videos of the sexual abuse of the minor. In November, Lattimer sent the minor two videos of himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Lattimer pled guilty to the charges brought in a two-count Information.
On February 9, 2023, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Lattimer to 60 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The Court also assessed a $10,000 fine under the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act of 2015.
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Delery, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Ashdown Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA – An Ashdown man was sentenced today to 360 months in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by 20 years supervised release, on one count of Production of Child Pornography. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Texarkana.
According to court documents, in November of 2018 the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Texarkana, Arkansas received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual had uploaded to the internet multiple images depicting the sexual abuse of a five-year old female. The subsequent investigation identified the defendant, Aaron Llyod Mitchell, age 25, as the individual who posted the images to the internet. On November 21, 2018, FBI agents conducted a search of Mitchell’s residence. During a post-Miranda interview, Mitchell admitted to producing the images of the five-year-old and uploading them to the internet. On December 13, 2018, Mitchell was indicted on multiple charges involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. On June 20, 2019, Mitchell pleaded guilty to production of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Arizona Man Sentenced to 12 ½ Years for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Matthew M. Peeples, 44, of Pine, Arizona pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 12 ½ years in prison for receiving child pornography. This term of imprisonment is to be followed by 30 years of supervised release.
In October 2021, the father of a 16-year-old girl reported to law enforcement that in reviewing the victim’s Snapchat messages, he observed images of the family dog performing oral sex on the girl. The father allowed police to search his phone which contained the Snapchat application associated with the girl’s account.
The Snapchat application contained conversations between the victim and Peeples between September 23 and October 25, 2021. Within these conversations, the victim said she was 16 years old. The defendant lied and said he was too. He then repeatedly asked the victim to perform sexual acts with her dog. When she complied, he recorded the activity.
Peeples then sent the recordings of the victim and her dog to someone else to attempt to convince them to engage in similar behavior. He also portrayed himself as a 16-year-old boy to obtain explicit images from other minors. By his own admission, he has been exploiting minors for approximately 10-12 years.
Judge Conley found that a significant sentence was warranted because the defendant manipulated and coerced the victim to persuade her to engage in humiliating conduct for his own sexual gratification. Judge Conley was also concerned that Peeples was living a double life, with people in his life having no idea of the horrific life he was living online.
The charge against Peeples was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Waunakee, Middleton, and Truckee, California Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
11 February 2023
Alleged Drug Trafficking Ring Leader and Utah Business Owner Behind Bars Following Massive Narcotics BustRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal judge ordered detention of the leader of a large Utah narcotics organization. In the Memorandum Decision and Order filed Friday, the judge wrote that the decision to detain Jaafar Altalibi was based in part on “the significant role defendant played in distributing highly toxic substances throughout the community for approximately a decade…”
In October, a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City, Utah, returned a 15-count indictment charging multiple defendants, including foreign nationals, with drug-related offenses, including synthetic drugs commonly referred to as “bath salts,” and providing defendants notice that if convicted of the charges, they would forfeit millions of dollars in cash, bank accounts, property and other assets.
According to court documents, Jaafar Altalibi, 40, Salt Lake County; Mountazar Altalibi, 34, Salt Lake County; Haydar Altalibi, 43; Salt Lake County; David Lovato, 42, Salt Lake County; Allen Jervis, 54, Salt Lake County; Hannah Taylor, 26, Salt Lake County; Samantha Barber, 39, Salt Lake County; Roble Abdinoor, 42, Seattle, Washington; Faris Musa, 30, Salt Lake County; Hussein Alsalemi, 39, Salt Lake County; Khadim Musa, 31, Salt Lake County; Martinus De Koning, a foreign national; Smokers Haven J, LLC; and Lake City Auto Sales, LLC, are all charged with a number of drug related offenses, which include but do not apply to all defendants, conspiracy to distribute schedule I controlled substances; conspiracy to commit money laundering; attempted possession of α-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP) with intent to distribute; possession of α-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP) with intent to distribute; distribution of α-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP); distribution of α-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP) for the purpose of unlawful importation; and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. Defendants were also provided notice that if convicted of the charges, defendants would forfeit property constituting, or derived from, any proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as the result of such offense and any property used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or to facilitate the commission of, the offense(s). This property includes seven real estate properties; six bank accounts; all vehicles parked at an involved business; four additional vehicles to include a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE, 2022 Cadillac Escalade, 2017 Landrover Range Rover Sport, and a 2017 Lexus GS350; other luxury items, multiple residences, and two businesses.
