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31 August 2022
South L.A. Man Arrested on Indictment Alleging He Recruited Teenage Girl for Commercial Sex Work Advertised on InternetRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man was arrested today on a five-count federal indictment alleging he recruited a 15-year-old girl for whom he acted as a “pimp” and advertised on the internet for commercial sex work.
Donavin Dwayne Bradford, 31, was arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, and one count of possession of child pornography.
Bradford pleaded not guilty, was ordered jailed without bond, and an October 25 trial date was scheduled.
According to the indictment that a grand jury returned on August 11, from the summer of 2021 to February 2022, Bradford conspired with Layla Kalani Valdivia, 23, of Ventura, to cause the minor victim to be used for commercial sex acts. Bradford allegedly recruited the victim to work for him as a commercial sex worker. As the victim’s “pimp,” Bradford expected the girl to earn him $1,000 per night and, in exchange, he provided her with clothes and a place to stay, the indictment alleges.
Bradford and Valdivia allegedly advertised the girl for commercial sex work on various websites, and customers who responded to the ads were directed to various hotels and motels where they engaged in commercial sex acts with the victim. Sometimes the minor victim would be required to perform sex acts with Valdivia and a sex client together. Customers allegedly paid Bradford for dates with the victim or she would be required to give Bradford or Valdivia some of her earnings.
The indictment alleges that Bradford assaulted the victim when she tried to stop working for him on two separate occasions. Bradford allegedly also filmed himself engaging in sex acts with the victim.
Valdivia, who also is in federal custody, pleaded not guilty on August 22 to one count of conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking of a minor. An October 18 trial date has been scheduled for her.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, Bradford would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, Valdivia would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, and both defendants would face statutory maximum sentences of life imprisonment.
“Operation Cross Country”, an FBI-led nationwide effort which ran from August 4 to August 14, focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking and investigating and arresting individuals and criminal enterprises involved in both child sex trafficking and human trafficking. With the support of local partners, FBI Los Angeles identified and located nine potential human trafficking victims, including five adolescents.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the FBI Los Angeles Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force coordinated with multiple law enforcement partners and thanks them for their participation and assistance, including: the Los Angeles Police Department; the Inglewood Police Department; the Pomona Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office; the Santa Maria Police Department; and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Learn more about Operation Cross Country XII here.
South Carolina Man Sentenced for Unlawful Distribution of Anabolic Steroids and Unapproved Steroid-like DrugsRead the Press Release
The owner of a South Carolina supplement company was sentenced last week to one day and one year of imprisonment for manufacturing and shipping unapproved drugs and anabolic steroids.
John F. Cochcroft, 37, of Lexington, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on May 25, to one count of introduction of a new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead and one count of manufacturing and possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing anabolic steroids. As part of the plea agreement, Cochcroft agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $200,000 related to proceeds from his sales of illicit products. U.S. District Judge James P. Jones of the Western District of Virginia imposed the sentence.
In pleading guilty, Cochcroft admitted that he operated businesses that marketed products as “dietary supplements” to the body-building and fitness communities to increase muscle mass. He admitted that some of these products contained osterine, a type of synthetic steroid known as a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM). The FDA has warned against the use of SARMs, including stating in a 2017 warning letter to another firm that SARMs have been linked to life-threatening reactions like liver toxicity, and that they have the potential to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
“Workout supplements containing anabolic steroids and unapproved steroid-like drugs can be dangerous,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work closely with the FDA to prosecute those who seek profit at the expense of public safety.”
“Cochcroft and his company placed public health at risk by unlawfully distributing unapproved drugs that have been linked to life-threatening conditions,” U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Marketing and distributing unapproved drugs is not only dangerous, but a federal crime.”
“The FDA oversees the production and sale of prescription drugs to ensure that they are safe and effective. Criminals who attempt to sell medicines outside of FDA’s oversight put consumers’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “Our office will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who endanger the public’s health.”
According to court filings, Cochcroft took steps to mislead and defraud the government and consumers in the sale of these products, including using multiple addresses with fictitious business names, working with Chinese suppliers to mislabel drug products as foodstuff items, and knowingly failing to seek approval for the products. During its investigation, the government seized various products containing anabolic steroids from Cochcroft’s business. Anabolic steroids are Schedule III controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act , Schedule III(e) and have been linked to life-threatening reactions and side effects.
