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6 October 2022
State Prison Inmate Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Smuggling Methamphetamine into Pelican Bay State PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Patrick Botello, 36, of Richmond, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Botello and another inmate incarcerated at California’s Pelican Bay State Prison arranged with four people outside the prison to obtain methamphetamine and heroin, conceal the drugs within balloons, and then smuggle the drugs into the prison.
Botello was one of 27 federal defendants arrested in February 2018 on narcotics and weapons-related charges as part of Operation Silent Night, a multi‑agency law enforcement investigation into coordinated criminal activity in Woodland. Beginning in the spring of 2016, the investigation uncovered organized criminal activity in Woodland with ties to criminal organizations in California’s jail and prison system. Although centered in Yolo County, the investigation revealed that at least nine other California counties were negatively impacted by these criminal organizations: Sacramento, Sutter, Colusa, Yuba, Del Norte, Solano, Fresno, Santa Clara, and Siskiyou.
Operation Silent Night is the product of an investigation by the FBI, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, the Woodland Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol. The following agencies provided substantial assistance: the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the West Sacramento Police Department, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, the Davis Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office, the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Vacaville Police Department, the Correctional Intelligence Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the cases.
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.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl That Killed Pregnant WomanRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis County to 12 years in prison for selling the fentanyl that killed a pregnant woman in 2018.
Judge Schelp also ordered Raymond Blankenship, 27, to pay restitution of $10,300 to the victim’s mother.
Blankenship sold fentanyl capsules to the woman on Sept. 17, 2018. She originally tried to buy a painkiller from Blankenship via Facebook Messenger. Blankenship said he was out, but would call someone else to see if they had any drugs. They later arranged to meet. Blankenship knew he was providing the victim fentanyl, and knew she was pregnant.
She died a few hours later of acute fentanyl intoxication. The victim’s family found her after the overdose but was unable to save her. She left behind a young son.
“Our world is forever changed,” one of the victim’s relatives told Judge Schelp Thursday. “Fentanyl is the work of the devil.”
After the woman’s death, St. Louis County police detectives posed as the woman and arranged to buy more drugs from Blankenship. When police tried to arrest him, Blankenship ran and swallowed some capsules containing fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department.
St. Charles County Man Admits Downloading and Sharing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Peters, Missouri on Thursday admitted downloading and sharing child pornography via a variety of social media apps.
Eric Crews, 37, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of child pornography in front of U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. Crews admitted using social media to send and receive child pornography, including via large group chats.
The investigation began when Crews uploaded 14 files containing child sexual abuse material to Kik Messenger on Nov. 11, 2020, and shared them with at least one other Kik user.
A tip from the messaging app to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children resulted in a court-approved search of Crews’ home by St. Charles County police on June 15, 2021. Investigators found at least 5,400 images and 610 videos containing child pornography on Crews’ Apple iPhone. Also on the phone was evidence of Crews’ use of Viber, WhatsApp and TamTam accounts to obtain child sexual abuse material, his plea agreement says.
Crews could face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both when sentenced January 6.
The St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's 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.
St. Bernard Parish Man Admits to Student Aid Fraud of over $74,000Read the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROBERT JOHN, age 46, from St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, pled guilty on to conspiring to commit student aid fraud.
According to court documents, JOHN conspired with others to submit fraudulent applications for student loans and grants to two local community colleges, using the names of seven different applicants. In total, the Department of Education paid over $74,000 in loan and grant funds in connection with the fraudulent applications. The applications contained false information for all applicants, and several of the applicants did not even qualify for community college because they had not graduated high school or obtained GEDs.
JOHN faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to JOHN or the gross loss to any victims, as well as a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count. Under the terms of the plea agreement, JOHN agreed to pay back $74,576.10 to the Department of Education as restitution. Judge Lance M. Africk set the sentencing hearing for January 11, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Education Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
Southern Oregon Man Twice Convicted for Involvement in Shootings Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Medford man with previous felony convictions for his involvement in two Medford area shootings was sentenced to federal prison today after he was found by police in possession of a firearm.
Hunter Talon Marlow, 26, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on October 20, 2021, a witness contacted law enforcement after observing Marlow actively searching for a person who had shot at him in an attempt to retaliate. Marlow, who was previously convicted and served time in prison for shootings in 2014 and 2017, was prohibited from using or possessing a firearm. Later on October 20th, an officer from the Medford Police Department observed Marlow driving and attempted a felony traffic stop. After initially refusing to comply, Marlow surrendered to offices and was arrested. Officers found a loaded semi-automatic pistol with attached forty-round drum magazine in Marlow’s car.
On February 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Marlow with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. On June 22, 2022, Marlow pleaded guilty to the single charge.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Medford Police Department. It was prosecuted by Marco Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Shamond Jenkins, 20 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after being found guilty by a jury in December 2021, of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Jenkins was sentenced to 100 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,965 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, in December 2020, Jenkins went to a bank and handed over a note threatening to kill an employee if the employee did not give him cash. As employees were gathering cash out of the teller drawers to give to Jenkins, he repeatedly told them he was prepared to kill them. He fled with the cash and was arrested in January 2021.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department and the Mishawaka Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel R. Gabrielse.
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.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to over Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who possessed child pornography was sentenced October 5, 2022, to 13 years in federal prison. Mario Josue Reyes, age 22, received the prison term after a May 4, 2022, guilty plea to two counts of possession of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Reyes admitted to possessing child pornography. Reyes admitted to using a phone to video himself engaged in sexual conduct with a minor child who was 12 and 13 at the time of the incidents. Reyes also admitted to giving the minor marijuana and LSD.
Reyes was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Reyes was sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Reyes is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4011.
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Second Conspirator in Kidnapping Plot Who Cooperated Gets Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Kaleb Franks testified in both federal trials
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan announced today that Kaleb Franks, one of four conspirators convicted of plotting to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, was sentenced to 48 months (4 years) in federal prison, to be followed by three years of court supervision. In addition, he is required to pay a fine of $2,500.
Franks pled guilty early this year and agreed to cooperate with the government. Though he faced up to life in prison, the Hon. Robert J. Jonker, District Judge, determined the ultimate sentence after evaluating Franks’ assistance to the government and the applicable federal Sentencing Guidelines, and considering the statutory sentencing factors, including the nature and circumstances of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; the seriousness of the offense; and the need to promote respect for the law, to provide just punishment, and protect the public from future crimes of the defendant.
Franks testified at both federal trials, which cumulatively resulted in the convictions of co-defendants Adam Fox and Barry Croft and the acquittals of Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta. Ty Garbin was the first to plead guilty and cooperate. Garbin initially received a sentence of 75 months (6¼ years) in prison, which the district court later reduced to a term of 30 months (2½ years) in prison after fully considering his cooperation at both trials. Fox and Croft await sentencing in December.
The FBI’s Detroit Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, including Michigan State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan charged the case and conducted the trials, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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Schofield Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Making False Statements During Purchase of FirearmsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kyle Ritchie, 31, Schofield, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 24 months in federal prison for making false statements during the purchase of firearms. This prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Ritchie pleaded guilty to this charge on July 15, 2022.
Between May 23 and 28, 2021, Ritchie purchased four firearms from federally licensed firearm dealers in the Wausau, Wisconsin area. In order to complete the purchases of these firearms, the defendant represented that he was the actual buyer of these firearms when in fact he was not. An investigation by law enforcement revealed Ritchie purchased these firearms for Victor Pennington, who in exchange provided methamphetamine to Ritchie.
Pennington, who is prohibited from purchasing firearms as a result of multiple Wisconsin felony convictions, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on September 27, 2022. Pennington will be sentenced by Judge Conley on January 4, 2023.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley stated that the seriousness of the defendant’s offense warranted a prison sentence, despite the fact he has not before served a prison sentence. Judge Conley also found that Ritchie knew he was purchasing guns for a known drug dealer, and that the defendant’s own addiction did not excuse his crimes.
