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7 September 2022
Harrison County man indicted on drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jack F. Gibbins, III, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Gibbins, 44, was indicted today on one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Gibbins is accused of selling more than five grams of methamphetamine in July 2021 in Harrison County.
Gibbins faces at least five and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $5 million. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office; and the Bridgeport Police Department investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 30 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Delivery Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Juan Diaz, age 38, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for a drug delivery resulting in death.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Diaz previously pleaded guilty to selling a mixture of heroin and fentanyl that killed a Cumberland County man on March 3, 2018. First responders found the victim deceased in his Mechanicsburg apartment surrounded by empty heroin bags stamped with the word “Venom.” The Cumberland County Drug Task Force and the Harrisburg City Police Vice Unit were able to trace the sale of fatal drugs to Diaz through a series of undercover drug operations.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mechanicsburg Police Department, Cumberland County Drug Task Force, and the Harrisburg City Police Department.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Gresham Man Faces Federal Charges After Overdose Death of Portland TeenagerRead the Press Release
A Gresham, Oregon, man is facing federal charges for selling fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a 17-year-old Portland teenager.
Duane Robert Hill, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, an investigation leading to Hill began on June 16, 2022, when the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT), including members of the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) Narcotics and Organized Crime Division (NOC) and special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), responded to the overdose death of a 17-year-old teenager in Portland. Investigators found one full and one-half blue “M-30” pill on the victim’s desk along with small amounts of an unknown crystal substance and a white powder residue. Lab reports later confirmed that the pills recovered were counterfeit Oxycodone pills manufactured with fentanyl. Investigators believe the teen died of a fentanyl overdose.
Further investigation uncovered evidence that Hill is the third-level supplier of the fentanyl pills found in the teen’s room and that are believed to have caused the teen’s death. It was determined that Hill had been distributing fentanyl pills in quantities ranging from 10 to 100 pills in and around Portland for nearly a year. Hill sold the counterfeit pills for between $4 and $5 apiece. One week after the teen’s death, investigators set up and conducted a controlled purchase of more than three dozen M-30 pills from Hill.
Today, on September 7, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant on Hill’s Gresham residence. When PPB’s Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) entered the residence, Hill attempted to flush pills down the toilet. He was arrested without incident. More than 200 M-30 pills were found in Hill’s residence and vehicle along with a 9mm handgun, a scale, assorted drug packaging materials, and $4,480 in cash. A portion of the fentanyl pills recovered from Hill’s toilet were rainbow-colored.
Hill made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You. He was detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA Interdiction Team, PPB NOC, and HSI with assistance from the Oregon State Police Crime Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott M. Kerin is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rainbow fentanyl has appeared recently in several forms in cities across the country. Versions seized recently in the Portland area resemble thick pieces of brightly-colored sidewalk chalk or small multi-colored pills sometimes referred to as “skittles.”
If you are in immediate danger or encounter fentanyl in any form, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 8am and 11pm Pacific Time daily.
Seized fentanyl in resealable bags. Seized multi-color fentanyl in clear resealable bags. Seized rainbow-colored fentanyl in a clear resealable bag. Seized 9mm handgun.Grand Jury Indicts Buffalo Man for Assaulting an FBI AgentRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Tyler Collins, 27, of Buffalo, NY, with assaulting a federal officer. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on July 12, 2022, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Collins attempted to enter the FBI-Buffalo Division main office but was denied entry by the security guards inside of the front door. At the time, three federal agents were walking back to the main office and encountered Collins, who they observed was yelling into the intercom system. Collins was heard yelling expletives while physically banging on the FBI building’s door demanding entry. One of the federal agents attempted to calm Collins, at which time Collins punched the federal agent, physically assaulting him. One of the other federal agents discharged pepper spray, in an attempt to subdue Collins, who then fled on Elmwood Avenue. Collins was later taken into custody that evening after he was found walking on Delaware Avenue.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Gang member sentenced to federal prison for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A member of a violent white supremacist street gang has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine.
Donnie Lee Curtis Jr., 37, of Tunnel Hill, Ga., was sentenced to 144 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and To Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also fined Curtis $1,500 and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Drug-trafficking felons are a malignant source of a significant amount of the violent crime in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will make our streets safer by identifying and removing these criminals from our neighborhoods.”
Curtis’ co-defendant, Robert Lewis Coney Jr., 50, of North Augusta, S.C., faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, after also previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and To Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.
As described in court documents and testimony, Curtis and Coney were identified as methamphetamine traffickers during an investigation in 2021 initiated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. With assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the two were arrested during a drug deal in the parking lot of a motel in Grovetown, Ga., on May 19, 2021.
In subsequent searches of their vehicle and hotel rooms in Grovetown and in Trenton, S.C., authorities seized large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine and multiple firearms. Curtis, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood criminal street gang who was on felony probation on state drug charges at the time of his arrest, was identified as Coney’s source of supply for the illegal drugs.
“Residents in Augusta and elsewhere can sleep better tonight knowing that this violent ‘meth’ distributor can no longer peddle insidious drugs on the streets,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The DEA and its law enforcement partners presented a united front to protect our communities by bringing these dangerous drug traffickers to justice.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.
Fremont Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Trayton Jay Jackson, 25 of Fremont, Nebraska was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Jackson to 120 months’ imprisonment. After completing his term of imprisonment, Jackson will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release as there is no parole in the federal system.
On May 4, 2021, Fremont police officers conducted a traffic stop in Fremont after observing a vehicle traveling at night with no working taillights and no rear license plate. Jackson was identified as the driver and couldn’t produce any paperwork for the vehicle. During the stop Jackson admitted that he had marijuana in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A search of Jackson at the Fremont jail revealed another 3 baggies of methamphetamine on his person, with the total weight being over 50 grams.
This case was investigated by the III CORPS Drug Task Force.
Fourteen Charged for Roles in Youngstown Area Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that fourteen individuals were charged today in a forty-six-count indictment with operating a drug trafficking organization that allegedly distributed crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues throughout the Youngstown area.
Eleven of the fourteen individuals named in the indictment were arrested today by federal, state and local law enforcement authorities.
Named in the indictment are Terrence Chauncy May, 46, of Youngstown, Ohio; Thomas May Jr, 42, of Youngstown, Ohio; Terri Chauncy May, 22, of Youngstown, Ohio; Terris Chailyn May, 20, of Youngstown, Ohio; Key-Shaun Davis, 21, of Youngstown, Ohio; Hope Butler, 22, of Youngstown, Ohio; Wesley Allen Pierce May, 23, of Youngstown, Ohio; Christina May, 38, of Youngstown, Ohio; Ronald Falkowski, 51, of Berlin Center, Ohio; Carlo Demain, 28, of Struthers Ohio; Jason Stiner, 38, of Canfield, Ohio; Nyasia Iris Lopez, 27, of Struthers, Ohio; Shanika Simmons, 38, Youngstown, Ohio and Allison Grossen, 35, Youngstown, Ohio.
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues. In addition, the indictment charges various members of the drug trafficking organization with using a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, distribution of cocaine base (crack), distribution of fentanyl analogue and fentanyl, distribution of heroin and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl and distribution of tramadol and fentanyl. Defendant Thomas May, Jr is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, from February 2020 to January 2022, it is alleged that Defendant Terrence Chauncy May obtained large quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine and narcotics, which he then supplied to other members of the drug trafficking organization to be further distributed in the Youngstown area.
In addition, the indictment alleges that Defendants Terrence Chauncy May, Hope Butler, Terris Chailyn May and Key-Shaun Davis maintained multiple premises in Youngstown for the purposes of distributing and storing drugs.
The conspirators are also accused of using cell phones and coded language to obscure and disguise their drug trafficking activity.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in a joint investigation with Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, Youngstown Police Department, Boardman Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Austintown Police Department and the Mahoning County Juvenile Court.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Katz.
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Former Puerto Rico Legislator Sentenced to 57 Months for Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Puerto Rico legislator was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for engaging in a bribery and kickback scheme. He was also ordered to pay $190,000 in restitution.
Nelson Del Valle Colón, 56, of Dorado, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty in the District of Puerto Rico to federal program bribery on March 31, 2022. According to court documents, Del Valle Colón was elected to be a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 2016. He thereafter hired Mildred Estrada-Rojas, 55, and her daughter, Nickolle Santos-Estrada, 33, both of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, to work in his legislative office. In exchange for their employment and their salaries, however, Estrada and Santos paid biweekly kickbacks to Del Valle Colón of between approximately $500 and $1,300 from early 2017 until approximately July 2020.
According to statements made in connection with their pleas, Del Valle Colón, Estrada, and Santos admitted that the biweekly kickbacks were paid in a variety of ways. Estrada and Santos generally paid their biweekly cash kickbacks in envelopes that they provided to Del Valle Colón in offices in the Capitol building in Old San Juan. Estrada sometimes paid her kickback to Del Valle Colón over ATH Móvil, a mobile phone cash transfer application.
Estrada is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28. Santos is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16. 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 W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.
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Former Puerto Rico Legislator Sentenced for Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Puerto Rico legislator was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for engaging in a bribery and kickback scheme. He was also ordered to pay $190,000 in restitution.
Nelson Del Valle Colon, 56, of Dorado, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty in the District of Puerto Rico to federal program bribery in March. According to court documents, Del Valle Colon was elected to be a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 2016. He thereafter hired Mildred Estrada-Rojas, 55, and her daughter, Nickolle Santos-Estrada, 33, both of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, to work in his legislative office. In exchange for their employment and their salaries, however, Estrada and Santos paid biweekly kickbacks to Del Valle Colon of between approximately $500 and $1,300 from early 2017 until approximately July 2020.