U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force, made up of officers from the DEA, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake/Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, West Valley City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are investigating this case. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Utah Department of Public Safety, Tooele Police Department, Sandy Police Department, South Jordan Police Department, Murray Police Department, Salt Lake City Police Department, Park City Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office participated in the investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Seth Nielsen, from the Utah Attorney General’s Office, Assistant United States Attorneys Vernon G. Stejskal, and Cy H. Castle, for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
10 February 2023
Weymouth Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Weymouth man has been sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed prodigious amounts of cocaine from Puerto Rico, which he and a co-conspirator obtained via the U.S. mail.
John Tavares, 36, was sentenced on Feb. 7, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison and eight years of supervised release. Tavares was also ordered to forfeit $91,940 in drug proceeds. In October 2019, Tavares pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
“Mr. Tavares was a significant wholesale cocaine supplier who cultivated a major drug pipeline that funneled more than $1 million worth of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “In addition, this dangerous drug trafficker kept firearms to protect his cocaine stash and illicit proceeds – putting the community at risk with the potentially lethal combination of drug distribution and deadly weapons. Thanks to the exceptional work by our state, local and federal partners, Mr. Tavares and his gun laden cocaine venture have been brought to a halt and communities across the South Shore are safer.”
“What we have here today is a perfect example of what happens when different law enforcement agencies pool their recourses and expertise to achieve a common goal…to protect American citizens from the many perils of illegal drugs. The safety and security of Postal Service employees and customers is the core mission of the Postal Inspection Service. It is our duty as postal inspectors to aggressively investigate those individuals who ship illicit drugs through the U.S. Mail. Make no mistake, we will find you and hold you accountable. I would like to thank our federal, state, and local partners for helping us achieve our goal to protect the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse,” said Darnell Edwards, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division.
“Tavares and his coconspirator are responsible for trafficking significant amounts of cocaine to the Massachusetts area. HSI is proud to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt trafficking operations like this one and prevent dangerous drugs from reaching our communities,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
“DEA is committed to investigating Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals like Mr. Tavares who is responsible for distributing cocaine to the citizens of Massachusetts,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division. “This sentence not only holds Mr. Tavares accountable for his crimes but this should serve as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the drug epidemic in order to profit and destroy the lives of others. We will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison. This investigation demonstrates the continued commitment we have to keeping our communities safe.”
Between March 2017 and August 2018, federal inspectors identified more than 40 suspicious parcels that had been sent through the mail from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Massachusetts including residences in Quincy, North Dartmouth, Weymouth and New Bedford. The suspicious parcels were often sent on the same day from Puerto Rico to two or more addresses in Massachusetts. During the investigation, two parcels were intercepted in the mail and approximately two kilograms of cocaine was found hidden in sealed coffee cans. Through surveillance, it was determined that Tavares and co-conspirator Cristina Lopez were receiving the majority of the parcels. It was also determined that Tavares and Lopez had flown regularly from Massachusetts to Puerto Rico for trips lasting only 30 to 72 hours, and that the parcels suspected of containing cocaine were then typically sent to Massachusetts within one to three days after their return. In total, Tavares and Lopez arranged for at least 44.9 kilograms of cocaine to be shipped from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts. After collecting the parcels, Tavares and Lopez prepared the cocaine for distribution.
Searches of residences used by Tavares and Lopez in Weymouth, North Dartmouth and Boston resulted in the seizures of more than three kilograms of cocaine, over $100,000, firearms, ammunition and various drug paraphernalia. Additionally, CDs containing photos taken from Lopez’s phone were seized which depicted Tavares posing in a bedroom with rifles, one of which was equipped with a silencer, as well as photos of Tavares with large stacks of cash.
In October 2019, Lopez pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and was sentenced in June 2020 to six years in prison and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; USPIS Acting INC Edwards; HSI SAC Millhollin; DEA SAC Boyle; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn, III; and Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux made the announcement today. Assistance in the investigation was provided by the Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, North Dartmouth and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Nadine Pellegrini of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney’s Office Releases 2022 Fourth Quarter Immigration Enforcement StatisticsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office announced its immigration enforcement statistics for October 2022 to December 2022. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the Tucson and Yuma Sectors of the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the three-month period ending December 31, 2022, the United States brought criminal charges in Arizona against 1,456 individuals who illegally entered or re-entered the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 260 cases against individuals responsible for smuggling undocumented noncitizens to and within the District of Arizona.
Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continues to be a priority for the Office and its law enforcement partners. Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of non-U.S. citizen smuggling organizations. Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include three cases brought against juvenile smugglers during this time period.
These statistics represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-017_2022 Fourth Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics
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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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Recovers $2 Million from Autism Therapy Provider for Alleged False Healthcare Claims in District’s Largest TRICARE SettlementRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has recovered $2,000,000 for taxpayers as part of a civil settlement with an Indiana autism therapy provider, ABA Programming Inc., Applied Behavior Center for Autism, and its owner, Sherry Michael (“ABCA”). ABCA is a provider of applied behavior analysis services for clients with autism throughout Indiana. The settlement will resolve allegations that ABCA submitted false claims to the TRICARE and Indiana Medicaid programs.
TRICARE is a health insurance system for members of the uniformed services and their families. It serves millions of beneficiaries, including many Hoosier families. Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of Americans, including low-income adults, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. It is jointly funded by federal and state governments.
ABCA is a healthcare provider operating in multiple locations throughout the State of Indiana. It provides applied behavior analysis services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Sherry Michael is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of ABCA.
According to a settlement agreement between the United States, the State of Indiana, and ABCA, the government maintained that ABCA submitted false claims to the government through several fraudulent billing schemes. These schemes included submitting upcoded, concurrent, and duplicate claims, claims for services not covered by TRICARE, and claims already paid by third-party sources.
Specifically, ABCA submitted claims to TRICARE and Medicaid for Analyst and Technician services rendered concurrently to the same patient, on the same date of service, upcoded claims for services rendered by Technicians, and submitted claims for group therapy services when the services were not covered by TRICARE. ABCA also submitted claims to Medicaid for group therapy services improperly billed as direct one-on-one provider therapy and claims already paid by third-party sources, namely TRICARE and the Indiana CareSource marketplace, without indicating to Medicaid that the claims had already been paid.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Defense – Office of the Inspector General (“DOD-OIG”), Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), the Indiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“Indiana MFCU”), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), in coordination with the United States Attorney’s Office.
Based on the investigation, the estimated loss to the Medicaid program was $348,194.60 and the estimated loss to TRICARE was $626,795.90. ABCA has agreed to pay $2,000,000 to the United States and the State of Indiana to resolve the government’s allegations, which includes double damages and some of the government’s investigative costs. This settlement is the largest TRICARE settlement ever collected in the Southern District of Indiana.
“Waste, fraud, and abuse in healthcare claims wrongfully take funds intended to provide needed care to our military and Medicaid families,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Behavioral services providers must not exploit the needs of patients and families living with autism spectrum disorder to claim public funds to which they are not entitled. Our office is committed to working with our partners with the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Indiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to protect taxpayer money and ensure that providers comply with the law.”
“Health care providers who seek to defraud TRICARE and profit at the expense of patients under their care, particularly those with special needs, should be held fully accountable,” stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Today’s settlement demonstrates the commitment of DCIS, along with our partners, to safeguard critical resources for the health and well-being of our military members, their families, and retirees, who deserve the best care available.”
“Behavioral analysis services for children, and other Medicaid beneficiaries, are of crucial importance to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our office is committed to working together with our law enforcement partners to hold those to account for fraud in these, and other, Federal health care programs.”
“These programs are designed to help our most vulnerable Hoosiers,” Attorney General Todd Rokita said. “Parents and families across the state rely on the aid of autism therapy providers to better care for their loved ones. By submitting false claims, the Applied Behavior Center for Autism deprived low-income families, disabled people, and pregnant mothers of adequate funding. We are fighting back to ensure taxpayers are protected and the Medicaid funds are being used to benefit those in need."
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Olson, who prosecuted this case.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. In agreeing to the settlement terms, ABCA denied all liability under the False Claims Act. In investigating the case, HHS-OIG, DOD-OIG, and MFCU did not uncover any evidence of injury or harm to patients as a result of the alleged conduct.