The charge against Ritchie was a result of an investigation conducted by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force; Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus.
Rutland Woman Charged with Convenience Store RobberyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Ashley Lobdell, 25, of Rutland, Vermont was arrested last night for interfering with commerce by robbery. Lobdell was charged today by Criminal Complaint, and is scheduled to appear tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle.
According to court records, Lobdell is accused of robbing the Jolley Mart store located at 128 Grove Street on September 25, 2022. Lobdell is alleged to have displayed a large steak knife to the clerk, and demanded cash from the register. Investigators were able to use surveillance video from the area of the robbery to identify Lobdell as the robber.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a Criminal Complaint contains allegations only and that Lobdell remains presumed innocent until and unless she is convicted of a crime. Lobdell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment on the robbery charge.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Rutland City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Lobdell is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq.
Rutland Man Charged with Convenience Store RobberyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that David R. Markie, 40, of Rutland, Vermont was arrested last night for interfering with commerce by robbery. Markie was charged today by Criminal Complaint, and is scheduled to appear tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle.
According to court records, Markie is accused of robbing the Jiffy Mart store located at 215 North Main Street in Rutland on October 3, 2022. Markie is alleged to have worn a lime-green face covering in the store while displaying a knife and demanding cash from the register. Investigators were able to locate the distinctive mask and to link Markie to discarded clothing consistent with the clothing worn by the robber.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a Criminal Complaint contains allegations only and that Markie remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Markie faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment on the robbery charge.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Rutland City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Markie is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Rocky Mount Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Charges After Shooting into Multiple Homes and VehiclesRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jaquan Raqueze Harris, 27, man pleaded guilty today to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. For this charge, Harris faces up to ten (10) years’ imprisonment. Harris is from Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
According to information presented in court and court documents, Harris illegally possessed a firearm when he shot indiscriminately into multiple homes along Parkridge Road and Walbrook Court, in Rocky Mount. On May 19, 2021, the Rocky Mount Police Department responded to a Shots Fired call at the corner of the 1700 block of Parkridge Road. Witnesses on scene advised they heard between 20 and 30 gunshots in a rapid succession late at night. Multiple residents on the block had projectiles strike and enter their homes and vehicles. Officers recovered over 25 spent shell casings and a semi-automatic rifle at the crime scene. Surveillance footage from a resident’s home security system captured Harris behind the home and armed with a black-in-color semi-automatic rifle. Harris is observed yelling and firing his rifle indiscriminately before fleeing the scene on foot and discarding the rifle. Rocky Mount Police arrested Harris the next day. Ballistics testing confirmed the spent shell casings from the crime scene matched the rifle Harris left at the crime scene. Harris was a convicted felon at the time and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr. accepted the plea. The Rocky Mount Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aakash Singh is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-120-FL.
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Rocky Mount Man Faces 10 Years in Prison after Pleading Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Kelvin Earl Pittman, 46, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and firearm charges. For these charges, Pittman faces a mandatory sentence of ten (10) years’ imprisonment. Pittman is from Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
According to information presented in court and court documents, Pittman conspired with others to sell guns and cocaine base (crack) illegally in Rocky Mount between August 2020 and January 2021. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation captured Pittman on video conducting multiple drug and firearm sales from his residence. Pittman held himself out as a dealer of firearms and provided discounts to buyers if they purchased drugs and firearms together. In total, the Sheriff’s Office seized over an ounce of cocaine base (crack) and four (4) firearms from Pittman. Pittman was a convicted felon at the time and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Pittman pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack), Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack), Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr. accepted the plea. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aakash Singh is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-71-FL.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Conspiracy and Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Timothy Jacobs a/k/a Dollar, 44, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that Jacobs was a member of a narcotics conspiracy between 2019 and September 29, 2021. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Jacobs obtained quantities of cocaine from co-conspirators and distributed the cocaine from a Lewis Street residence in Rochester. He also stored cocaine and firearms at that location. On September 29, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at the Lewis Street residence and recovered a loaded a ghost gun and approximately 20 grams of cocaine, as well as cocaine packaged for sale.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 6, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Rochester Man Going to Prison for Transferring Shotgun and Ammunition to Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Donald P. Oshier, 56, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of transferring a firearm and ammunition to a convicted felon, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that, on October 27, 2020, Oshier gave a 12-gauge shotgun and 25 rounds of ammunition to Stephen Pattison, knowing that Pattison was previously been convicted of a felony. Pattison was convicted of Domestic Assault in the Second Degree in Boone County, Missouri, in December 2016, and was legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. In addition, Oshier knew that Pattison wanted the shotgun and ammunition for the purpose of shooting Black Lives Matter (BLM) and/or Antifa protesters if they came to his neighborhood, and that Pattison had previously threatened BLM and Antifa protesters with physical harm. Pattison had previously stated, “Go ahead n*****, defund the police so . . . so I can just start (expletive) murderin’ you all in a genocidal rate by (expletive) myself. They’ll be callin’ me the angel of death. They’ll be callin’ me the new Josef Mengele.” Pattison was charged and convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and sentenced to serve 96 months in prison. Pattison’s girlfriend, Rochelle Pfenninger, was convicted of making false statements to the FBI during the investigation, and sentenced to probation with six month of home confinement.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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Red Springs Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty in Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – James Craig Bell, 63, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud Medicare, North Carolina Medicaid, and private health insurers through his pharmacy in Red Springs that operated under the name Townsend’s Pharmacy.
“This defendant lined his own pockets with money intended to provide vital prescription drugs for the poor and disadvantaged,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute shady schemes like this.”
“Submitting false and excessive claims to Medicare and Medicaid undermines the integrity of federal health care programs and wastes valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG works tirelessly along with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable perpetrators of federal health care fraud.”
“Medications are expensive enough without pharmacy owners defrauding Medicaid and ripping off taxpayers,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “These resources are meant to help people get the care and prescriptions they need. I’m grateful for U.S. Attorney Easley and his office’s partnership with my Medicaid Investigations team to hold accountable health care providers who waste these resources.”
According to the criminal information and evidence summarized in Court, beginning as early as 2006 through July 2017, Bell, acting through Townsend’s Pharmacy, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and various private health plans for prescription drugs that were never actually dispensed by the pharmacy. Bell conspired with his employee, Melisha West, 51, of Raleigh. West began independently running the pharmacy’s operations while Bell continued to knowingly profit from the fraudulent billing practices. West pleaded guilty to Healthcare Fraud in January 2022 for her role in the scheme and her sentencing hearing is set for the January 3, 2023 term of court. Bell had trained West and other employees on how to bill health care benefit plans for drugs that were not authorized or dispensed. Bell also trained employees to falsely reauthorize a previously existing prescription from a licensed medical professional, and, how to falsely bill health care benefit programs as though a drug had been dispensed.
Bell pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a potential fine. Sentencing before United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan is scheduled to occur early next year.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert Jones accepted the plea. The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the North Carolina Medicaid Criminal Investigation Unit are investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William M. Gilmore and David G. Beraka are prosecuting 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. 7:22-cr-107-FL.
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Rapid City Man Indicted on Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm.
Marshall Gibbons, age 22, was indicted in September of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on October 5, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Between January 2021 and January 2022, in Rapid City, Gibbons, while conspiring to distribute marijuana, was in possession of a Glock 9mm pistol. Gibbons also made a false written statement while trying to purchase another firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The charges are merely an accusation and Gibbons is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Gibbons was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Rapid City Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Dustin Huseby, age 24, was indicted in September of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on October 5, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
In May of 2022, in Rapid City, Huseby, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, possessed a Smith & Wesson, model M&P 9 M2.0, 9x19mm Luger caliber, which was found after Huseby came into contact with law enforcement.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The charge is merely an accusation and Huseby is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Huseby was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Ralls County Woman Admits Embezzling $1.2 millionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from Ralls County, Missouri on Thursday admitted embezzling more than $1.2 million from her employer over six years.