According to statements made in connection with their pleas, Del Valle Colon, Estrada, and Santos admitted that the biweekly kickbacks were paid in a variety of ways. Estrada and Santos generally paid their biweekly cash kickbacks in envelopes that they provided to Del Valle Colon in offices in the Capitol building in Old San Juan. Estrada sometimes paid her kickback to Del Valle Colon over ATH Móvil, a mobile phone cash transfer application.
Estrada is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28. Santos is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16. 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 W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.
Former Defense Attorney Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Bribe the Elected State AttorneyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Ernest Maloney Page, IV (46, Madison) to six months in federal prison for conspiring to bribe the elected State Attorney for the Third Judicial Circuit. The court also ordered Page to serve an 18-month term of supervised release. Page had pleaded guilty on September 3, 2020.
According to court documents, Page represented a client facing two separate driving under the influence (DUI) cases in the Third Judicial Circuit. The client managed a tractor dealership in Live Oak. Page arranged a meeting with then-State Attorney Jeffrey Siegmeister to discuss the client’s pending DUI cases. Page informed Siegmeister that the client had a tractor dealership, and Siegmeister told Page he wanted to purchase a tractor. Page encouraged Siegmeister to visit the client at his dealership.
In August 2017, Siegmeister told Page that he would give favorable treatment to the client for one of his pending DUI cases for a bribe in the form of a $10,000 discount on the tractor, and that he would give favorable treatment to the client on both pending DUI cases for a bribe in the form of a $20,000 discount on the tractor. Page relayed this information to his client, who indicated he wished to accept the offer and agreed to provide the $20,000 discount to Siegmeister. Page then told Siegmeister his client had accepted the offer.
Siegmeister arranged for the client to resolve the DUI charges by pleading to reckless driving charges, which were traffic misdemeanors.
On September 20, 2017, Siegmeister’s wife went to the tractor dealership and met with the client, who discounted the retail price of the tractor and accessories by $10,000, consistent with his agreement to pay Siegmeister a bribe facilitated by Page. The client also notated the sales paperwork to falsely state that the Siegmeister’s provided a cash down payment of $10,150, when no such down payment was made.
On September 28, 2017, Siegmeister signed an Offer of Plea, authorizing the client to plead no contest to the misdemeanor charges of reckless driving with alcohol. On the same day, the client’s plea was entered and the client was sentenced to 12 months’ probation.
In March 2020, Page admitted to the FBI that he had facilitated a bribe to Siegmeister in the amount of a $20,000 discount on a tractor in exchange for a lenient resolution of two DUI cases.
Siegmeister previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use a facility of commerce for unlawful activity, that is bribery and extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, wire fraud, and filing a false tax return. His sentencing hearing is set for October 12, 2022.
“The actions taken by Ernest Page put lives at risk,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Sherri Onks. “As an officer of the court, he facilitated corruption within the judicial system by offering items of value in exchange for reduced or dropped charges for one of his clients, who was accused of serious crimes that endangered the community. These crimes will not be tolerated by the FBI, and we will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to hold individuals in positions of authority within the justice system accountable. We specifically thank the IRS – Criminal Investigation team for their invaluable partnership in the case.”
“This action demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust. In today’s economic environment, it’s more important than ever that the American people feel confident that everyone is playing by the rules,” said IRS Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “The IRS is proud to have shared its hallmark expertise with FBI in following the money trail in this and other criminal schemes. IRS Criminal Investigation agents will continue to be on the front lines to fight corruption and tax fraud.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and David B. Mesrobian.
Former Dansville Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead 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 Derek Hagen, 29, of Batavia, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2018, and July 21, 2021, Hagen engaged in a pattern of prohibited sexual conduct with Victim 1, a minor between the ages of 4 and 8, during which Hagen photographed and videoed himself subjecting Victim 1 to sexual contact. Hagen then distributed the images of Victim 1 to other individuals over the internet.
In addition, between May 2018, and July 19, 2018, Hagen was employed as an Assistant Teacher at the Brockport Childhood Development Center in the infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms. During this time, he produced and possessed sexually explicit images of children entrusted to his care. The children ranged in age from six months to five years. Hagen produced these images while changing diapers and assisting children who were learning to use the bathroom. Hagen distributed the images of these children to other individuals over the internet. Hagen also possessed approximately 50,000 images and videos of child pornography that he received from others via the internet.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Final Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Concluding a case that secured convictions against all 19 defendants, an Ohio man and a Huntington woman were sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.
Brayan Luces, 25, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Kimberly Ann Combs, 45, of Huntington, was sentenced to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from May to July 2021, Luces regularly shipped a minimum of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of cocaine to Huntington. The fentanyl and cocaine were transported by vehicle and provided to an individual on consignment. After the drugs were sold in the Huntington area, Luces would receive the drug proceeds, which were transported by vehicle to Columbus.
On July 22, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Luces’ residence in Columbus and seized 13 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately $26,484 in cash, two firearms, and various magazines and ammunition.
Combs admitted that she bought 104 30-milligram oxycodone pills from co-defendant William Raeshaun Byrd at his Huntington residence on July 23, 2021. When Combs left Byrd’s residence, law enforcement officers stopped her vehicle and recovered the oxycodone pills. Combs further admitted that she received oxycodone pills from Byrd on at least 10 other occasions in June and July 2021, and provided some of those pills to another individual.
This successful prosecution disrupted a conspiracy that distributed a variety of drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (also known as “crack”), oxycodone, and heroin. Law enforcement officers seized more than 47 pounds of fentanyl, 6.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.5 pounds of cocaine and 2 pounds of heroin as well as 14 firearms and more than $335,000 in cash.
“Tremendous dedication and teamwork removed massive volumes of deadly drugs from one of our most vulnerable and hard-pressed communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “It is critical that we target the supply side as we reduce overdose deaths and obstacles to recovery, and this is a prime example of an effective prosecution toward that end.”
"This investigation demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement at all levels to investigate and prosecute those who pollute local neighborhoods with dangerous drugs,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “This investigation effectively dismantled a multi-state drug trafficking organization that chose to set up operations in the Huntington area. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to rid the streets of these criminals and make our communities safer for all citizens.”
The other defendants were sentenced to the following prison terms after pleading guilty to various felony offenses:
- William Raeshaun Byrd, 32, of Huntington, to 15 years for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine;
- Marvin Jerome Calvin, 41, of Huntington, to six years and six months for distribution of fentanyl;
- Mark Anthony Chandler, 31, of Huntington, to four years and four months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine;
- Donald Duane Cole, 52, of Huntington, to five years and 10 months possession with intent to distribute cocaine base;
- Robert Lamont Congleton, 42, of Huntington, to six months for being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- Reginald Jerome Hairston, 45, of Huntington, to four years and four months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine;
- Marcus Allen Johnson, 37, of Huntington, to two years using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense;
- Erica Antoinette Kirker, 35, of Huntington, to seven years and six months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl;
- Aaron Scott Midkiff, 27, of Huntington, to six years and five months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine;
- Edward Shane Midkiff, 35, of Huntington, to three years and one month for distribution of methamphetamine;
- Scott Lee Midkiff, 36, of Huntington, to 17 years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl;
- William Edward Nellons Jr., 38, of Huntington, to three years and 10 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl;
- Leonard Brandon Joe Rice, 36, of Louisa, Kentucky, to two years for using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense;
- Dennis Wayne Snyder, 32, of Hurricane, to seven years for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine;
- Ricky Lee Taylor, 58, of Charleston, to two years for using a telephone to facilitate a felony controlled substance offense;
- Christopher Leon Vest, 34, of Huntington, to 12 years and six months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine;
- Dillon Andrew Young, 29, of Sissonville, to two years and six months for use of a communications facility in committing, causing, and facilitating a felony controlled substance offense.
Thompson commended the investigative work of the FBI and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
“I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans for their tenacious prosecution of this case that ensured guilty pleas from each and every defendant,” Thompson said.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-109 and 3:22-cr-7.
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Felon Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal Prison After Being Found Illegally in Possession of an AR-15 Rifle in a Downtown Indianapolis Parking GarageRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Antoine Hopkins, 33, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on May 16, 2021, at approximately 2:12 am, an off-duty Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officer working at a downtown Indianapolis parking garage was approached by a witness who had observed Hopkins with a rifle and heard threats made towards her. The officer heard a shot and was able to identify Hopkins as the individual with the rifle. The firearm was determined to be a Springfield AR-15 rifle loaded with two thirty-round magazines.
At the time he was in possession of the AR-15 in the parking garage, Hopkins was completing a term of imprisonment at a residential reentry center, or halfway house, following a March 2019 federal conviction for a prior instance of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hopkins also has prior felony convictions in Indiana for resisting law enforcement, possession of cocaine, and carrying a handgun without a license. Each of these prior felony convictions prohibits Hopkins from lawfully possessing a firearm.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division; and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Police Chief Randal Taylor made the announcement.
ATF investigated the case in conjunction with IMPD. Sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who 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.
District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Terrell Roberson, 31, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Roberson entered the guilty plea on Sept. 6, 2022, the day his trial was to begin in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. No sentencing date was set. Roberson faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by up to lifetime supervised release. In addition, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, in September 2015, Roberson used his personal email account to distribute a video depicting the rape of a prepubescent child. Roberson distributed the video to a man who was previously prosecuted and who lived in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, in exchange for access to cloud storage accounts containing child pornography. For the next 14 months, they exchanged dozens of emails with log-in information for cloud storage accounts associated with child pornography and discussed their sexual interest in children.