The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Ramseyer o for the Western District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Speare Hodges of the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
Smithfield Man Convicted of Distributing Fentanyl Analogue That Led to Death – Faces Minimum of 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Smithfield man was convicted by a jury today for distributing a mixture and substance containing cyclopropyl fentanyl where death resulted. Shamel Nesbitt, 32, faces a minimum of 20 years in prison for this crime, and could receive a life sentence. Nesbitt’s sentencing is scheduled for November.
“The drug dealers and criminal networks lacing fentanyl into their supply are on notice. We will bring charges and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. When your criminal activity leads to death, you can face up to life in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Nesbitt was investigated in November 2017 by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office for the distribution of cyclopropyl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, where death resulted. The investigation began on November 19, 2017, after Lucas Urbina, 20, was rushed to the hospital by several friends after using a controlled substance and overdosing. A second friend of Urbina’s also suffered an overdose from using the same substance. At that time, hospital staff were able to resuscitate both Urbina and his friend. Urbina’s friend regained consciousness and became stable after a short period of time. He left the hospital and was approached by law enforcement when he was attempting to get into a vehicle. He was searched and law enforcement discovered he had a bag of suspected narcotics along with two syringes.
While Urbina was revived, he never regained consciousness. Urbina died on November 22, 2017.
Sample of Urbina’s blood taken upon admission to the hospital were sent to the toxicology section of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to see what substances were present. Test results showed a lethal level of cyclopropyl fentanyl. Urbina also had low levels of morphine and clonazepam in his blood. Urbina’s death was ruled an accidental overdose.
The bag of suspected narcotics that was found on Urbina’s friend immediately following the overdose was tested at the DEA Lab. It was found to contain a mixture of heroin, cyclopropyl fentanyl, benzoyl fentanyl and caffeine.
Law enforcement immediately began investigating to determine who distributed the narcotics to Urbina and his friends. Text messages and dialed phone numbers showed Urbina was reaching out to someone listed as “Mista” in his phone. Officers were able to quickly link the number to Shamel Nesbitt who had given it to law enforcement as his number when he was cited for a traffic violation a few months earlier. Law enforcement officers were able to access Urbina’s Facebook account and saw he was communicating with another Facebook user with a name of “Chris Nesbitt.” In the Facebook messages between Urbina and Nesbitt, it was clear Urbina was attempting to buy drugs from Nesbitt. Officers got a search warrant for Nesbitt’s Facebook page. They noticed pictures posted by “Chris Nesbitt” were of Shamel Nesbitt. Multiple messages on Nesbitt’s Facebook page reference him by the nickname “Mista.” Law enforcement received a search warrant for Nesbitt’s home and found heroin packaging material, nitrile gloves and marijuana.
Nesbitt made statements to law enforcement that he saw Urbina that day but didn’t sell him any narcotics.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the trial was concluded. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the trial. The Smithfield Police Department and the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson and Brandon Boykin 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. 5:19-cr-00226-BO.
Ship Chief Engineer Sentenced to Prison for Discharging Oily Waste in U.S. Waters and Obstructing the Coast Guard's InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kirill Kompaniets, the Chief Engineer of a foreign flagged vessel, was sentenced to prison for deliberately discharging approximately 10,000 gallons of oil-contaminated bilge water overboard in U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans last year, and obstructing justice. The illegal conduct was first reported to the Coast Guard by a crew member via social media. The Honorable Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced Kompaniets to serve a year and a day in prison, pay a $5,000 fine and $200 special assessment and serve six months of supervised release.
Repair operations to correct a problem with the discharge of clean ballast water resulted in engine room flooding. After the leak was controlled, Chief Engineer Kompanietes and a subordinate engineer dumped the oily bilge water overboard while the ship was at an anchorage near the Southwest Passage off the Louisiana coast. The ship’s required pollution prevention devices – an oily-water separator and oil content monitor – were not used, and the discharge was not recorded in the Oil Record Book, a required ship log.