Stephanie D. Carper, 51, admitted taking advantage of her position as secretary of a family-owned Ralls County agricultural business to write checks to herself. From September 2013 to September 2019, Carper filled in her own name on at least 44 checks that had been pre-signed by the company’s owner and his relatives so they could be used to pay vendors, Carper’s plea agreement says. Carper then wrote in false explanations on bank deposit slips and the check registry to conceal her thefts.
Carper used the money to buy a 2015 Nissan Murano SUV, a 2016 Toyota Tundra pickup, a Caterpillar 247 skid loader and vacations to Alaska and elsewhere, the plea agreement says.
Carper, who has since moved to Eufaula, Alabama, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to a felony bank fraud charge. At her sentencing, scheduled for January 9, Carper could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. She will also be ordered to repay the money.
The FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and six years of supervised release on charges of violating federal firearms and drug laws, United States Attorney Cindy K Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Vaughn Parker, age 40, of the City’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood.
According to information presented to the Court, on April 1, 2021, detectives with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police executed a search warrant on a residence located on Pointview Street, in the Homewood section of the City of Pittsburgh. Parker was located inside of the residence and took ownership of anything found on the first floor. During the search of the first-floor detectives located quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl consistent to drug dealing. Additionally, detectives located drug packaging materials in the kitchen area along with a stolen loaded semi-auto handgun that was determined to be possessed by Parker in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Vaughn Parker.
Pediatric Dentist and Affiliated Practices to Pay over $750,000 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NOTE: The quote from the U.S. Attorney in the press release below has been updated to clarify that the settlement is based on allegations.
NEWARK, N.J. – Pediatric Dentist Barry L. Jacobson and his company, HQRC Management Services LLC (HQRC), along with 13 affiliated pediatric dentistry practices, agreed to pay $753,457 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by allegedly performing and billing for medically unnecessary therapeutic pulpotomies on pediatric patients, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
The settlement, which is the result of a joint investigation between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the New York Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), also resolves allegations that defendants provided inaccurate servicing provider information on claims submitted to Medicaid managed care organizations. .
“It is unconscionable that medical professionals were allegedly willing to perform unnecessary dental procedures on children simply to make money,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Recovering their alleged ill-gotten gains only begins to undo this damage. Working with Attorney General James and our partners in the New York Attorney General’s Office, we want to make it clear that this behavior is intolerable.”
“Dr. Jacobson and HQRC allegedly performed unnecessary and invasive dental procedures on children to line their own pockets,” Attorney General Letitia James said. “My office will not tolerate any instance of medically unnecessary procedures performed on vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries. I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger and team for their partnership as we investigated this fraudulent scheme.”
According to the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
Jacobson is the chief executive officer of HQRC, now doing business as PDS Management Solutions. He is also the founder and owner of the following New York and New Jersey based Pediatric Dentistry Practices party to the agreement: Pediatric Dentistry of Paterson, Pediatric Dentistry of Teaneck, Pediatric Dentistry of Wykoff, Pediatric Dentistry of Flushing, Pediatric Dentistry of the Bronx, Pediatric Dentistry of Valley Stream, Pediatric Dentistry of Brooklyn (Avenue U), Pediatric Dentistry of Brooklyn (Boro Park), Pediatric Dentistry of Monsey, Pediatric Dentistry of Kingston, Pediatric Dentistry of Albany, Pediatric Dentistry of Malone, and North Country Pediatric Dentistry.
The settlement resolves allegations that HQRC dentists performed medically unnecessary therapeutic pulpotomies on pediatric patients. According to the United States, certain dentists performed therapeutic pulpotomies on primary teeth even though there was no dental decay in the inner third of the dentin. The defendants also provided inaccurate servicing provider information on claims for services submitted to New York and New Jersey Medicaid Managed Care Organizations.
Jacobson and the affiliated corporate defendants admit that, in some instances between 2011 and 2018, some dentists affiliated with HQRC performed and billed Medicaid for pulpotomies not supported by the medical records maintained at the respective HQRC affiliated dental practices. The defendants also admit that in some instances, between 2011 and 2014, HQRC made billing errors to New York and New Jersey Medicaid contractors that resulted in inaccurate servicing provider information on claims for services performed at three of its locations.
The allegations were originally made in a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Lauren Simpson. The Act permits private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Simpson will receive a total of $135,622 from the federal and state shares of the settlement.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz and civil investigator Jeffrey DeFuria of the District of New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Pappy of the District of New Jersey’s Health Care Fraud Unit.
The lawsuit is captioned United States of America, State of New York, and State of New Jersey, ex rel. Simpson v. HQRC Management Services, LLC, et al. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Pasco County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Thomas VanGelder (40, Holiday) to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor and possessing child sex abuse material. The court also ordered VanGelder to forfeit the electronic devices used in the commission of the offense. Restitution for the victims will be determined at a later date. VanGelder had pleaded guilty on May 31, 2022.
According to court documents, VanGelder had been communicating online with another individual who lived in New Port Richey. During those communications, the individual sent VanGelder child sex abuse material (“CSAM”) that the individual had produced of a child who had been in his care and custody. The FBI arrested the individual, assumed his online identity, and began communicating with VanGelder in an undercover capacity.
Between May 5, 2021, and May 27, 2021, VanGelder communicated with someone who was represented to be that same individual. Unbeknownst to VanGelder, he was in fact speaking with an undercover FBI agent (“UC”). During the conversations, VanGelder sent the UC six images of CSAM and discussed his desire to meet with the UC for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the UC’s purported child. VanGelder suggested that the UC provide the child with sleeping pills by hiding it in ice cream so VanGelder could sexually abuse the child while the child was “passed out.”
VanGelder arranged to meet with the UC on May 27, 2021, for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the UC’s purported child. The FBI arrested VanGelder once he arrived at the predetermined location in Tampa. During an interview with agents, VanGelder attempted to solicit the help of his then live-in girlfriend to destroy a green bag that was located under his bed in his bedroom. Agents were able to seize VanGelder’s cellphone and observe that the text messages VanGelder had attempted to send did not transmit due to a lack of cell service.
The FBI obtained a search warrant for VanGelder’s residence. At the residence, agents found the green bag, which contained multiple electronic devices. A forensic analysis of an external hard drive revealed VanGelder was in possession of over 4,000 CSAM images, including images depicting prepubescent children subjected to sadomasochistic conduct and bondage. Agents also discovered that VanGelder had been coordinating with an Orlando man to create and produce CSAM of a five-year-old girl and one-year-old boy the Orlando man had in his care and custody.
“As heart wrenching as it is to learn how these predators prey on innocent children, it’s gratifying to share with the public how the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Forces are finding these perpetrators, rescuing the victims, and ensuring the abusers are brought to justice,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Pasco Sheriff's Office and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Owner of Telecommunications Store Convicted for his Role in a Robbery Spree Targeting Other Telecommunication StoresRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Mario Peia (619) 546-9706
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 6, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Adde Munin Adde, the owner of a telecommunications store in San Diego County, pleaded guilty today in federal court, admitting that he received stolen electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets that were unlawfully obtained through robbery.
Adde pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael S. Berg to three counts of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property. As part of his plea, Adde also agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $59,740.55.
This conviction is the culmination of an investigation coordinated between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, National City Police Department, San Diego Sheriff’s Department, and San Diego Police Department, against those who committed 11 robberies and attempted robberies between January 14, 2020, and February 1, 2020.
The robbers targeted telecommunication stores such as Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, and used what appeared to be firearms to violently demand cell phones, tablets, and electronic devices. The firearms were later determined to be BB guns. Altogether, six defendants have been convicted for the robberies: Jose Carlos Gutierrez-Zielinski, Marqwell Green, Jose Manuel Garcia, Lavonte Green, Keon Glover, and Kameron Moore. Five of the defendants have been sentenced to multi-year terms.