HSI discovered the online activity in 2019 after receiving a tip from the Norfolk, Virginia, Police Department. The police department had received a report from a citizen who stated that she discovered child pornography on her husband’s cellphone. Subsequent investigation led to the discovery of Roberson’s communications. HSI agents were able to locate and interview Roberson, who admitted to communicating with the other man and sending him child pornography.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Norfolk Police Department. Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo, of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Miranda, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for 2022 Slaying on I-295 and 2020 AssaultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory Johnson, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for killing a woman on Interstate 295 in February 2022 and for threatening a different woman with a gun in 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Johnson pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of second-degree murder, carrying a pistol without a license, and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 13 ½ to 22 years. The Honorable Robert Okun accepted the plea and sentenced Johnson accordingly. Following his prison term, Johnson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence in the 2020 assault, Johnson messaged the victim, the mother of his infant child, on Aug. 31, 2020, stating that he wanted to see her. As the victim drove toward her house with their daughter in the backseat, Johnson followed in his vehicle. As they approached a narrow, residential street in Northeast Washington, Johnson swerved in front of her and forced her to stop. He then exited his vehicle, loaded a handgun, and pointed it at the victim, demanding that she give their daughter to him. The victim was able to maneuver her car away from Johnson and she fled to safety with the child.
Separately, in the 2022 murder, Johnson picked up Passion Pleasant and drove with her down I-295 on the morning of Feb. 5, 2022. Johnson was wearing a GPS ankle monitor as a condition of his release in the previous assault case. At some point during the drive, Johnson produced a firearm and shot Ms. Pleasant five times in the chest, fatally wounding her. She left the vehicle and collapsed on the shoulder of the highway, where she was assisted by several passing motorists. Ms. Pleasant, 32, and a mother of six children, succumbed to her injuries on the highway and died a few minutes later.
Johnson was arrested on the scene of the murder on Feb. 5, 2022. He has been detained ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Amy Trotto, Forensic Child Interview Specialist Tracy Owusu, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak, Robert Platt, Yasmin Emrani, and Eliot Folsom, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy Inside Stillwater PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A former corrections officer has pleaded guilty to her role in a methamphetamine distribution organization within the Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF)-Stillwater, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Faith Rose Gratz, 24, a former MCF – Stillwater corrections officer, and co-defendant Axel Rene Kramer, 34, an inmate who is currently serving a 288-month sentence for second degree murder, conspired with each other to distribute methamphetamine within MCF – Stillwater, Minnesota’s largest high security prison facility. As part of the conspiracy, Kramer obtained wholesale quantities of prepackaged methamphetamine from sources of supply outside the prison. After Kramer and another co-conspirator inmate worked with the drug suppliers to arrange meet up times and locations, Gratz would pick up the drug packages. Gratz used her position as a prison guard to smuggle the drugs into the secure facility and then provide the drugs to Kramer while she was on duty guarding him. Gratz did this on approximately six different occasions. Gratz also smuggled into the prison multiple cell phones that she provided to Kramer. Kramer used the cell phones to communicate with people inside and outside the prison and to facilitate his drug distribution network from within the prison.
According to court documents, Gratz and Kramer exchanged hundreds of text messages with each other. The messages included communications about the drug distribution conspiracy as well as discussions about their romantic relationship. Gratz also warned Kramer about upcoming searches of inmates’ cells.
On April 8, 2022, after recovering Kramer’s cell phone, law enforcement officers confronted Gratz about the drug distribution operation. Officers searched Gratz’s car and recovered a half pound of methamphetamine.
Gratz pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bayport Police Department, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking and Threatening Massachusetts WomanRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to threatening, harassing and intimidating a Massachusetts woman through social media and email.
Marshall Nicholas Fain, 31, of New Haven, Conn., pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2022 in federal court in Boston to one count of cyberstalking and one count of transmitting threats through interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Dec. 21, 2022. Fain was arrested and charged on Feb. 2, 2022.
“People deserve to end relationships without fear. Too often, women are the targets threatening, controlling and/or violent behavior. In response to the end of his two-year relationship with the victim, Mr. Fain terrorized her for several months, making her fear for her life and the lives of her family. In the face of aggressively disturbing and intimidating threats this woman bravely notified federal authorities of Mr. Fain’s abusive behavior. Thanks to this woman’s enormous strength and courage, Mr. Fain must now answer for the fear and pain he caused,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Threats of violence, regardless of whether they’re made in person or sent from behind a keyboard, are illegal and will not be tolerated by my office. Stalking and threatening others online are serious crimes that deeply impact victims’ mental, emotional and physical welfare. The internet does not offer you anonymity – perpetrators will be identified, prosecuted and held accountable.”
“The victim in this case did not let fear silence her. She courageously came forward and worked with the FBI to help bring Mr. Fain’s campaign of torment to an end,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.” Words can and do lead to violence, and the FBI would like to take this opportunity to urge victims of online threats to report the crime because we will not hesitate to investigate these cowardly acts.”
Fain was in a relationship with the victim for approximately two years, until the relationship ended in August 2021. Soon after, in September 2021 and continuing through December 2021, Fain sent the victim multiple private messages through email and social media threatening to kill the victim and members of her family.
Fain created multiple social media and email accounts which he used to harass and threaten the victim anonymously. Specifically, Fain used anonymous Instagram and Facebook accounts to send the victim messages that said, among other things, “I’ll kill you” and “You gonna get yours if it’s the last thing I do.” Fain also used anonymous email addresses to send the victim threatening messages that said, among other things, “I’m gonna find you and kill you if it’s the last thing I do,” “By now you know I don’t give a f*** about my own life so I really don’t mind taking yours,” and “When the time is right you gonna be one of the girls going missing. Ima torture the f*** out of you when I catch you.”
The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transmitting threats through interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Division provided valuable assistance in the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins Major Crimes Division is prosecuting the case.
Colorado Company and Owner Agree to Pay $625,000 for Alleged False Claims Related to Buy American Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Instec Inc. (Instec), located in Boulder, Colorado, and Dr. Zhong Zou, Instec’s owner and president, have agreed to pay $625,000 to resolve allegations that the company and Zou violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with the requirements of the Buy American Act (BAA) when selling scientific instruments to federal agencies and national laboratories.
The BAA was enacted in 1933 to protect U.S. manufacturing by creating a preference for domestic products when the federal government purchases supplies. The United States alleged that Instec and Zou knowingly violated the BAA by falsely certifying that goods sold to the government pursuant to contracts containing domestic-preference requirements were of domestic origin, when these good were actually manufactured in China.
“Those who contract with the government must comply with all applicable terms,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to protect American businesses by enforcing domestic preference requirements.”
“When companies commit to manufacture their goods in the United States, then shirk that commitment, they violate the law and undermine American manufacturing jobs, too,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is committed to enforcing the Buy American Act and pursuing companies that violate it.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado with assistance from the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
“Federal contractors cannot simply dispense with contractual requirements designed to protect American industry,” said Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson. “I applaud the investigators as well as the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado for their efforts in reaching this settlement.”
“This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue those who defraud the United States government,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “This type of activity undermines the procurement process, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
“The Buy American Act promotes American businesses and protects U.S. economic interests,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Steinau for the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG). “This agreement reflects NASA OIG’s commitment to work with our law enforcement partners in identifying and holding accountable those who engage in deliberate disregard of contractual requirements.”
“This settlement highlights the resolve of Army CID and our law enforcement partners to hold government contractors accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the U.S. Army CID’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “The ability to protect and defend the assets of the U.S. Army is always our top priority
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Jason M. Crawford of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Licht for the District of Colorado.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought by a former Instec employee under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions allow a private party, known as a relator, to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. In this case, the relator will receive $124,500 as part of the settlement. The case is captioned United States ex rel Swanton v. Zou, et al, No. 20-cv-01742 (D. Colo.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Colorado Company and Owner Agree to Pay $625,000 for Alleged False Claims Related to Buy American ActRead the Press Release
DENVER – The Department of Justice announced today that Instec, Inc., located in Boulder, Colorado, and Dr. Zhong Zou, Instec’s owner and president, have agreed to pay $625,000 to resolve allegations that the company and Zou violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with the requirements of the Buy American Act when selling scientific instruments to federal agencies and national laboratories.
The Buy American Act was enacted in 1933 to protect U.S. manufacturing by creating a preference for domestic products when the federal government purchases supplies. The United States alleged that Instec and Zou knowingly violated the Act by falsely certifying that scientific instruments sold to the government pursuant to contracts containing domestic-preference requirements were of domestic origin, when these goods were actually manufactured in China. These instruments, including microscopy, spectroscopy and electrical probing tools with advanced precision thermal controls, were sold to multiple federal agencies and national laboratories, including the Department of Energy, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
“Those who contract with the government must comply with all applicable terms” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to protect American businesses by enforcing domestic preference requirements.”
“When companies commit to manufacture their goods in the United States, then shirk that commitment, they violate the law and undermine American manufacturing jobs, too. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is committed to enforcing the Buy American Act and pursuing companies that violate it,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, with assistance from the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
“Federal contractors cannot simply dispense with contractual requirements designed to protect American industry,” said Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson, “I applaud the investigators as well as the DOJ and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado for their efforts in reaching this settlement.”