Two Women Sentenced to Prison for Illicit Massage Parlor Operation and Attempted Bribe of Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Two women from Flushing, New York and Wilmington, North Carolina were sentenced today to combined 33 months in prison for their management and involvement in an illicit massage parlor operation between August of 2020 and June of 2021. Ming Ji Cao, sentenced to 18 months and a $1000 fine, and Og Bun Park, sentenced to 15 months and a $750 fine, previously pled guilty to the charges. Both women were also sentenced to three years of supervised release following their release from prison.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Cao and Park, were arrested as part of a broad undercover operation for attempting to bribe law enforcement officers to provide protection for their massage parlors in Cary and Wilmington, where sexual services were being offered.
The case arose from an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of other agencies, which determined that, in addition to the massages, clients were also obtaining sexual services at the parlors. Additionally, an HSI agent began going undercover to meet with Cao, Park, and other individuals who provided bribes to the agent, believing that the bribes would provide protection from law enforcement inquiries at the various massage parlors.
On June 16, 2021, HSI, with the assistance of numerous law enforcement agencies, led a coordinated takedown across four different federal districts that included the execution of search warrants at eight different massage parlors, multiple residences, and the arrest of six individuals, including Cao and Park. Cao and Park are each responsible for coordinating several thousand dollars in bribery payments.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Department of Homeland Security–Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and other state and local investigators , and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan M. Stephany prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-cr-00079-Fl.
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Two Men Indicted for Online Romance Fraud Schemes Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two men have been charged in separate indictments by a federal grand jury for their roles in online romance fraud schemes, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to separate indictments, Solomon Eghosa Wilfred, 42, of Coon Rapids, and Dodzi Kwame Kordorwu, 36, of Brooklyn Park, knowingly and intentionally participated in and facilitated online romance fraud schemes that targeted primarily elderly victims. As part of the schemes, the perpetrators contacted victims through e-mail and other online social media applications, using false personas to obtain victims’ trust. The scheme participants typically sought a romantic connection with the victims including suggestions of marriage. For example, according to the indictment, Wilfred mailed cards and rings on numerous occasions to victims located in other states. Once a relationship was established, the scheme participants would introduce the victims to others, such as a purported assistant, diplomat, government official, or even supposed law enforcement officers. The intermediaries furthered the scheme by helping with purported logistical issues and lulling the victims. It was further part of the scheme that the participants of the fraud scheme would request money from victims consistent with the supposed needs of the false personas. Scheme participants routinely increased the size of the requests over time and would direct victims to send money and other items of value to specific addresses.
According to court documents, Wilfred and Kordorwu used numerous addresses and/or bank accounts to receive and process packages and funds sent by victims under false and fraudulent pretenses. Between May 2018 and June 2022, Kordorwu received more than $2.3 million in fraud proceeds from electronic fund transfers and approximately 90 separate victim mailings. Kordorwu used some of the proceeds for his personal benefit and shared proceeds with other scheme participants. Between June 2020 and March 2021, Wilfred received over 400 victim packages containing more than $1.2 million in fraud proceeds and used some of the proceeds for his personal benefit and shared proceeds with other scheme participants.
Wilfred is charged with seven counts of mail fraud. In a separate indictment, Kordorwu is charged with eight counts of mail fraud. Both defendants made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and a Digital Forensic Investor with Hennepin County.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Robert M. Lewis are 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.
Tucson Man Arrested for Dealing Firearms Without a License and Possessing Unregistered FirearmsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Brian Jesus Hernandez, 24, of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested and charged Monday, with Dealing Firearms Without a License and Possessing Firearms Not Identified by a Serial Number.
During an investigation, detectives from the Tucson Police Department discovered that Hernandez was using a SnapChat account to advertise and sell firearms. On November 17, 2022, Hernandez sold a fully automatic 9mm pistol with no serial number to an undercover detective from the Tucson Police Department.
On February 6, 2023, Hernandez sold a “drop-in auto sear” to an undercover agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A drop-in auto sear is a conversion device that allows a semiautomatic AR-15 style assault rifle to fire fully automatic. Hernandez told the agent that he made the device with his 3D printer and showed the agent a video that gave instructions on how to use the device. That same day, agents executed a search warrant at Hernandez’ residence. They seized two 3D printers, four firearms, and various firearms parts and took Hernandez into custody.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tucson Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: MJ-23-05662-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-019_Hernandez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Three San Diego Residents Sentenced for Conspiring to Kidnap a Former Business Associate with Intent to Intimidate or MurderRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Salam Razuki, Sylvia Gonzales and Elizabeth Juarez were sentenced in federal court yesterday for conspiring to have a former business associate kidnapped. Razuki and Gonzales were sentenced to 84 months in prison, and Juarez was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
All three defendants pleaded guilty in November of 2022, admitting that they conspired in a plan to have the intended victim kidnapped and taken to Mexico to be intimidated or murdered. The victim had ongoing business disputes and civil litigation pending against Razuki and others, which could have resulted in significant monetary judgments. The person they solicited and eventually paid to commit this crime contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation immediately, at which point a federal investigation was initiated. Through the cooperation of that individual, subsequent planning meetings were recorded, leading to the arrest of Razuki, Gonzales, and Juarez before the plan could be executed.