“Owners of pawn shops and those who sell cell phones, jewelry, and other commonly-stolen items should take notice of this conviction,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “When you buy stolen merchandise, you create a market for those who obtain the merchandise through violent means. As part of our fight against violent crime, we will prosecute you, along with those who commit the violent crimes, to the fullest extent permitted by law,” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.
“The FBI remains fully committed to investigating not only those who steal from local businesses, but also those who knowingly purchase stolen items,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI's San Diego Field Office. “I want to thank the National City Police Department, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, the San Diego Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California for their commitment and partnership in holding all parties accountable.”
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of 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 Southern District of California 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.
Adde is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge William Q. Hayes.
DEFENDANTS CASE NUMBERS
Adde Munin Adde 22-cr-0972-WQH
Jose Carlos Gutierrez-Zielinski 20-cr-1565-WQH
Marqwell Green 20-cr-1565-WQH
Jose Manuel Garcia 20-cr-1565-WQH
Lavonte Green 20-cr-1565-WQH
Keon Glover 20-cr-1565-WQH
Kameron Moore 20-cr-1565-WQH
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2314
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery, Hobbs Act Robbery, and Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1951
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego Police Department
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
National City Police Department
Orange County Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Operating Illegal Casinos in Santa Ana and Paying Bribes to Police OfficerRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Fountain Valley man has agreed to plead guilty to federal offenses for operating illegal gambling dens and paying $128,000 in cash bribes to a Santa Ana Police officer to avoid law enforcement scrutiny of his underground casinos, according to a plea agreement filed today in federal court.
Niem Ngoc Ha, aka “Dung Body,” 47, agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy, operating an illegal gambling business and bribery. These three offenses cumulatively carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Ha is expected to formally enter the guilty pleas in court in the coming weeks.
In the plea agreement, Ha admitted that he opened and operated four illegal casinos commonly called “nets” (if they are in a commercial district) or “slaphouses” (for those in residential areas), all of which were located in Santa Ana. Ha admitted to conspiring with three others to operate the casinos, which featured video gambling machines and generated thousands of dollars in profits each day.
Ha acknowledged that acts of violence took place at the casinos. In one case, Ha directed a co-conspirator to physically assault a casino patron who had started a fight, and, in a separate incident, a worker at another casino was shot in the neck, according to the plea agreement.
Ha also admitted that over the course of about six months in 2020 he paid approximately $128,000 to then-Santa Ana Police Officer Steven Lopez in an effort to protect his illicit casinos from law enforcement intervention. Lopez, who pleaded guilty in December 2020 to accepting the bribes and is no longer employed by the Santa Ana Police Department, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2023.
Ha was one of nine defendants named in three indictments focusing on illegal gambling, attempted extortion and drug trafficking that were unsealed following a law enforcement takedown in May. Ha was named in an indictment that charges three other alleged co-conspirators, all of whom are currently scheduled to go on trial next May.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation into illegal gambling houses in Orange County is being conducted under the auspices of the Orange County Asian Organized Crime Task Force. The primary investigatory agencies are the FBI; the Santa Ana Police Department; the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Gambling Control; IRS Criminal Investigation; and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel S. Lim and Benjamin D. Lichtman of the Santa Ana Branch Office are prosecuting this case.
Omaha Man Convicted of Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Gregory Lukassen, 50, of Omaha, Nebraska, was found guilty on October 5, 2022, following a two-day jury trial in federal court for Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher scheduled Lukassen’s sentencing for January 5, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. Lukassen faces up to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years.
In January 2020, officers contacted Lukassen at a residence in Bellevue, Nebraska, after receiving Cybertip Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating that online service providers had reported uploads of child pornography. Lukassen admitted to chatting online regarding sexual fantasies and claimed to have received child pornography unintentionally during those chats. Forensic examinations of devices seized from Lukassen showed cache and/or thumbnail files of at least 38 unique images of child pornography on the devices, including some of the images reported in the Cybertips.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JACOB BANKS, age 32, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on October 5, 2022 before United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to violating the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court documents, BANKS possessed a Springfield Arms .45 caliber pistol after he had already been convicted of several felony offenses. BANKS also admitted to possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.
BANKS pleaded guilty to 3 Charges. BANKS faces a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. He faces an additional penalty on the drug count of 0-20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release. On the additional gun charge, BANKS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years up to life that must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. Finally, for each count to which he pled guilty , Banks faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is set for January 11, 2023.
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.
This case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
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Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Odometer Tampering and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sebron Dejuan Brown, age 36, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Odometer Tampering, two counts of Odometer Tampering, and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
The Second Superseding Indictment alleged that from December 2016 through May 2017, Brown purchased high mileage vehicles and caused the odometers to be rolled back, which artificially and significantly inflated the vehicles’ value. In many instances, the defendant altered the odometers to display several hundred thousand miles lower than the true readings. After tampering with the odometers, Brown recruited others to engage in a conspiracy to stage vehicle collisions and submit fraudulent insurance claims. As a result of these fraudulent insurance claims orchestrated by Brown and his co-conspirators, the investigation revealed insurance carriers substantially overpaid for property damage to the vehicles, along with fabricated personal injury claims.
The charges resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with the assistance of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). This investigation developed after representatives from multiple insurance companies noticed a pattern of suspicious claims within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Through this investigation, federal agents uncovered an extensive and elaborate scheme to commit odometer and insurance fraud.
"The defendant’s scheme endangered the public and defrauded multiple insurance companies,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I am thankful for the collaborative investigation by the FBI, NHTSA, and NICB. Through their efforts, the mastermind of this criminal conspiracy was identified and brought to justice.”
“Odometer fraud is a crime, plain and simple, so I applaud the court’s decision,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson. “We continue to work toward keeping everyone safe on the roads, and the investigation and criminal prosecution of large-scale interstate odometer fraud is a part of those efforts. These types of fraud schemes keep older, less-safe, gas-guzzling vehicles on the nation’s highways, and victimize those who need reliable transportation to support their families. This case is an example of our commitment to ensuring justice for the victims and protecting the public.” The NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually. Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s odometer fraud hotline at (800) 424-9393 or (202) 366-4761. More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website at https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/odometer-fraud and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811284.pdf.
The Honorable David Cleveland Joseph, U.S. District Judge from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, temporarily assigned to the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Brown will report to a United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Cooper and Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.
Micronesian Couple Pleads Guilty to Withholding Passports for Labor TraffickingRead the Press Release
Defendants Nesly Mwarecheong, 46, and Bertino Weires, 51, residents of the United States and citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, pleaded guilty in federal court in Des Moines, Iowa, to two counts of unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of trafficking or forced labor. A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Iowa had previously returned a five-count indictment against the defendants for recruiting two young men from Micronesia to come to the United States for the purpose of coercing their labor in a meat processing plant for the defendants’ financial gain.
According to their plea agreements, the defendants convinced the two victims to leave their homes in Micronesia in December 2019 and travel to the United States by promising them they could work in the United States and send money back to their families. Once in the United States, the defendants confiscated the victims’ passports and obtained jobs for them at a meat processing plant in Ottumwa, Iowa. Each week, the defendants took the victims to cash their paychecks before seizing almost the entire amount and leaving the victims with only $20 each week. The defendants used various means to compel the victims’ labor and services, including confiscating the victims’ passports and social security cards, imposing debts on them, limiting and monitoring their communication with family, physically and socially isolating them and creating a system of total financial dependence on the defendants. In so doing, the defendants created a situation where the victims either had to continue complying with the defendants’ demands or risk being homeless and without a means of supporting themselves in a foreign country where they did not speak the language and had no means of returning home.
“These defendants used the allure of jobs in the United States to entice the victims, and then exploited them and profited off their hard work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice remains committed to partnering with federal, state and local officials to investigate and prosecute human trafficking offenses, which have no place in our society.”
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose on Feb. 15. The defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables. As part of the defendants’ plea, they have agreed to pay nearly $70,000 in restitution to the victims.