“This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, DCIS, along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue those who defraud the United States Government,” said Gregory Shilling, Acting Special Agent in Charge, of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “This type of activity undermines the procurement process, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
“The Buy American Act promotes American businesses and protects U.S. economic interests,” said Robert Steinau, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, NASA Office of Inspector General. “This agreement reflects NASA OIG’s commitment to work with our law enforcement partners in identifying and holding accountable those who engage in deliberate disregard of contractual requirements.”
“This settlement highlights the resolve of Army CID and our law enforcement partners to hold government contractors accountable for their actions. The ability to protect and defend the assets of the United States Army is always our top priority,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the U.S. Army CID Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Jason M. Crawford of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Licht for the District of Colorado.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought by a former Instec employee under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions allow a private party, known as a relator, to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. In this case, the relator will receive $124,500 as part of the settlement. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Swanton v. Zou, et al, No. 20-cv-01742 (D. Colo.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Collinsville osteopathic physician sentenced to a year in prison for illegally prescribing drugRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced an osteopathic physician from Collinsville, Illinois to a year in prison for illegally prescribing an anti-anxiety drug.
Matthew Steven Miller, 43, wrote prescriptions for the drug Xanax for six people who were not his patients between 2016 and 2018. Miller had not examined them, knew they didn’t have a legitimate medical need for the drug and knew the drug would be sold or abused, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dorothy McMurtry wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Miller also did not document the prescriptions and didn’t determine if the Xanax was contraindicated due to existing medical conditions or possible adverse interactions with other medications.
Miller wrote the prescriptions despite not being licensed by Missouri’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and lacked a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number necessary to do so.
Miller pleaded guilty in June to one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of making a false statement concerning a health care matter.
He was taken into custody immediately after Wednesday’s hearing.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the South Central Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dorothy McMurtry is prosecuting the case.
Cocaine Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Carlos Juan Camacho Quinones, 36, of Newark, was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, the Defendant was arrested in March 2021 after he was surveilled for several months receiving and transporting U.S. mail packages that contained suspected cocaine. Quinones pled guilty in October 2021.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Trafficking in large quantities of drugs threatens the safety and security of our communities. The sentence imposed is necessary to keep our communities safe and deter others from participating in illegal drug trafficking. Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to fully investigating and prosecuting these serious drug crimes.”
“Mr. Quinones trafficked significant amounts of dangerous narcotics via mail packages for distribution, posing a danger to citizens," stated Baltimore FBI Special Agent in Charge, Thomas J. Sobocinski. "Through our robust law enforcement partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Delaware, the FBI remains committed to disrupting the flow of deadly drugs into our communities, and to hold drug traffickers accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Ibrahim prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 21-cr-68.
Cincinnati man pleads guilty to offenses relating to straw purchases of pistolsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal crimes related to making straw purchases of firearms.
Jermaine Pulley, 30, admitted to making false statements during purchases of firearms, including by lying about the identity of the true buyer on ATF Form 4473, which a buyer must fill out when purchasing a firearm from a federal firearms licensee (FFL). Pulley also admitted to conspiring with Nylisha Hill, 22, to do so.
He and Hill were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2022.
According to court documents, Pulley was prohibited from possessing firearms under the terms of his probation. To circumvent this restriction, Pulley would provide Hill with cash to purchase firearms on his behalf, and the defendants would then make false representations to FFLs to the effect that Hill, not Pulley, was the true purchaser of the firearms.
The defendants visited two area FFLs on Oct. 12, 2021, in an attempt to purchase multiple firearms.
Pulley admitted to attempting to pay for a firearm at Cincinnati-area FFL Shoot Point Blank – Cincy West. During the attempted purchase, Pulley told a store associate that he was paying for the firearm but that it was for Hill’s use, and he refused to fill out ATF Form 4473. The associate declined the sale, saying he believed it to be a straw purchase and warning the defendants that it was a felony for Hill to purchase a firearm for Pulley or anyone else.
Later that same day, at a different FFL, Hill successfully purchased two pistols at Pulley’s direction, falsely representing that she was the true buyer. Shortly after Hill purchased the firearms, Pulley directed her to go back into the store to buy two more. This additional purchase was denied.
Making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Conspiring to commit a felony offense against the United States carries a potential penalty of five years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Treydan Leon Burks, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine after participating in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Burks obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from out-of-state for distribution in and around Charleston. Burks admitted to distributing between 3 and 11 pounds of methamphetamine between late 2020 and Sept. 28, 2021. Burks and co-defendant Brian Dangelo Terry pooled money in order to obtain the drugs, used couriers to transport drugs and drug proceeds, and distributed the drugs to lower-level dealers and users.
Burks further admitted that he, Terry, James Edward Bennett III and Douglas Johnathan Wesley armed themselves at Burks’ residence in Rand on July 4, 2021, and drove to Charleston’s West Side where they intended to shoot another man. Alerted to the plot, police in marked cruisers converged on the area. The four men abandoned their vehicle in a Lee Street parking lot due to the increased police presence. Federal agents executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered four loaded firearms, including an AR-style semi-automatic rifle with a drum magazine.
This case is part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in 17 individuals being charged with various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Burks, Terry, Bennett, and 11 others pleaded guilty. Wesley, Timothy Wayne Dodd and Leo Antoine Smith were convicted at trial.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Josh Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-171 and 2:21-cr-211.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joe Butler, 34, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2021, Butler aided and abetted Rance McNeil in the distribution of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at McNeil’s residence in Charleston. In early 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted several controlled buys involving Butler and McNeil. On May 18, 2021, DEA agents executed a search warrant at McNeil’s residence and seized large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine as well as more than $20,000 in drug proceeds. Butler admitted to working as a runner for McNeil, who had been distributing bulk quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. McNeil was sentenced to 14 years in prison on March 15, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the DEA.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-258.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm and ammunition as a felon was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Federico Luna, age 23, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 4, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. Luna had previously been convicted of reckless use of a firearm, harassment in the first and third degree, assault, and criminal mischief in the second degree.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Luna sped through a residential area in Cedar Rapids while leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase. During the chase, he threw a backpack out of the window of the car. That backpack contained a loaded firearm, false U.S. currency, and pills. Luna abandoned the car and attempted to flee on foot before he was taken into custody.
Luna was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Luna was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Luna is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake, and it was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 21-CR-64.
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Camden Man Admits String of Armed Robberies and CarjackingsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man admitted his role in conspiracies that involved committing armed carjackings and robbing multiple gas stations in southern New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Kamau Bradshaw, 20, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit armed robberies, one count of committing an armed robbery, and one count of conspiring to commit armed carjackings. Bradshaw and another defendant, Paul Rogers, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 17, 2021.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 14, 2021, two masked individuals carrying an AR-style rifle robbed a gas station in Pennsauken, New Jersey. One of the robbers wore a gray Nike hooded sweatshirt and scuffed tan work boots. The second robber wore a tan hooded sweatshirt with “REACTIVE” printed on the sleeves and striped boxer shorts. They obtained cash and cigarettes while brandishing the firearm. Shortly after the robbery, two individuals were seen returning to a residence in Camden with a large duffle bag. On Sept. 17, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at the Camden residence and recovered, among other items, a duffle bag, an AR-style rifle, a gray Nike sweatshirt, scuffed tan work boots, and a tan hooded sweatshirt with “REACTIVE” printed on the sleeves. Bradshaw and Rogers were present when law enforcement agents executed the search warrant, at which time Bradshaw was wearing striped boxer shorts consistent with those worn by one of the robbers during the robbery.
Bradshaw admitted his role in eight gas station robberies or attempted robberies in addition to the Sept. 14, 2021, robbery in Pennsauken, including robberies in Haddon Township on Aug. 30, 2021; Pennsauken on Aug. 30, 2021; Bridgeton on Aug. 31, 2021; Brooklawn on Aug. 31, 2021; Vineland on Aug. 31, 2021; Pennsauken on Sept. 1, 2021; Haddon Township on Sept. 1, 2021; and Haddon Township on Sept. 16, 2021. Two of the gas stations were victimized more than once. At each gas station, at least one member of the conspiracy brandished what appeared to be an assault weapon in order to threaten the gas station attendant.
For several of the robberies, Bradshaw and his conspirators used a car they obtained by committing an armed carjacking in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Members of the carjacking conspiracy traveled from Camden to Philadelphia and brandished what appeared to be an assault weapon in order to force a driver and passenger from an automobile. They returned to Camden with the victims’ car, which they proceeded to use to drive to and from some of their gas stations robberies.
The complaint against Rogers remains pending. The charges and allegations against him are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The count of conspiracy to commit robbery and the robbery count to which Bradshaw pleaded guilty each carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of conspiracy to commit armed carjacking to which Bradshaw pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Bridgeton City Police Department, Brooklawn Borough Police Department, Camden County Police Department, Haddon Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Oaklyn Police Department, Pennsauken Township Police Department, Vineland Police Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Cambria County Woman Distributed MethRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Blandburg, 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.
Danielle Gillam, age 43, 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.
Gillam 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 Gillam was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine as part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and redistributed it to methamphetamine users.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Coder on Jan. 19, 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.
Broome County Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK - Nezir “Nick” Boljevic, age 57, of Broome County, New York, was sentenced today in federal court in Utica to 12 months and 1 day in prison after previously pleading guilty to one felony count of willful failure to pay federal payroll taxes, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), New York Field Office.