In pronouncing the sentence, the Honorable Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo noted the “extremely egregious” nature of the defendants’ plan to have the victim “brought to Mexico to disappear, whether that meant leaving him there, intimidating him there or, as the defendants have all pled to, anticipating him being killed there."
“Fortunately, due to a tip from a conscientious citizen, this cold, calculated and terrifying plan was thwarted,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “The tables have been turned, and the justice system has held all perpetrators accountable.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and FBI agents for their excellent work on this case.
“These three defendants callously conspired to kidnap and use violence in order to resolve a business dispute, reducing the value of a person's life to a dollar figure,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “The tireless work of FBI personnel alongside our law enforcement partners in the DEA, the San Diego Police Department, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department has held these defendants accountable for this bad business. It is another example of our agencies’ collaborative commitment to public safety and our collective determination to bring criminals to justice.”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 18-cr-05260-CAB
Salam Razuki Age: 53 San Diego, CA
Sylvia Gonzales Age: 53 San Diego, CA
Elizabeth Juarez Age: 42 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Kidnap, a Felony in violation of 18 U.S.C § 1201(c)
Maximum Penalty: Life imprisonment
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego Police Department
San Diego Sheriff’s Office
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the District’s Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.
Three More Defendants Sentenced for Roles in Beckley-to-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Three more defendants were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Derrick Woodard, also known as “D,” 27, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license.
Tyana Bly, also known as “Biggie,” 23, of Beckley, and Megan Bickford, 34, of Oak Hill, were sentenced to five years of federal probation for making false statements in the acquisition of firearms. Bickford must serve the first four months of her probation on home confinement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Woodard admitted to traveling to Beckley with Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” and several other co-defendants on October 17, 2020, to obtain firearms with plans to resell them for profit in Philadelphia.
Bly and Bickford each admitted to buying firearms for Jones, who selected which firearms to buy at businesses within the Southern District of West Virginia and provided the money for the purchases. Each time Bly and Bickford bought a firearm for Jones, they falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms when they knew they were purchasing them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy.
Bly admitted to buying two SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistols and a Taurus G3C 9mm pistol for Jones in Beckley on April 2, 2021. Bly further admitted to purchasing at least five firearms for Jones in March and April 2021 so he and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Bickford admitted to buying a IWI, Model Jericho 941, 9mm pistol in Rainelle on November 2, 2020, and further admitted to carrying out at least 54 straw purchases throughout 2020.
Woodard, Bly and Bickford are among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked in the conspiracy, approximately 45 have been recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses. Nineteen of the firearms recovered from Philadelphia crime scenes were purchased by Bickford.
After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew prosecuted the cases.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46 and 5:22-cr-78.
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Three Men plead Guilty to Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
Three men pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to committing sex crimes against children, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Caleb Lee Giles, 23, of Afton, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country and coercion and enticement of a minor. Giles perpetrated sex crimes against two minor victims starting in 2020. The crimes continued for several years. Giles began communicating with the first victim when the minor was 13 years old, which became a sexual relationship when she was 14. Giles began communicating with the second victim for the purpose of coercing her into sexual activity when she was 12 years old. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Valeria G. Luster are prosecuting the case.
Ronald Paul Phillippe, 58, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country. Phillippe admitted that between September 2018 and Oct 1, 2021, he touched a minor younger than 12 years old in a sexual manner numerous times through the clothes. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case.
Mark Kevin Henshall, 28, of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country and incest in Indian Country. Henshaw raped and regularly engaged in sexual activity with a minor relative for two years, starting when Henshall was 21. The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and Bartlesville Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko A. Boulieris is prosecuting the case.
All defendants will be sentenced at later dates.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Three Men from Lake Charles Area Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of three defendants for illegally possessing firearms. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the three men yesterday in United States District Court.