Investigator Jeremy Tosh of the Ottumwa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Bruner and Ryan Leemkuil for the Southern District of Iowa and Trial Attorney Christina Randall-James of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.
Micronesian Couple Pleads Guilty to Withholding Passports for Labor TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Defendants Nesly Mwarecheong, 46, and Bertino Weires, 51, residents of the United States and citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, pleaded guilty in federal court in Des Moines, Iowa, to two counts of unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of trafficking or forced labor. A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Iowa had previously returned a five-count indictment against the defendants for recruiting two young men from Micronesia to come to the United States for the purpose of coercing their labor in a meat processing plant for the defendants’ financial gain.
According to their plea agreements, the defendants convinced the two victims to leave their homes in Micronesia in December 2019 and travel to the United States by promising them they could work in the United States and send money back to their families. Once in the United States, the defendants confiscated the victims’ passports and obtained jobs for them at a meat processing plant in Ottumwa, Iowa. Each week, the defendants took the victims to cash their paychecks before seizing almost the entire amount and leaving the victims with only $20 each week. The defendants used various means to compel the victims’ labor and services, including confiscating the victims’ passports and social security cards, imposing debts on them, limiting and monitoring their communication with family, physically and socially isolating them and creating a system of total financial dependence on the defendants. In so doing, the defendants created a situation where the victims either had to continue complying with the defendants’ demands or risk being homeless and without a means of supporting themselves in a foreign country where they did not speak the language and had no means of returning home.
“These defendants used the allure of jobs in the United States to entice the victims, and then exploited them and profited off their hard work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice remains committed to partnering with federal, state and local officials to investigate and prosecute human trafficking offenses, which have no place in our society.”
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose on Feb. 15. The defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables. As part of the defendants’ plea, they have agreed to pay nearly $70,000 in restitution to the victims.
Investigator Jeremy Tosh of the Ottumwa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Bruner and Ryan Leemkuil for the Southern District of Iowa and Trial Attorney Christina Randall-James of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.
Members of Multi-State Credit Card Fraud Ring Sentenced for Conspiracy, Credit Card Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Seven individuals have been sentenced for conspiracy to commit access device fraud, with some also being sentenced for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The defendants had previously been indicated on their charges beginning in 2018.
According to court documents, the defendants were part of a conspiracy with at least two goals: to traffic in and use counterfeit identification documents, including driver’s licenses and tobacco licenses, as well to traffic in and use stolen credit cards and large amounts of cash – all to purchase cigarettes in bulk, electronics, and other items from Sam’s Club stores and other retail stores around the country. The conspiracy began at least as early as January 2017 and continued through September 2018, with defendants Nfa Doumbouya, Ibrahima Diallo, Souleymane Camara, Betsy DeGracia, and Anderson Tejada Rossis traveling to different locations within the United States to use stolen credit cards to buy these items. The losses caused by the conspiracy totaled over $3 million.
Some defendants used counterfeit state-issued documents to open Sam’s Club memberships in names that were not their own – which enabled them to purchase cigarettes in bulk. At least one defendant, Michel Lamah, worked in an Indianapolis credit card processing facility, and provided stolen credit cards to codefendants. After purchase, some of the defendants arranged to store and ship the items bought with stolen credit cards to other locations.
The defendants pleaded guilty and were each sentenced by U. S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon as follows:
Defendant
Sentence
Charge(s)
Nfa Saidou Doumbouya, 37,
Atlanta, GA
Over 5 years in federal prison
2 years’ supervised release
Conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft
Ibrahima Diallo, 36, Atlanta, GA
Over 5 years in federal prison
2 years’ supervised release
Conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft
Souleymane Camara, 35, Indianapolis, IN
Over 7 years in federal prison
2 years’ supervised release
Conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft
Mamadou Magane, 32, Atlanta, GA
Time served
3 years’ supervised release
Conspiracy
Betsy Marie DeGracia,
Over 2 years in federal prison
3 years’ supervised release
Conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft
Anderson Tejada Rossis
3 years’ probation
Conspiracy and access device fraud
Michel Lamah, 31, Indianapolis, IN
Over 3 years in federal prison
3 years’ supervised release
Conspiracy and access device fraud
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Detroit Division made the announcement.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case. The U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Indiana State Police provided invaluable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy J. Cho who prosecuted the case.
Man with Domestic Abuse Battery Conviction Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Michael O. Falcone, 41, of McComb, Mississippi, was sentenced today for illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced Falcone to 18 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to evidence presented to the court, on September 29, 2021, law enforcement officers with the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Falcone. Deputies observed Falcone with a knife that was visible on his person and multiple other knives in plain view in the vehicle and thus, conducted a pat down search of Falcone. The deputy found a fully loaded handgun magazine in Falcone’s outer front pocket. A search warrant was obtained by law enforcement to search Falcone’s vehicle. Inside deputies found a fully loaded Sig Sauer P365 handgun in the glovebox and a J.C. Higgins revolver located under the driver’s seat. Falcone previously pleaded guilty to domestic abuse battery in 2012 and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
Falcone was indicted for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in April 2022 and pleaded guilty to the charge on July 7, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.
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.
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Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Election OfficialRead the Press Release
A Nebraska man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for making multiple threatening posts on an Instagram page associated with an election official.
“This sentence makes clear that those who illegally threaten election workers should be prepared to face meaningful penalties,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not hesitate to hold accountable those whose illegal threats of violence endanger the public servants who administer our elections.”
According to court documents, Travis Ford, 42, of Lincoln, issued threats to an election official, including: “Do you feel safe? You shouldn’t. Do you think Soros will/can protect you?” and “Your security detail is far too thin and incompetent to protect you. This world is unpredictable these days….anything can happen to anyone.” Ford also posted similar messages on Instagram pages associated with the President of the United States and with another public figure.
“Make no mistake, threatening election officials is a serious attack on our democratic process,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Today's sentence proves that the FBI and our partners will stand up to anyone who attempts to intimidate election workers for doing their jobs. The American voting system is secure and we are dedicated to ensuring it stays that way.”
The FBI Denver Field Office investigated the case, with the assistance of the FBI Omaha Field Office.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessie L. Smith for the District of Nebraska prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Teitelbaum and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado provided substantial assistance.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the Task Force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The Task Force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the Task Force is continuing this work and supporting the United States Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Election OfficialRead the Press Release
DENVER – A Nebraska man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for making multiple threatening posts on an Instagram page associated with an election official.
“This sentence makes clear that those who illegally threaten election workers should be prepared to face meaningful penalties,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not hesitate to hold accountable those whose illegal threats of violence endanger the public servants who administer our elections.”
According to court documents, Travis Ford, 42, of Lincoln, issued threats to an election official, including: “Do you feel safe? You shouldn’t. Do you think Soros will/can protect you?” and “Your security detail is far too thin and incompetent to protect you. This world is unpredictable these days….anything can happen to anyone.” Ford also posted similar messages on Instagram pages associated with the President of the United States and with another public figure.
“Make no mistake, threatening election officials is a serious attack on our democratic process,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Today's sentence proves that the FBI and our partners will stand up to anyone who attempts to intimidate election workers for doing their jobs. The American voting system is secure and we are dedicated to ensuring it stays that way.”
The FBI Denver Field Office investigated the case, with the assistance of the FBI Omaha Field Office.
“This prison sentence sends a clear message to anyone who thinks hiding behind a computer screen will allow them to get away with posting threatening messages on social media,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch of the District of Colorado. “We will not tolerate threats against election officials.”“
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska hopes that today’s sentence will deter others from using social media to threaten violence against others, especially those who are tasked with the upholding the integrity of our Nation’s elections process,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Steven A. Russell of the District of Nebraska. “This office is appreciative of the collective effort of the Denver Office of the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.”