In his guilty plea, Boljevic admitted that from 2007 through 2017, while he owned and operated Vestal Diner in Vestal, New York, he failed to make payroll tax payments to the government with respect to his employees, including for Social Security and Medicare taxes. Boljevic withheld the payroll taxes from his employees’ paychecks but did not report the withholdings or turn the money over to the Internal Revenue Service. To avoid IRS collection efforts, Boljevic repeatedly put Vestal Diner in the names of a series of nominee owners with different Employer Identification Numbers for tax purposes, even though Boljevic remained the true owner and operator of Vestal Diner. In total, Boljevic failed to pay approximately $322,516.51 in payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service between 2007 and 2017. Boljevic no longer owns or operates Vestal Diner.
The defendant will serve a three-year term of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence, and he was ordered to pay $322,516.51 in restitution to the IRS.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Beaty.
Brooklyn-Based Manager of Money Laundering Operation Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison in Connection with $5 Million Online Vehicle Sale ScamRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that NATALIA KORZHA and VLADISLAV NECEAEV were sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with a scheme to launder money derived from an online vehicle sale scam that generated at least $5.3 million from dozens of defrauded consumers. KORZHA was sentenced to 48 months in prison and NECEAEV was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, before whom they previously pled guilty.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Natalia Korzha and Vladislav Neceaev opened or caused others to open fraudulent bank accounts that were used to launder millions of dollars in criminal proceeds from an online vehicle sale scam. Without those fraudulent accounts, online fraudsters would not be able to profit from their illegal schemes. Korzha and Neceaev now face terms of imprisonment and will be required to forfeit their ill-gotten gains.”
In imposing today’s sentences, Judge Torres said that KORZHA and NECEAEV caused “real harm to [the victims’] financial well-being” and noted that victims reported having been hurt “mentally, emotionally and physically.”
As alleged in the Complaint and the Indictments, and based on statements made in court:
From at least March 2019 through approximately March 2021, KORZHA managed a money laundering operation based in Brooklyn that included co-defendant VLADISLAV NECEAEV and others. With KORZHA as coordinator, NECEAEV and other co-conspirators opened numerous bank accounts in the name of shell companies for the purpose of laundering money stolen from consumers who were trying to buy vehicles online. In exchange, the defendants received a cut of the victims’ money.
Other members of the conspiracy, pretending to represent car dealerships, advertised vehicles that they did not own and were not authorized to sell on fake websites with domain names that sounded like legitimate car dealerships or through online marketplaces like Craigslist and eBay. Victims who responded to those advertisements and negotiated a purchase price were instructed by the purported sellers to wire payment to accounts that NECEAEV and other co-conspirators opened. Once the payments cleared, the defendants quickly withdrew the funds before the victims realized they had been defrauded. The victims never received the vehicles or any refunds from the fake sellers. In total, dozens of victims were defrauded of a total of at least $5.3 million.
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In addition to her prison term, KORZHA, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $5,386,538 and pay restitution in the amount of $5,370,180.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, NECEAEV, 28, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years’ supervised release and ordered to forfeit $458,300 and pay restitution in the amount of $458,300.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York Police Department. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, the United States Marshals Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau for their assistance in this investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Lai is in charge of the prosecution.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Following Two-Kilogram Cocaine DealRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with selling two kilograms of cocaine and possessing nearly one kilogram of heroin and a high-powered rifle in East Boston.
Carlos Acosta Estrella, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 12, 2022. Estrella was indicted along with his mother, Ana Guadalupe Acosta Grajeda, in October 2019.
Estrella and Grajeda were arrested after they were videotaped selling two kilograms of cocaine to a cooperating witness in East Boston. A search of Estrella and Grajeda’s apartment in East Boston resulted in the seizure of nearly one kilogram of heroin, an additional kilogram of cocaine, numerous cellphones, a high-powered tactical shotgun with a laser sight and a box of ammunition for the shotgun.
On June 30, 2022, Grajeda was sentenced to five years in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
“Opioids continue to take far too many lives and cause irreversible damage and harm in communities across our country every single day,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This destructive duo of mother and son conspired to profit off of pain by pumping multiple kilograms of heroin and cocaine into our neighborhoods. On top of that, Mr. Estrella did so in possession of a dangerous high-powered weapon. This office remains steadfast in our pursuit of those peddling lethal narcotics in our Commonwealth. You will be found and prosecuted.”
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New England,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Illegal drug distribution ravages the very foundations of our families and communities here in Massachusetts. Let these arrests serve as an example to those who distribute poisons like heroin and cocaine, that DEA will aggressively pursue and hold you accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
“The Boston Police Department will continue to collaborate with our federal law enforcement partners to target those individuals causing harm to the residents of our city,” said Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox. “These arrests demonstrate the commitment of Boston Police Officers and our law enforcement partners to save lives by stopping the flow of narcotics and illegal firearms into our neighborhoods. I commend their efforts and commit to continue to holding offenders accountable for preying on individuals with substance disorders.”
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams of heroin provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, to be served from and after the sentence imposed on the underlying drug counts, a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences in a criminal case are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, DEA SAC Boyle and BPD Commissioner Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Asotin County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane – Senior United States District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Justin James Krasselt, age 27, of Clarkston, Washington, to over 273 months in federal prison today for Production of Child Pornography. When combined with the time Krasselt has been in state custody since his arrest, the result is a 25-year prison sentence. At the conclusion of his prison term, Krasselt will spend the rest of his life on federal supervision. Senior Judge Peterson also imposed financial assessments aimed at victim compensation in the amount of $8,000. Krasselt entered a guilty plea on June 7, 2022.
According to court documents, Krasselt shared child pornography within a public chat group on the Kik messaging application in June 2020. An undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent captured the child pornography posted and observed that one of the videos appeared to be produced by Krasselt. Days later, on June 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Krasselt’s Clarkston, Washington, residence. There, agents seized electronic devices, including Krasselt’s phone.
When interviewed by law enforcement, Krasselt admitted to using Kik on his phone and to sending and receiving sexually exploitative images of minors. The investigation and forensic review of Krasselt’s phone, however, revealed that Krasselt had done more than send and receive child pornography. Investigators found ten sexually exploitative videos that Krasselt recorded of an 8-year old girl. During a separate investigation, images and videos of this young child were discovered as far away as Dandenong, Victoria, Australia. A review of the electronic devices in Australia revealed a Kik chat between the foreign suspect and Krasselt. The devices in Australia also contained images and videos depicting Krasselt’s victim, which Krasselt sent through Kik.
“It is chilling how common internet messaging applications like Kik can be used to exploit the most vulnerable among us and how exploitive images can quickly be spread across the world through social media,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated. “Parents, teachers, conscious members of our community, and law enforcement must work together to ensure that social media applications are not misused to harm children. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to those who victimize children through social media and otherwise: Our office is committed to prioritizing and aggressively pursuing cases involving child predators and holding them accountable for victimizing the most innocent members of our community.”
Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick, who prosecuted the case, stated, “The victim’s mother said it best in her written statement to Senior Judge Peterson: ‘[Krasselt] took away something from a child that shouldn’t [have] been taken.’” AUSA Wick continued, “While the criminal justice system cannot give it back, the sentence today removed a predator from the streets and ensured that the victim can spend the rest of her childhood free of the man who harmed her.”
“Children are our most vulnerable population, and law enforcement must ensure that those who exploit children are held accountable to the fullest extent,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. He continued, “Advances in technology have emboldened child predators to perpetuate their crimes with ease and share illicit material across the internet. Today’s twenty-five year sentence sends a strong message that child exploitation will not be tolerated. We also hope that this sentence brings some measure of peace to the family.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
· Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
In a separate, but related investigation, Krasselt pleaded guilty in Asotin County, Washington, Case No. 20-1-00056-02, to three counts of child molestation in the first degree. On November 16, 2020, Krasselt was sentenced to 12 years in state prison in the Asotin County case.
The federal case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Clarkston Police Department and Moscow, ID, Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Ann T. Wick, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
6 September 2022
Worcester Postal Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A supervisor for the U.S. Postal Service has pleaded guilty in connection with stealing packages containing cocaine on at least eight occasions.
Kevin Dombroski, 43, of Worcester, pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2022 in federal court in Worcester to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 19, 2023. Dombroski was initially charged by criminal complaint on Feb. 9, 2022 and subsequently charged by an Information on June 30, 2022.
Dombroski was employed as Postal Service Supervisor at the Worcester Main Post Office. On eight to 10 occasions, Dombroski stole packages that had been mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses in Worcester he believed would contain cocaine. Specifically, Dombroski removed said packages from the main processing area of the Post Office and took them into a private office where he would open the parcel and remove the narcotics before returning the package back to the floor for delivery. Dombroski then sold the contents to an acquaintance, who paid him $7,500 for each package.
The charge of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; and Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Winchester Man Pleads Guilty to Making Straw Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTESVILLE, Va. – A Winchester, Virginia man, who lied when he purchased a firearm that was later used by a close relative in a Southeast D.C. homicide, pleaded guilty today in federal court.
Gerald Kendrick Oxner, 25, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today to a one-count Information charging him with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
According to court documents, Oxner lied when he purchased a Smith and Wesson 9-millimeter handgun in January 2021 by not disclosing that he was purchasing the weapon for someone other than himself as well as providing a false home address on the required forms. Investigators obtained security camera footage and receipts from the store in Front Royal, Virginia, which show Oxner buying the firearm and using his close relative’s debit card to make the purchase.
Law enforcement later recovered the firearm in Maryland, but its serial number had been obliterated. Through forensic analysis, the serial number was restored, and the firearm was linked to evidence recovered from the scene of a January 25, 2021 shooting in Southeast Washington D.C. where one person was killed and three others were injured. Oxner’s relative was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
Oxner further admitted that he made multiple other straw purchases in Virginia, however, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, none of the firearms or related ammunition that he purchased were found in his possession or in the residence. Subsequently, another one of the firearms he bought was found during the execution of an unrelated search warrant in Washington, D.C.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
Oxner faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie Smith and Katie B. Medearis are prosecuting the case.