Paul Wilson, 49, of Lake Arthur, Louisiana, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On November 30, 2019, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene of a reported shooting of a dog. During their investigation, deputies learned that Wilson had come to the victim’s residence and shot his dog. Wilson was still on the scene when deputies arrived, and they found him to be in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. On another occasion in May 2020, Wilson was also found to be in possession of a Hi-Point .45 caliber pistol. Wilson has a prior felony conviction for aggravated battery and is prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. He was charged in an indictment and pleaded guilty on September 15, 2022. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.
Robert Joubert, 38, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. In this case, officers with the Lake Charles Police Department were flagged down in reference to an abandoned vehicle and a disturbance between Joubert and his girlfriend. Joubert and his girlfriend had left the scene. Officers began a search for the suspects and located them walking a few blocks away. Joubert was carrying a camo-colored backpack and was given a verbal command to stop but continued to walk away from officers. The officer observed him throw an item under a nearby residence which was later determined to be a marijuana blunt. Joubert was detained and admitted to throwing his backpack in a nearby trash can. Officers found synthetic marijuana inside the backpack, as well as Ecstasy, a digital scale and a firearm. Joubert has three prior felony convictions for possession of controlled substances, and possession of a weapon while in possession of a controlled substance. Joubert pleaded guilty on October 26, 2022. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Lake Charles Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy.
Brian W. Chappell, 58, of LaPlace, Louisiana, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of firearms. Chappell was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of a firearm without a serial number. Chappell pleaded guilty to the charges October 5, 2022. On September 29, 2021, a tow truck being driven by Chappell was stopped by officers with the Leesville Police Department. A search warrant was obtained and officers with the Leesville and deputies with the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office searched Chappell’s vehicle. During their search, officers found several firearms and three firearm suppressors. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined the suppressors and found them to be contain the same parts as a silencer. Chappell admitted to owning the silencers and had not registered them with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Leesville Police Department and Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy.
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The Detroit Land Bank Authority Pays $1.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Blight Elimination CostsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - The Detroit Land Bank Authority (“DLBA”), a public organization working on behalf of the City of Detroit and the Detroit Building Authority in the City’s redevelopment and demolition management efforts, has agreed to pay the United States $1,503,000 to resolve allegations relating to unsubstantiated backfill dirt costs invoiced by demolition contractors and paid by the DLBA from December 2016 through June 2022, in connection with the DLBA’s blight elimination program. The United States contends that the claims for payment violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733.
Congress created the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”) in response to the financial crisis of 2008 to restore liquidity and stability to the financial systems of the United States. In 2010, the United States established the Hardest Hit Fund (“HHF”) using TARP funds to provide targeted aid in states hit hard by the economic and housing market downturn. Beginning in 2013, the City of Detroit received approximately $258 million from the HHF to help demolish blighted properties within the City of Detroit and assist neighborhoods with high vacancy rates and blighted residential properties. The DLBA allocated a portion of its HHF award for neighborhood improvement projects, which included acquiring properties, demolishing blighted properties, and providing ongoing property maintenance for neighborhood improvement projects.
“The False Claims Act is an important tool to deter and to hold accountable those who misuse public funds,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The Hardest Hit Fund’s blight elimination program is important to the safety and rebuilding of Detroit’s neighborhoods, and our office will continue to be vigilant in ensuring that taxpayer funds are properly used for that purpose.”
“I would like to commend the outstanding work of SIGTARP staff and the Detroit US Attorney’s Office in this investigation. This settlement stems from SIGTARP’s review of the Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program in Detroit, and the approval of unsubstantiated costs for backfill dirt by the DLBA,” said Melissa Bruce, SIGTARP Principal Deputy Inspector General. “The requirement to substantiate material costs before reimbursing contractors is critical to ensuring that TARP funds are properly spent on costs that are both reasonable and necessary to achieve the goals of this program.”
This case was investigated by the Office of Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“SIGTARP”). SIGTARP was created as an independent law enforcement agency to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse related to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.
The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney John Spaccarotella from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Textile Converter Pays $344,516.80 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Tabb Textiles Co., Inc. (“Tabb”), and individuals affiliated with the company, have paid $344,516.80 to resolve allegations that Tabb improperly billed Federal Prison Industries, Inc. for fabric that was sourced overseas, in violation of contract requirements.