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessie L. Smith for the District of Nebraska prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Teitelbaum and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado provided substantial assistance.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the Task Force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The Task Force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the Task Force is continuing this work and supporting the United States Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
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Case Number: 22-1073
Man Arrested for Making Threats to Maricopa County Election Official and to Official with Office of Arizona Attorney GeneralRead the Press Release
An Iowa man was arrested today in Hiawatha, Iowa, for allegedly sending a threatening communication to an election official on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Maricopa County, Arizona, and for allegedly sending a threatening communication to an official with the Office of the Arizona Attorney General.
Mark A. Rissi, 64, of Hiawatha, is expected to make his initial appearance today at the federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids.
According to the indictment, on or about Sept. 27, 2021, Rissi allegedly left the following voicemail for the election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors: “Hello Mr. [VICTIM], I am glad that you are standing up for democracy and want to place your hand on the Bible and say that the election was honest and fair. I really appreciate that. When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], you’ll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive]. You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you.”
Additionally, on or about Dec. 8, 2021, Rissi allegedly said the following in a voicemail message he left for an official with the Office of the Arizona Attorney General: “I’m a victim of a crime. My family is a victim of a crime. My extended family is a victim of a crime. That crime was the theft of the 2020 election. The election that was fraudulent across the state of Arizona, that [VICTIM] knows was fraudulent, that [VICTIM] has images of the conspirators deleting election fraud data from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors computer system. Do your job, [VICTIM], or you will hang with those [expletive] in the end. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That’s your future, [expletive]. Do your job.”
Rissi is charged with two counts of making a threatening interstate communication and one count of making a threatening telephone call. If convicted, Rissi faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison for each count of making a threatening interstate communication and up to two years in prison for making a threatening telephone call. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod of the FBI Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Phoenix Field Office is investigating the case, with the assistance of the FBI Cedar Rapids Field Office.
Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the Task Force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The Task Force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the Task Force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Sunset Trinitarios Gang Pleads Guilty to RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDIBERTO SANTANA, a/k/a “Flaco Veneno,” pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy involving murder, arising out of SANTANA’s long-time leadership of the Sunset Trinitarios gang. SANTANA pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s guilty plea should serve as a reminder that we are committed to seeking justice for victims no matter the passage of time and to holding gang leaders responsible for the violence that they instigate.”
According to the Indictment, SANTANA’s plea agreement, and statements made in Court:
SANTANA is the long-time leader of the Sunset Trinitarios (“Sunset”), a violent set of the national Trinitarios street gang that controlled territory in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, among other places. Under SANTANA’s leadership and at SANTANA’s direction, Sunset perpetrated a near-constant string of violent crime for nearly a decade, including murders, shootings, assaults, and robberies. Among other acts of violence, SANTANA ordered the March 13, 2011, murder of Dennis Marquez, age 16, who was stabbed to death in the Bronx; the October 23, 2013, murder of Michael Beltre, age 17, who was shot and killed in the Bronx; and the November 17, 2013, murder of Rafael Alam, age 23, who was shot and killed in the Bronx.
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SANTANA, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy with murder as a special sentencing factor, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing will be determined by a judge. SANTANA is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Crotty on February 8, 2023.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, and the New York City Department of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia V. Cohen, Jacqueline C. Kelly, Lindsey Keenan, and Jacob R. Fiddelman are in charge of the prosecution. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.
Lawyer from Leesville and Another Local Man Sentenced for their Involvement in Two Separate Child Pornography CasesRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two defendants who were involved in separate child pornography cases. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the following individuals today:
Michael Allen Smith, Jr., 33, a lawyer from Leesville, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for enticement of a minor. Smith pleaded guilty on February 17, 2022 to the charge which was the result of an investigation into a complaint received in January 2020 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The mother of a 15-year-old boy reported that while her son was visiting a relative in the Leesville area, he had met and engaged in sexual conduct with an adult male. The mother told law enforcement that she had seen a video on her son’s phone of he and the adult male engaged in sexual conduct. She took the phone from her son and turned it over to law enforcement for further investigation.
The victim was interviewed, and agents determined that he had engaged in these acts with Smith, who recorded them on his phone at his residence in Leesville. The victim admitted that he met Smith on the social media platform Grindr and initially told Smith that he was 21-years-old. However, he later confessed that he was a minor and Smith continued the sexual relationship with the victim and in fact visited his profiles on social media and knew he was a minor.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Luke Walker and Earl M. Campbell.
In another case, Raymond Fontenot, Jr., 39, of Reeves, Louisiana, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Fontenot pleaded guilty to the charge on July 6, 2022. According to evidence presented to the court, officers with the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Fontenot’s residence on November 9, 2021. While searching the residence, law enforcement officers found an Android tablet hidden in Fontenot’s bathroom. Another search warrant was obtained for the tablet and a forensic examination was performed. The examination revealed videos containing child pornography, specifically one from 2020 depicting sexual abuse of a prepubescent girl while she was sleeping. Fontenot admitted to law enforcement officers that he had created the video and had sexually exploited the victim.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.
These cases are part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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La Crosse Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Lee D. Strawder, 40, La Crosse, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 46 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. This prison term will be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Strawder pleaded guilty to this charge on June 21, 2022.
On August 11, 2021, La Crosse Police Department officers purchased fentanyl and crack cocaine from Strawder in La Crosse using a confidential informant.
On September 8, 2021, La Crosse Police officers pulled over a car driven by Curtis Ross because officers knew that probable cause existed to arrest the passenger, Strawder, for violations of his state bond. Officers smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and searched the vehicle. Under the front passenger seat where Strawder was seated, officers found a loaded Canik 9mm handgun, a loaded Beretta 9mm handgun, and a bag containing over an ounce of marijuana. Strawder’s DNA was found on the Canik handgun. Ross’s DNA was found on the Beretta handgun. Both Strawder and Ross were prohibited from legally possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions.
At all relevant times, Strawder was out on bond for four different state cases. Since the events in the federal case, Strawder engaged in criminal conduct resulting in three additional state cases, all seven of which remain open. Strawder’s criminal history includes prior convictions for illegal firearm possession and drug dealing.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that Strawder is a repeat firearm offender and said that a prison sentence was important to protect the community.
Co-defendant Curtis Ross pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon, possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 81 months in federal prison by Judge Peterson on September 9, 2022.
The charge against Strawder was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this 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.
Justice Department Statement on President’s Announcements Regarding Simple Possession of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today released the following statement from spokesman Anthony Coley regarding the President’s proclamation granting a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who have committed, or been convicted of, the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, as currently codified at 21 U.S.C. 844 and as previously codified elsewhere in the U.S. Code, or in violation of D.C. Code 48–904.01(d)(1):
“The Justice Department will expeditiously administer the President’s proclamation, which pardons individuals who engaged in simple possession of marijuana, restoring political, civil, and other rights to those convicted of that offense. In coming days, the Office of the Pardon Attorney will begin implementing a process to provide impacted individuals with certificates of pardon.
“Also, in accordance with the President’s directive, Justice Department officials will work with our colleagues at the Department of Health and Human Services as they launch a scientific review of how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.”
Justice Department Awards Nearly $1.5 Million to Area Foundation to Prevent and Reduce Violent Crime in Baton RougeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the Reclamation and Restoration Ministries (RRM) has received $1,498,637 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to prevent and reduce violent crime in the Baton Rouge area.
RRM is an organization located in Baton Rouge that promotes social and community wholeness by actively developing and implementing relevant and life-changing ministries and programs that will prevent and/or deliver youth and adults from violence, crime, truancy, drug abuse, homelessness, and prison.
With this grant, RRM will implement its Ready4Life Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Project in Baton Rouge Police District #4 that includes Scotlandville, Southern Heights, and Brookstown. One of the unique characteristics of the Brookstown neighborhood revealed by analysis is that the per capita income of residents is lower than that found in 97.7% of the neighborhoods in America. Also of note, 81.3% of the children in this area live in poverty and crime rates are higher than the national average.