Website Selling Stolen Login Credentials and Other Personally Identifying Information is Seized and Its Operator Faces Federal Charges for Conspiracy and Trafficking in Unauthorized Access DevicesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A website operating as a marketplace for over 5.85 million records of personally identifying information (PII) was seized today by Portuguese authorities and a federal criminal complaint charging the website’s alleged operator has been unsealed. Law enforcement in the U.S. has also seized four domains used by the website: “wt1shop.net,” “wt1store.cc,” “wt1store.com,” and “wt1store.net.”
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Nicolai Colesnicov, age 36, of the Republic of Moldova, operated WT1SHOP, an online market that allowed vendors to sell stolen login credentials and other PII, including approximately 25,000 scanned driver’s licenses/passports, 1.7 million login credentials for various online shops, 108,000 bank accounts, 21,800 credit cards. Colesnicov is charged with conspiracy and with trafficking in unauthorized access devices. The criminal complaint was filed on April 21, 2022, and unsealed today upon the seizure of the website and its domains.
The website seizure and criminal complaint were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office, Criminal Division.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, WT1SHOP provided a forum and payment mechanism for the sale and purchase of stolen PII, using Bitcoin. As detailed in the affidavit, in June 2020 Dutch law enforcement officials obtained an image of the WT1SHOP database that showed there were approximately 60,823 registered users on the site, including 91 sellers and two administrators. As of June 2020, sellers on WT1SHOP had engaged in sales of approximately 2.4 million credentials for total proceeds of approximately $4 million. The credentials sold consisted of login credentials for retailers and financial institutions, email accounts, PayPal accounts, and identification cards, as well as credentials to remotely access and operate computers, servers, and network devices without authorization. Law enforcement’s review of WT1SHOP in December 2021 showed that the number of users and sellers on the website had increased to approximately 106,273 users and 94 sellers with a total of approximately 5.85 million credentials available for sale.
According to the affidavit, law enforcement was able to trace Bitcoin sales made on WT1SHOP, payments made to the webhost of WT1SHOP, email addresses related to WT1SHOP, and associated login information from these accounts to Colesnicov, including determining that Colesnicov was the operator of WT1SHOP based on his logins as the administrator on the WT1SHOP website.
If convicted, Colesnicov faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy and trafficking in unauthorized access devices. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and our law enforcement partners in Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Estonia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajeev R. Raghavan, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Committing an Armed Robbery and Two Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Rashaun Onley, age 23, of Washington, D.C., today to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on federal charges of committing an armed commercial robbery, carjacking, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Onley has been detained since his arrest.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Don Hayes of the City of Alexandria, Virginia Police Department; Chief Charles “Andy” Penn of the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
According to his guilty plea, in the early morning of February 5, 2021, Onley and a co-defendant entered a convenience store in Silver Spring, Maryland, selected some items from the shelves, and approached the counter. Onley grabbed a convenience store employee, Victim 1, by the shirt, struck Victim 1 in the head, led Victim 1 behind the counter, and forced Victim 1 to his knees. Onley then brandished a black semiautomatic handgun and ordered Victim 1 and Victim 2, another employee, to open the cash register. Victim 2 opened the cash register and Onley and the co-defendant removed the cash from the register and fled. Officers with the Montgomery County Police Department (“MCPD”) recovered video surveillance footage showed Onley and his co-defendant committing the robbery.
Also on February 5, 2021, at approximately 4:57 p.m., in Alexandria, Virginia, three men carjacked at gunpoint a dark gray Volkswagen Tiguan with Pennsylvania registration plates (“Volkswagen”). Victim 3, the driver, reported that he had just parked his vehicle when one suspect told Victim 3 to get out of the vehicle, while a second suspect pointed a black handgun at Victim 3. Victim 3 began to get out of the car but was grabbed by a suspect and pulled away from the vehicle. All three suspects fled in the Volkswagen. Victim 3 reported that his iPhone was still inside the vehicle.
As detailed in Onley’s plea agreement, a little more than one hour later, Onley, his co-defendant, and Co-Conspirator 1 carjacked at gunpoint Victim 4, who was driving a Lexus ES300 (“Lexus”) in Silver Spring. Onley approached Victim 4 first with a gun in his hand and stated, “I’m gonna blow you up, give me your money and keys.” Onley’s co-defendant, who also was armed with a gun, approached Victim 4 and demanded his car keys. Co-Conspirator 1 was driving the Volkswagen. Fearing for his life, Victim 4 handed over his property. Onley’s co-defendant drove the Lexus away, while Onley got into the front passenger seat of the Volkswagen and fled the scene. A short time later the Lexus was located abandoned nearby.
According to the plea agreement, approximately two minutes after the carjacking of the Lexus, Onley and the co-defendant approached Victim 5, who was sitting in a Mercedes ML350 sport utility vehicle (“Mercedes”). Onley ordered Victim 5 to “get out” while he pointed a gun at her. Victim 5 exited in fear for her life, while Onley and his co-defendant took Victim 5’s vehicle and fled the scene. MCPD officers interviewed Victim 5 and obtained surveillance footage relating to the carjacking.
Less than 30 minutes later, Onley and his co-defendant were seen arriving in the Volkswagen on surveillance video capturing the outside of the co-defendant’s residence, an apartment building located in Washington, D.C. They both were wearing the same clothing visible in the surveillance videos of the Silver Spring carjacking of the Mercedes and in the robbery of the convenience store. A short time later, Onley exited the building and stood on the front porch, where he removed a mobile phone from his pocket, smashed the phone on the concrete porch, and threw the phone in the front dirt or lawn area of the building. Law enforcement recovered the smashed phone two days later and confirmed that it was the iPhone belonging to Victim 3 that was left inside of the Volkswagen.
Later that evening, the carjacked Mercedes parked in front of the Volkswagen. Onley and his co-defendant came out of the apartment building, went to the driver’s side of the Mercedes, and spoke with the three occupants of the vehicle. After a few minutes, the three occupants exited the Mercedes, got into the Volkswagen, and drove away. Onley and his co-defendant went back into the apartment building.
That same evening, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) saw the carjacked Volkswagen traveling in Washington D.C. After a pursuit, the occupants of the Volkswagen, including Co-Conspirator 1, bailed out of the vehicle. MPD located and arrested Co-Conspirator 1. The Maryland license plate from the carjacked Mercedes was also located a short distance away.
On February 17, 2021, the Mercedes was recovered from the street in front of the co-defendant’s apartment building.
Late in the evening of February 26, 2021, the co-defendant and Onley were ‘livestreaming’ and posting on social media about being at a hotel party in Arlington, Virginia. Law enforcement established surveillance on Onley and his co-defendant at the hotel and continued to monitor the co-defendant’s social media account, where they were able to see semiautomatic handguns in the hotel room. MCPD officers apprehended Onley and the co-defendant in the hotel room. Prior to being apprehended, the co-defendant threw a bag from the hotel room window, which law enforcement promptly recovered. The contents of the bag included two loaded firearms and 21 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the City of Alexandria Police Department and the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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United States prevails in National Forest disputeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that a federal court has granted summary judgment in favor of the United States as plaintiff in a case involving grazing rights and trespass on National Forest System (NFS) lands.
The case arose after the U.S. Forest Service cancelled a term grazing permit for an allotment on NFS land due to violations of the terms of the permit by the permitholders. The former permitholders failed to remove their livestock from the allotment, contending that they did not need Forest Service authorization to graze livestock.
According to the judgment and other court records, Craig Thiessen previously held a permit to graze cattle on an allotment in the Apache National Forest, administered by the Quemado Ranger District of the Gila National Forest in the District of New Mexico. In January 2017, while being investigated for a violation of the Endangered Species Act associated with trapping a Mexican wolf, Thiessen requested that the permit be transferred to a newly-formed limited liability corporation, Canyon del Buey, LLC, for which Thiessen was identified as Member, Manager, and Registered Agent. On May 24, 2018, a criminal information was filed, charging Thiessen with unlawfully taking a Mexican gray wolf in violation of the of the Endangered Species Act. Thiessen pleaded guilty to knowingly taking threatened wildlife.
On Sept. 18, 2017, Lance Thiessen filed an amended application for a term grazing permit on behalf of Canyon del Buey, LLC, and an Ownership Statement for the LLC listing himself as Manager and his brother, Craig, as a Member. USFS issued the LLC a permit authorizing the grazing of 344 cow-calf pairs on Nov. 21, 2017. That permit was cancelled by USFS on Nov. 29, 2018, for violations of the terms of the permit. Specifically, USFS cited Craig Thiessen’s conviction and misrepresentations made by Lance and Craig Thiessen.
The LLC administratively appealed the decision to cancel the permit, and the decision was affirmed by the Forest Supervisor as the appeal deciding officer. The Regional Forester for the Southwestern Region of the USFS decided to conduct a second-level, discretionary review, and also affirmed the decision. In his July 2, 2019, discretionary review decision, the Regional Forester directed Lance Thiessen, as manager of the Canyon del Buey, LLC, to remove all cattle from the allotment within 60 days, which was Aug. 31, 2019.