Federal Prison Industries, Inc., also known as “UNICOR,” is a corporation wholly owned by the United States that allows inmates of the Bureau of Prisons to obtain occupational skills and work experience prior to their release. UNICOR’s operations include the manufacturing of apparel and other textile goods at twenty-three locations across the United States. Through these operations, UNICOR also strives to support the domestic economy, acquiring its manufacturing supplies from American companies.
On April 1, 2016, UNICOR awarded Tabb a contract for the provision of domestic fabric for use in UNICOR’s textile operations. Under the contract, Tabb supplied over six million yards of fabric to UNICOR. Of these six million yards of fabric, approximately 200,000 yards of fabric came from a foreign source, an error that arose from Tabb intermingling foreign and domestic fabric after the bleaching process.
A qui tam complaint prompted the United States’s investigation. A qui tam is a lawsuit under the False Claims Act that is brought by a private citizen on behalf of the United States, allowing the private citizen to share in the financial recovery. Although the investigation demonstrated that Tabb purchased domestic fabric for the contract, an internal investigation by Tabb revealed the intermingling of foreign and domestic white fabric, causing UNICOR to accept delivery of foreign-sourced fabric. Tabb cooperated with the United States’ inquiries, disclosing the results of its internal investigation and agreeing to compensate the United States for its error. The private citizen who brought the qui tam suit will receive approximately $65,000 from the settlement.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Melton represented for the United States. The case is United States ex rel. Perlstein v. Tabb Textiles Co., Inc., et al., Case No. 21-cv-70-REW. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Texas Woman Charged with Importing Fentanyl, Meth into U.S.Read the Press Release
ALPINE, Texas – A Presidio County woman was indicted in federal court in Alpine Thursday on charges related to importing and possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute.
Court documents allege that Cherakee Lee Perez, 32, provided a negative declaration during a Customs and Border Patrol vehicle inspection at the Presidio Port of Entry from Mexico into the U.S. A narcotic detection canine discovered more than three dozen packages hidden in the vehicle. 29 of packages contained approximately 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, while the other 13 contained seven kilograms of fentanyl.
Perez is charged with one count of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of importation of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The defendant made her initial court appearance January 17 before U.S. Magistrate Judge David B. Fannin of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of the Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Division made the announcement.
HSI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Greenbaum is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Texas Man Transporting Cocaine Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Emilio Rodriguez, 28, from Channelview, Texas, was sentenced today for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Rodriguez was sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to evidence presented to the court, on November 17, 2021, a Louisiana State Police trooper stopped a vehicle bearing Texas license plates on Interstate 20 in the Western District of Louisiana for committing a traffic violation. After stopping the vehicle, the trooper approached the front passenger side of the vehicle and Rodriguez rolled down both front windows. He was the sole driver and occupant. The vehicle, however, was registered to another individual. Rodriguez admitted to the trooper that he did not have a Texas driver’s license but provided a Texas identification card.
While talking with Rodriguez, the trooper noticed a strong smell of air freshener coming from the vehicle and when asking questions about his travel itinerary, became suspicious of the story Rodriguez provided. A K-9 officer and his dog arrived on the scene and the dog positively alerted to the vehicle. The troopers searched the vehicle and found vacuum-sealed packages of brick-shaped items suspected to be cocaine hidden in the side panel on the passenger side of the dashboard. Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assisted, and the drugs were seized and sent to the laboratory to be analyzed. The lab results confirmed that the seized substance was 3,003.9 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine.
The case was investigated by the DEA and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick.
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Tennessee Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– On February 10, 2023, Robert Z. Whipple, III, 50, currently of Crossville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 70 months in prison by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Whipple pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with three counts of bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). Following his release from prison, Whipple will be on three years of supervised release, and he will be required to pay restitution to the victims.
According to the written plea agreement filed with the court, Whipple robbed a Home Federal Bank, First Horizon Bank, and Fifth Third Bank, all of which were in West Knoxville and located within the Eastern District of Tennessee. Whipple robbed one bank each day from March 5 to March 7, 2020, and he took approximately $6,950 in total. Whipple was finally apprehended on the evening of March 7, 2020, at a Red Roof Inn hotel in Knoxville. During a search of Whipple’s hotel room and vehicle, law enforcement located over $4,000 in cash and several items that Whipple used to commit the bank robberies, including a wig and a demand note.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Knoxville Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Wesley Leatham.
Assistant United States Attorney LaToyia Carpenter represented the United States at sentencing.
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