For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov.
Justice Department Announces Filing of Statement of Interest in "Ghost Gun" LitigationRead the Press Release
Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), in partnership with Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), and Brian M. Boynton, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, filed a Statement of Interest today in The City of New York v. Arm or Ally, LLC, to express the Justice Department’s views on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)’s regulations concerning unfinished frame and receiver kits.
In the lawsuit, the City of New York alleges that multiple firearm businesses have sold tens of thousands of illegal, unfinished frames and receivers to New Yorkers. These frames and receivers, which are classified as firearms, were then converted into unserialized, untraceable handguns and assault-style weapons, known as “ghost guns.” Ghost guns contribute to the ongoing plague of gun violence.
The Department of Justice’s Statement of Interest informs the Court that the United States has serious concerns about the proliferation of untraceable firearms easily assembled from firearm parts kits and unfinished frames and receivers. The Statement of Interest makes clear that ATF has long held that the sale of all components necessary to produce a functional firearm are, and always have been, classified as the sale of a firearm under the Gun Control Act of 1968. Additionally, the Statement of Interest informs the Court of ATF’s authority to promulgate a rule updating its definition of “frame or receiver” and other statutory and regulatory terms.
Mr. Peace stated, “Ghost guns are a major contributor to the ongoing plague of gun violence. The United States will continue to employ every means available, including civil tools, to keep ghost guns and other illegal firearms out of the hands of criminals and reduce the risk of gun violence. The United States filed a Statement of Interest in this important litigation to ensure that the Court is informed of the federal government’s views of pertinent firearms statutes and regulations.”
Mr. Williams stated, “This Statement of Interest reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to combat the growing problem of ghost guns. This Office is determined to prevent criminals from accessing untraceable firearms easily assembled from firearms parts kits and unfinished frames and receivers.”
“Ghost guns have for years helped fuel an escalating trend of firearms-related violence,” ATF Special Agent in Charge DeVito said. “The updated federal regulations are an important step in abating that trend in our local communities. Today’s filing sends a message that the United States will do its part, using all available means, to support our local partners in their own efforts to curb the flow of these dangerous weapons to the criminal element and violent offenders.”
For the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the filing of this Statement of Interest is part of EDNY’s larger Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence. The EDNY’s Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence was created earlier this year in recognition of the President’s directive to take a whole-of-government approach to combat the epidemic of gun violence and ensure public safety, and complements the EDNY’s Criminal Division’s successful efforts to reduce the scourge of gun-related crimes. The EDNY’s Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence aims to collaborate with federal, state, and local officials, as well as community stakeholders, to address the root causes of gun-related crime, and supports reform efforts made across the government. In July 2021, the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York also joined a cross-jurisdictional strike force to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country.
This matter, as well as the EDNY’s Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Blume, Richard Hayes, Joseph Marutollo, and Bonni Perlin of the Eastern District of New York, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jill Merenda. This matter was handled in partnership with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeannette Vargas and Lucas Issacharoff of the Southern District of New York; Director Alexander K. Haas, Assistant Director Lesley Farby, Trial Attorneys Daniel Riess, and Martin M. Tomlinson of the Federal Programs Branch; and Director Gustav W. Eyler, Principal Deputy Director Amanda Liskamm, and Trial Attorneys Patrick Runkle and Daniel Crane-Hirsch of the Consumer Protection Branch.
Jefferson County Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Big Run, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Darren Douglas, age 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Douglas was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Douglas was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine as part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and redistributed it to methamphetamine users.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Douglas on Feb. 8, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
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.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 30 Months, Ordered to Repay $7.5 million for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh on Thursday sentenced a business owner from Jackson, Missouri to 30 months in prison for health care fraud and ordered him to repay $7.5 million.
Jamie McCoy, 42, pleaded guilty on Nov. 23, 2020 to three felony counts: health care fraud, making false statements related to health care matters and offering and paying illegal kickbacks for referrals. He admitted owning or operating companies that supplied orthotic braces and other durable medical equipment (DME): AE Wellness LLC, Summit Medical Supply, Patriot Medical Supply and DME Device Co.
McCoy contracted with marketing firms who placed ads on television and online that offered orthotic braces at no cost. The companies sent patient information to a telemedicine doctor who signed an order for medical equipment without evaluating or even communicating with the patient in some cases, McCoy’s plea agreement says. Those leads, consisting of the patient information and the medical equipment order, were then sold to DME companies.
McCoy admitted paying 70% to 80% of his profits to one person who supplied leads to AE Wellness. Another received $35-40 for leads without a doctor’s order and $280-$300 for a “full lead.”
From September 2016 to August 2017, AE Wellness submitted $6 million in reimbursement claims to Medicare for DME and $67,955 to Tricare. Patriot Medical Supplies billed Tricare $23,951. McCoy admitted knowing Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, which reimburses for health care services provided to current and former members of the military and their families, would not pay for items obtained by paying illegal kickbacks.
After AE Wellness was suspended in 2017 for paying illegal kickbacks, McCoy, AE’s office manager Brandy McKay and Jackson Preston Siples III, who ran day-to-day operations at AE, opened new DME companies. They concealed McCoy’s role, and continued to pay kickbacks for referrals and leads, McCoy’s plea agreement says.
From June 5, 2018 to March 21, 2019, McCoy and McKay submitted $1.8 million in fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare and $15,540 to Tricare on behalf of a company known as MC Medical. From March 8, 2018 to March 13, 2019, Siples submitted $6 million in fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare and $145,614 to Tricare on behalf of a company known as Integrity Medical Supply. Siples submitted $922,562 in false claims to Medicare from March 5, 2019 to Match 27, 2019 on behalf of Radiance Health Group.
McKay went on to manage a series of companies that continued the scheme.
“Submitting false claims for medically unnecessary equipment diverts funding from the necessary services required to support beneficiaries of federal health care programs,” stated Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable individuals who choose to waste vital taxpayer dollars by participating in health care fraud schemes.”
McKay was sentenced Jan. 18, 2022 to three years in prison and ordered to repay $7.5 million. Siples pleaded guilty in May to the same charges as McCoy and is awaiting sentencing.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigation Service and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry and Derek Wiseman are prosecuting the case.
Inland Empire Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Two-Month ‘Smash-and-Grab’ Robbery Spree Targeting Cellphone StoresRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for committing 52 smash-and-grab robberies of T-Mobile and AT&T cellphone stores throughout Southern California during a two-month crime spree, using hammers to smash display cases to steal iPhones and other merchandise.
Tony Tyron Lee Stewart, 22, of Highland, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt, who also ordered him to pay $333,122 in restitution.
Stewart, the lead defendant in this case, pleaded guilty on June 9 to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
On January 15, 2022, Stewart and two co-conspirators – Rayford Newsome, 21, of Compton; and Jerome Gregory Belser, 21, of San Bernardino – robbed T-Mobile stores in Long Beach, Carson, Inglewood, Encino, and Camarillo.
Stewart and his co-conspirators entered the stores during store hours, carrying hammers with employees and customers present. Once inside the stores, the defendants, wearing ski masks, used the hammers to smash security display cases, threaten employees and customers, and then stole cellphones, watches, and other electronic devices. They then fled the store and made their escape in a car.
After the Camarillo robbery on January 15, the trio – with Newsome driving – fled from police officers when law enforcement attempted a lawful traffic stop. Stewart and his co-conspirators led police on a vehicle pursuit through a residential neighborhood in North Hollywood before Newsome stopped the car.
In addition to these robberies, from November 11, 2021 to January 13, 2022, Stewart and other members of the conspiracy committed smash-and-grab robberies at cellphone stores in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Kern counties.
Specifically, the stores robbed were located in South Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Hermosa Beach, East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Pico-Union, Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Valley Village, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, Mission Hills, San Fernando, Burbank, Pasadena, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Azusa, La Crescenta, South El Monte, Duarte, Monrovia, La Cañada Flintridge, Covina, Hacienda Heights, Lancaster, Norwalk, Downey, Bell Gardens, Cerritos, Bellflower, Rowland Heights, La Habra, Simi Valley, Camarillo, and Tehachapi.