The Thiessens, acting on behalf of themselves and the LLC, did not remove the cattle as instructed by the USFS. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, brought a civil action for trespass, ejectment, damages, declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to eject Craig and Lance Thiessen and the Canyon del Buey, LLC, from NFS lands located on the Gila National Forest in the State of New Mexico, to compel the immediate removal of their livestock from NFS lands, to enjoin them from using or occupying NFS lands without lawful authorization, and to recover damages arising from their unauthorized and unlawful use and occupancy of NFS lands.
The court found that the continued grazing on the allotment without a permit violates federal regulations and that the Thiessens and the LLC have trespassed on the allotment. In its decision, the court determined that the Thiessens and the LLC did not own a surface grazing estate on the allotment and that any alleged water rights on the allotment did not give them a right to graze livestock on the allotment. The court permanently enjoins Defendants from trespassing on the Canyon del Buey Allotment, and retains jurisdiction to enforce the Settlement Agreement until Defendants have paid damages to the United States, in its Sept. 1, 2022, order.
The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra Casaus Currie and Senior Trial Attorney Andrew Smith of the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the Department of Justice.
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United States Attorney Will Thompson to Hold Press ConferenceRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson, along with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Scott Argiro and other law enforcement officials, will hold a press conference at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, to announce the successful prosecution of a drug trafficking organization (DTO).
WHERE: Sidney L. Christie Federal Building
845 Fifth Avenue
Huntington, West Virginia
WHEN: Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 12 p.m.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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United States Attorney Announces $907,074.64 Health Care Fraud SettlementRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) announced today that Dr. Craig M. Morgan and Eye Consultants of Huntington Inc. have paid $907,074.64 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
From January 13, 2013 through April 12, 2019, Morgan routinely administered vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor injections into the eyes of patients to treat purported wet age-related macular degeneration (Wet-AMD) or other ophthalmological conditions for which treatment with such injections is indicated. These injections were not medically necessary because the patients in question did not have treatable Wet-AMD or any other condition that would have warranted the invasive treatment at the time it was administered.
“This settlement is important because it shows that this office, along with its federal partners, will aggressively seek re-imbursement when taxpayer money is spent wrongly,” Thompson said. “When a person goes to a medical provider, they expect the medical provider to treat them, not for the medical provider to figure out ways to enrich themselves.”
Morgan was identified by HHS-OIG as one of the top outliers for billing the Medicare program across all medical specialists in West Virginia, far exceeding the average of Medicare claims submitted by his peers. The vast majority of payments Morgan received from Medicare were for injections for purported treatment of Wet-AMD.
“Providers who perform medically unnecessary procedures damage the trust of physician-patient relationships and exploit taxpayer-funded programs,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon. “HHS-OIG, and our law enforcement partners, are committed to working together to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.”
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Health Care Fraud Task Force, which brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from numerous agencies to coordinate intelligence sharing and prosecution of health care fraud impacting Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health care programs.
“I commend their investigative work and the handling of this case by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Neil, Matthew Lindsay, and Jennifer Mankins,” Thompson said.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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U.S. Attorney Hurwit Appoints Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
BOISE – United States Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the appointment of the following individuals to the U.S. Attorney’s Office leadership team today: First Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin D. Whatcott, Executive U.S. Attorney Kate Horwitz, Civil Chief Nick Woychick, Deputy Criminal Chief Chris Atwood, Deputy Criminal Chief Kevin Maloney, Coeur d’Alene Branch Manager Traci Whelan, Pocatello Branch Manager Jack Haycock, and Senior Litigation Counsels Joanne Rodriguez and Syrena Hargrove.
“I have worked alongside each of these talented public servants for many years now,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “They bring a diverse set of backgrounds and experience to our collective mission of upholding the rule of law in Idaho. I could not be more excited to continue to work with each of them in their leadership capacities for the benefit of our great state.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Justin D. Whatcott as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Whatcott has served as Criminal Chief since March of 2020 and was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in September of 2010. Whatcott, a native of Post Falls, Idaho, previously served as a state prosecutor in Latah, Blaine, and Ada Counties, as well as for the Idaho Attorney General’s Office. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Kate Horwitz as Executive U.S. Attorney. Horwitz has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Idaho since 2016. Horwitz previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Oklahoma and clerked for the Honorable Robin Cauthron, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, and for The Honorable Mary Beck Briscoe and The Honorable Robert Bacharach on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Nick Woychick as Civil Chief, a position he has held since 2018, and previously held from 2005 to 2010. Woychick has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1995 and was the Senior Litigation Counsel from 2010 to 2014. Woychick previously externed with the Idaho Supreme Court, clerked for the Honorable Harold L. Ryan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, and worked as a litigation associate at Hawley Troxell Ennis & Hawley in Boise.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Chris Atwood as Deputy Criminal Chief, a position he has held since 2019. Atwood has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2015 and previously served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney sponsored by the Treasure Valley Partnership to address gang crimes. Atwood, a native of Blackfoot, Idaho, previously served as an Ada County Deputy Prosecutor, as a District Court law clerk in Ada County, and is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Kevin Maloney as Deputy Criminal Chief. Maloney has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2002 and supervised the Asset Forfeiture Unit from 2017 to 2022. Maloney previously served as an Ada County Deputy Prosecutor and as legislative counsel for the Idaho Prosecuting Attorney’s Association.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Traci Whelan as Coeur d’Alene Branch Manager, a position she has held since 2003. Whelan has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1998, previously served as a Kootenai County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, and has over 30 years of prosecution experience.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Jack Haycock as Pocatello Branch Manager, a position he has held since 1999. Haycock has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1991, and previously served as a Deputy Attorney General for the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, as an Ada County Deputy Prosecutor, and as a Judge Advocate General in the United States Air Force.
In addition to these appointments, U.S. Attorney Hurwit re-appointed Joanne Rodriguez as Senior Litigation Counsel, a position she has held since 2018. Rodriguez will retire from the U.S. Attorney’s office at the end of September after almost 40 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Rodriguez previously was a Deputy District Attorney in Palm Springs, California, for 5 years. She graduated from the University of California at Davis.
“Ms. Rodriguez was one of my first mentors when I joined our office, and I have relied on her wise counsel throughout my career here,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “She has had a distinguished career in public service, and while we will miss her in our office, we wish her all the best in her retirement.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Syrena C. Hargrove as Senior Litigation Counsel, a change that will take effect on October 1, 2022. Hargrove has served as Appellate Chief since September of 2010 and will retain that position. She was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in March of 2008. Hargrove previously served as Civil Chief, as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Boise, as an associate for Bredhoff & Kaiser, and as a law clerk for the Honorable Stephen S. Trott and the late T.G. Nelson, both of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Honorable B. Lynn Winmill of the United States District Court for the District of Idaho. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho was created in 1863 when Idaho became a territory. For 159 years it has been responsible for enforcing federal criminal laws and representing the United States and its departments and agencies in civil actions. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho includes the main office in Boise and branch offices in Coeur d’Alene and Pocatello.
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Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man has pleaded guilty in connection with illegally possessing and trafficking firearms.
Jaylen Rose, 28, pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2022 in federal court in Boston to one count of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Dec.1, 2022. Rose was arrested and charged in January 2022.
“Massachusetts has strict requirements for firearms purchases and a thorough vetting process for lawful carriers for a reason. Prohibited individuals, like Mr. Rose, who possess and, moreover, traffic firearms and ammunition pose a very real danger to our communities and exacerbate the rise in violent crime we have seen across our nation,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Keeping illegal firearms off the street and out of the hands of prohibited individuals is fundamental to reducing gun violence in our Commonwealth and beyond. My office will continue its tireless work to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of prohibited individuals so our communities can be safe.”
From in or around December 2020 until Feb. 5, 2021, Rose travelled from Ohio to Massachusetts with firearms acquired in Ohio to resell the firearms for a profit to individuals prohibited from possessing a firearm. In total, Rose facilitated the purchase and resale of between eight and 24 firearms. On Feb. 5, 2021, Rose was stopped while in a vehicle in connection with an outstanding state arrest warrant and was found in possession of a Taurus firearm, an extended magazine, approximately 29 rounds of ammunition and $3,000, among other things. Rose does not possess a license to deal firearms and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions.
The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Taunton Police Chief Edward James Walsh made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Swansboro Man Sentenced to More Than 41 Years in Prison for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Swansboro man was sentenced today to 500 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for producing and distributing child pornography. William Thomas Bailey, 42, pled guilty to the charges on January 4, 2022.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Bailey was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security in early 2018 after being identified as part of an online group trading child pornography. An email address belonging to Bailey was used to trade child pornography with multiple users in addition, agents discovered an email where Bailey bragged to someone about sexually abusing a very young child.
During the execution of a search warrant over 300 images and videos of child sexual abuse were discovered on his cell phone. In addition, there were 11 images and 1 video depicting the sexual abuse of a 2-year-old toddler created using Bailey’s cell phone. Agents were able to identify the child as someone with whom Bailey had direct contact. During the forensic analysis of Bailey’s phone, agents discovered that Bailey had distributed the child’s images and video multiple times to others seeking out child pornography.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the sentencing. The Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No 4:2020cr00056.
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St. Louis man admits two carjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis pleaded guilty Tuesday and admitted carjacking two people, including a grandmother who struggled to free her granddaughter as her car was stolen.
Darius Eubanks, 28, pleaded guilty via Zoom in front of U.S. District Stephen R. Clark to two carjacking charges and a charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
As part of his plea, he admitted that on the afternoon of June 27, 2021, he ordered a man out of a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu at gunpoint at a north St. Louis grocery store, and then drove off in the car.