The robberies – several of which occurred on the same date – resulted in a loss of approximately $293,444. In addition, the robberies caused approximately $46,376 in damage to the stores.
Both Newsome and Belser have pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery in this case. On September 9, Judge Kronstadt sentenced Belser to 70 months in federal prison. Newsome’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 5, 2023, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
“Stewart and his co-defendants terrorized cell phone stores throughout Southern California, traumatizing employees and customers in over 50 different stores in just over two months – all for [Stewart’s] own personal gain,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “In almost each of these…robberies, there were between two and four employees present along with multiple customers. Each employee is forced to return to these work locations, provide customer service, and attempt to earn a living a while dealing with the fear and anxiety that they may again be robbed or threatened with a dangerous weapon while at work.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin B. Reidy and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Hot Springs Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs man was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, in July of 2020, detectives with the 18th East Judicial Drug Task Force received information that Richard Allen Stapleton (aka Ricky), age 46, was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine in Garland County. Later that month, detectives were able to conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Stapleton.
The methamphetamine was tested by the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory and confirmed to be pure methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 18th East Judicial District Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Little Rock, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the 18th East Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office investigated the case investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.
Hill District Man Charged with Stealing FBI PropertyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of theft of government property, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on Oct. 4 and unsealed today, named Lashawn Norwood, 57, of the City’s Hill District neighborhood, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about September 28, 2021, Norwood willfully and knowingly did embezzle, steal, purloin and convert to his own use property, in a value exceeding $1,000.00 belonging to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000 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 Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Greenwood Man Charged with Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Greenwood, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Noah One Star, age 62, was indicted in September of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on October 4, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between March 30, 2021, and April 3, 2021, One Star, who had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding a year, knowingly possessed a High Standard Sporting Firearms, model Sentinel Mark IV, .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) caliber, double-action revolver, bearing serial number S31420 and rounds of Western brand .22 WMR ammunition. All had previously been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
The charge is merely an accusation and One Star is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.
One Star was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Grant County woman sentenced for meth chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Betty Arlene Chapman, of Cabins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 41 months of incarceration for her role in a methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution operation, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Chapman, 44, pled guilty in April 2021 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute at Least Five Grams of Methamphetamine - Aiding and Abetting.” Chapman admitted to working with others to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine in January 2020 in Grant County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The task force consists of the FBI, West Virginia State Police, Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Franklin County Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Child EnticementRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who tried to meet with a 12-year-old girl for sex and then fled from police to 18 years in prison.
Joshua L. Brown, 40, of from St. Clair, Missouri, pleaded guilty Dec. 21, 2021 to a felony charge of coercion and enticement of a minor. He admitted offering drugs to a 12-year-old in exchange for sex, while he was on parole from a child molestation conviction.
On March 3, 2020, Brown used Instagram to contact the girl. He made remarks about the girl’s breasts, requested photographs and referenced engaging in sexual acts with her. The girl told her mother, who contacted the Breckenridge Hills Police Department.
“We are incredibly indebted and grateful to this child - that she did the right thing,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson said during Thursday’s sentencing hearing.
Police took over the girl’s cellphone and Instagram account and began posing as the girl. Brown offered to provide marijuana and methamphetamine if the girl would engage in sexual intercourse. Brown arranged to meet the girl at Sims Park in Breckenridge Hills to engage in sex.
On March 17, 2020, he showed up in a Ford F150 truck at about 12:45 a.m. and sent a message via Instagram to the girl telling her to “leave now” so the two could meet. When a police officer in a marked patrol vehicle activated his emergency lights and tried to stop Brown, he sped off, running three stop signs and two traffic lights before reaching the highway. Brown eventually drove off of Interstate 44 and down a steep embankment before crashing the truck through the gate of a private property owner’s land. Brown then abandoned his truck and fled on foot.
He was arrested in Jefferson County after a brief standoff in January of 2021.
A review of Brown’s Instagram account revealed that the defendant followed a large number of Instagram pages devoted to young girls.
At the time of his initial arrest, Brown was on parole after being sentenced to seven years in state prison in a 2011 case in Jefferson County Circuit Court. He had pleaded guilty to child molestation in the first degree in a case involving a victim under the age of 12.
The Breckenridge Hills Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's 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.
Four Colombians sentenced for $1.4 million international drug money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Gilberto Lopez-Giraldo, Raul Lopez-Giraldo, Guillermo Escobar, and Alexander Duque-Casanova have been sentenced for engaging in a more than $1.4 million drug money laundering conspiracy involving major cities from across the United States to Cali, Colombia.
“Illegal drug proceeds provide the critical lifeblood for drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is committed to disrupting the ability of international drug cartels to profit from their illegal activities by seeking to evade law enforcement detection through money laundering operations conducted within the United States.”
“These criminals thought their scheme would go undetected and they could profit from their criminal activities, but they were wrong,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI, along with our Federal and international partners, is committed to dismantling these organizations no matter where they attempt to operate, and targeting their illicit proceeds is just one of our many tools.”
“This is a victory in the ongoing war against drugs trafficking,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “Concealed income will eventually come to light. Coordination with other agencies and leveraging each of our strengths is the key in the fight against drugs trafficking and money laundering. Thanks to the financial expertise and diligence of our agents, these criminals are now off the street and being held accountable for their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Gilberto and Raul Lopez-Giraldo, Escobar, and Duque-Casanova were members of a money laundering crew based in Cali, Colombia, who conspired to coordinate the collection of money from drug traffickers in cities across the United States, including Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. The group laundered the money through a network of bank accounts in the United States and elsewhere.
The money from these accounts was used to purchase electronics and other goods in the United States then resold on the black market in Colombia. The purpose of this scheme was to secretly convert the drug money collected in the United States into Colombian pesos for drug trafficking organizations.
During the investigation, the defendants and their co-conspirators orchestrated the collection of illicit drug proceeds totaling approximately $1,496,817.
For example, during an undercover operation on November 21, 2012, investigators received $149,980 in U.S. currency from two conspirators who arrived in a truck in the parking lot of a store in Duluth, Georgia. The money was wrapped in bundles and hidden in a box inside a garbage bag. Agents conducting surveillance of the meeting followed the truck from the parking lot to a residence in Norcross, Georgia, that was later determined to be a methamphetamine conversion lab. Republic of Colombia authorities lawfully intercepted telephone conversations between the defendants and other conspirators related to the $149,980 in drug proceeds.
The defendants were later indicted on five counts of money laundering in the Northern District of Georgia, and, with cooperation of Colombian officials, arrested and extradited to the United States. On March 7, 2022, the defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and received the following sentences:
- Gilberto Lopez-Giraldo, 51, of Cali, Colombia, has been sentenced to five years, ten months in prison.
- Raul Lopez-Giraldo, 40, of Cali, Colombia, has been sentenced to five years in prison.
- Guillermo Escobar, a/k/a Memo, 54, of Cali, Colombia, has been sentenced to six years, six months in prison.
- Alexander Duque-Casanova, 48, of Cali, Colombia, has been sentenced to three years, ten months in prison.
The Court adjusted the sentence of each defendant downward by 12 months from these terms of incarceration to account for the length of time the defendants spent in custody in Colombia while awaiting extradition to the United States. One co-defendant, Harby Mayor-Mejia, remains at large outside the United States.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation agents in Atlanta, Chicago, and Colombia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas N. Joy, Laurel Boatright Milam, and Tyler A. Mann prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fort Wayne Man Convicted by Jury of Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Remon D. Phillips, 39 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found guilty following a three-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Phillips was found guilty of the single-count Indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm in February 2022.
Phillips will be scheduled for sentencing by separate order of the Court. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Nokes and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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.
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