Later in the day, Eubanks crashed into another vehicle at Labadie Avenue and North Sarah Street in north St. Louis. He walked to a nearby market and pistol-whipped a woman who was placing her granddaughter into a 2005 Hyundai Sonata, knocking the woman to the ground. As the woman struggled to get her granddaughter out of the car, Eubanks began driving off.
Less than 30 minutes later, Eubanks was caught by police near his home in the 5000 block of Palm Avenue with a gun and the grandmother’s car keys.
Eubanks is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 21.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.
Selling synthetic drugs results in $9.2M forfeiture and prison for sevenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The seventh and final member involved in a synthetic narcotics distribution network has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Frank Gonzalez, 61, Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty Aug. 19, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. ordered Gonzalez to serve a total of 28 months in federal prison and to forfeit $117,984. During the hearing, testimony detailed the significant dangers of synthetic cannabinoids including the risk of death, major health problems and the negative impact it has on the community and first responders. The court also heard how there is no standard manufacturing process so users do not know what chemical substance is actually present or how it will affect them.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Hanks noted that the overall operation was fueled by greed and without regard for potential dangers to the community. He recognized the court’s role in deterring others who would engage in similar conduct and the need to protect the public.
In 2015, authorities began investigating a smoke shop in Laredo. During that time, they discovered a nationwide mail order business that Bowles owned and operated which supplied the shop with illegal synthetic cannabinoid products. Call-takers in several states received order requests for the products with names such as Brain Freeze and Death Grip which were delivered to shop owners from California. Payments were often sent to accounts Bowles controlled in Arizona. In addition, he used various business entities to conceal the amount of the income made.
During the investigation, authorities tracked payments from multiple retail smoke shops throughout the United States and identified several bank accounts involved in the scheme. Financial records show that from February 2012 through 2019, the network received over $15.4 million in illicit proceeds.
Bowles, 47, Phoenix, Arizona, was previously sentenced to 192 months in prison, while five others received terms of imprisonment ranging from 63 to 98 months. Forfeitures for all seven convictions totaled $9.8 million.
Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds that mimic the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana but often with sever life-threatening side effects. They can be infused in plant material and ingested with rolling papers, pipes, vaporizers or taken orally. They are usually sold in small foil or plastic bags containing dried leaves and are marketed as incense that can be smoked. They are commonly sold on the street as synthetic marijuana, fake weed, legal and known by popular brand names such as Spice, K2, Kush and Klimaxx.
The Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Brain Freeze with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and sheriff’s offices in Zapata County and Maricopa County, Arizona. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Graciela Lindberg and Lance Watt prosecuted the case.
Rio Rancho bookkeeper pleads guilty to defrauding employerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Christina Joyner, 47, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, Joyner worked for 25 years as a bookkeeper for Quanz Motor Car Company, doing business as Quanz Auto Body, and was responsible for the financial books of four company locations. From approximately July 2014 through September 2021, Joyner defrauded the company of over $2 million. Joyner was responsible for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of these accounts as well as the accounting system, and was authorized to sign company checks on behalf of Quanz. However, she was not authorized to sign checks issued to herself, apart from normal payroll.
In her plea agreement, Joyner admitted to issuing checks to herself and coded them to give the appearance they were for legitimate business expenses. Joyner then would deposit the checks electronically through a mobile banking app and immediately withdraw the funds the same day.
Joyner also admitted to using company credit cards to make personal, online purchases without the knowledge or authorization of Quanz. Joyner sometimes kept money from cash transactions for her personal use.
Joyner used her position to create fraudulent pay stubs for her husband that were used as proof of income to obtain loans. Joyner emailed reminders to herself to modify entries in the accounting software, and used her position to manipulate the software to conceal her personal use of Quanz funds.
Joyner faces up to 20 years in prison and will be subject to forfeiture of whatever interest she may have in any asset derived from or used in the commission of the offense in this case. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
The Albuquerque Resident Office of the United States Secret Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Brawley is prosecuting the case.
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Raleigh Check Fraud Ringleader Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Raleigh, North Carolina man, Carl Edwin Parker, Jr., was sentenced today to 63 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On October 20, 2021, Parker pleaded guilty to the charge. As part of sentencing, Parker was further ordered to pay criminal restitution to State Employees’ Credit Union.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, between approximately May 2019 and April 2020, Parker and his co-conspirators stole checks from residential mailboxes and altered them to make them payable to individuals that were recruited to serve as “money mules.” The “money mules” agreed to deposit the altered checks into their bank accounts, after which Parker and his co-conspirators cashed out the stolen funds at area ATMs. Parker and his fraud ring stole checks from more than 100 victims and caused financial losses of more than $150,000. In 2017, Parker was convicted of federal bank fraud for engaging in similar activity in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Parker’s co-conspirators in the current case included Khristopher Taion Stukes, Kauri Maleek Johnson-Chavis, and Jallani Jewels Stewart. Each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in separate related cases. Stewart was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to 57 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. On January 14, 2022, Johnson-Chavis was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. On February 10, 2021, Stukes was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. All three defendants were ordered to pay criminal restitution.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The United States Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division, together with the Raleigh Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and other local law enforcement partners, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-136-BO.
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Punxsutawney Man Pleads to Transporting Marijuana and CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Punxsutawney, 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.
Darryl Isaacs, age 57, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine and marijuana before United States District
Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Isaacs 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 Isaacs transported approximately 50 kilograms of marijuana and 250 grams of cocaine between distributors based in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Isaacs on Jan. 17, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $1,000,000, 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.
Pennsylvania Man Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy that Operated in South Jersey and Southeastern PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man today admitted to his role in a bank fraud conspiracy that targeted 12 different financial institutions in southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Sulaiman Dosunmu, 41, of Darby, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendant was part of a multi-defendant, Nigerian-based criminal organization that engaged in a massive bank fraud conspiracy in several states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Rhode Island, between June 2016 and March 2020. Members of the group acquired numerous business checks that were stolen from the United States mail, altered the payee on the checks to a fraudulent name, and deposited the checks into bank accounts that had been opened with forged foreign passport documents and fraudulent U.S. visas that matched the names on the stolen checks. Once the banks credited all or a portion of the funds to the accounts, but before the checks had cleared, the defendants withdrew the funds from ATMs or purchased money orders, using debit cards associated with the fraudulent accounts. Members of the organization have used over 400 fraudulent accounts opened with fake identity documents to defraud the victim banks. To date, the total loss to the victim banks is approximately $7 million.
Dosunmu admitted using several false identities to open fraudulent bank accounts, making numerous deposits of stolen checks to these accounts, and withdrawing funds from the accounts.
The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bellmawr office and Philadelphia Division Office, under the direction of Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge, Philadelphia Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington, D.C. Division Office, under the direction of Peter R. Rendina, Washington Division Inspector in Charge; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill Office and Newark Division Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard W. Reinhold; Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia Division Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; Homeland Security Investigations Maryland Division Office, under the direction of James C. Harris, Special Agent in Charge, Baltimore; Homeland Security Investigations Rhode Island Office, under the direction of Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Boston Division Office; and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), under the direction of R. Mike Escott, Resident Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Resident Office, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
Five other conspirators have pleaded guilty and one conspirator was convicted in a trial before Judge Hillman in June 2022. Four of these defendants have pending sentencing hearings before Judge Hillman. Charges against five other defendants remain pending before the District Court; the charges and allegations against them are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Askin and Daniel Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Passaic County Woman Admits Embezzling over $3.7 Million from Employer as Company’s Chief Financial OfficerRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J.– A Passaic County, New Jersey, woman today admitted her role in a scheme to embezzle over $3.7 million from her employer while she was the company’s chief financial officer and director of operations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Amy Aldi, 50, of Wayne, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging her with wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From January 2018 through December 2020, Aldi abused her position as chief financial officer and director of operations for a New Jersey-based company to embezzle millions of dollars by withdrawing cash from the company’s operating account and then using the cash for her own personal benefit. Aldi, without authorization, made over 200 cash withdrawals, in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 per withdrawal, totaling more than $3.7 million.
Aldi concealed the theft by falsifying company accounting and financial records, including making false journal entries and altering bank statements issued to the company for the company’s operating account.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Owner of Tax Preparation Business Pleads Guilty to Tax and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of tax fraud and wire fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Brian A. VanDusen, age 52, of the City’s Hill District neighborhood, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Van Dusen operated a tax preparation company called “Easy Tax Refund” located in the Warner Center. Between 2014 and 2018, Van Dusen and tax preparers employed at his company prepared and transmitted hundreds of false federal income tax returns which falsified Schedule C profit and loss income from a business, resulting in illegal tax refunds.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for January 19th, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for maximum sentence per count of three years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued VanDusen on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of VanDusen.
Nine-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Stolen GunRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man has been sentenced to 92 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a gun.
According to court documents, Ivan Laron Edwards, 38, was arrested in March 2021 by Mobile police officers on several active felony arrest warrants, including charges of domestic violence by strangulation. Officers encountered Edwards sitting on the front porch of a house on Pecan Street. When police approached him, Edwards stood up and officers could see that he had a black pistol in his right hand that he was trying to conceal. Edwards then turned around and began running inside the house, dropping the pistol in the process. Officers took Edwards into custody without incident and recovered the gun, a fully loaded Taurus 9mm pistol, which had been reported stolen by its lawful owner in Daphne, Alabama in December 2020. At the time he possessed the pistol, Edwards knew he had been convicted of at least nine prior felony offenses, all in Mobile County. Edwards’s prior felony convictions rendered his possession of the gun illegal under federal law.
United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Edwards to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment and mental health treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Edwards to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller and Scott Gray prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.