Kompaniets was also charged with obstruction of justice based on various efforts to conceal the illegal discharge. In a joint factual statement filed in Court with his guilty plea, Kompaniets admitted to the following acts of obstruction of justice: (1) making false statements to the Coast Guard that concealed the cause and nature of a hazardous condition, and concealing that the engine room of the vessel had flooded and that oil-contaminated bilge water had been discharged overboard; (2) destroying the computer alarm printouts for the period of the illegal discharge that were sought by the Coast Guard; (3) holding meetings with subordinate crew members and directing them to make false statements to the Coast Guard; (4) making a false Oil Record Book that failed to disclose the illegal discharge; (5) directing subordinate engine room employees to delete all evidence from their cell phones in anticipation of the Coast Guard inspection; and (6) preparing a retaliatory document accusing the whistleblower of poor performance as part of an effort to discredit him.
“The intentional pollution of U.S. waters and the deliberate cover-up are serious criminal offenses that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Prosecutions such as this one should send a clear message to those that would violate the law and endanger our precious natural resources.”
“The defendant in this case deliberately disregarded procedures designed to protect the environment from contaminants and then attempted to hide his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s announcement emphasizes that both our office and our federal partners are committed to holding accountable all parties whose criminality jeopardizes our environment and places the public and the ecosystem at risk.”
The criminal prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance provided by District 8 of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service. The investigation is continuing.
Ship Chief Engineer Sentenced to Prison for Discharging Oily Waste in U.S. Waters and Obstructing the Coast Guard’s InvestigationRead the Press Release
Kirill Kompaniets, the Chief Engineer of a foreign flagged vessel, was sentenced to prison for deliberately discharging approximately 10,000 gallons of oil-contaminated bilge water overboard in U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans last year, and for obstructing justice. The illegal conduct was first reported to the Coast Guard by a crew member via social media. The Honorable Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced Kompaniets to serve a year and a day in prison, pay a $5,000 fine and $200 special assessment and serve six months of supervised release.
Repair operations to correct a problem with the discharge of clean ballast water resulted in engine room flooding. After the leak was controlled, Chief Engineer Kompanietes and a subordinate engineer dumped the oily bilge water overboard while the ship was at an anchorage near the Southwest Passage off the Louisiana coast. The ship’s required pollution prevention devices – an oily-water separator and oil content monitor – were not used, and the discharge was not recorded in the Oil Record Book, a required ship log.
Kompaniets was also charged with obstruction of justice based on various efforts to conceal the illegal discharge. In a joint factual statement filed in Court with his guilty plea, Kompaniets admitted to the following acts of obstruction of justice: (1) making false statements to the Coast Guard that concealed the cause and nature of a hazardous condition, and concealing that the engine room of the vessel had flooded and that oil-contaminated bilge water had been discharged overboard; (2) destroying the computer alarm printouts for the period of the illegal discharge that were sought by the Coast Guard; (3) holding meetings with subordinate crew members and directing them to make false statements to the Coast Guard; (4) making a false Oil Record Book that failed to disclose the illegal discharge; (5) directing subordinate engine room employees to delete all evidence from their cell phones in anticipation of the Coast Guard inspection; and (6) preparing a retaliatory document accusing the whistleblower of poor performance as part of an effort to discredit him.
“The intentional pollution of U.S. waters and the deliberate cover-up are serious criminal offenses that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Prosecutions such as this one should send a clear message to those that would violate the law and endanger our precious natural resources.”
“The defendant in this case deliberately disregarded procedures designed to protect the environment from contaminants and then attempted to hide his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s announcement emphasizes that both our office and our federal partners are committed to holding accountable all parties whose criminality jeopardizes our environment and places the public and the ecosystem at risk.”
The criminal prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance provided by District 8 of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service. The investigation is continuing.
San Diego Corporate and Securities Attorney Indicted for Securities Fraud, Assisting Planned Pump-and-Dump SchemeRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Aaron P. Arnzen (619) 546-8384
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 31, 2022
SAN DIEGO – San Diego-based corporate and securities attorney Andrew Coldicutt is charged in a federal grand jury indictment with securities fraud in connection with a pump-and-dump scheme.
Coldicutt made his first appearance in federal court on Friday, August 26, 2022.
According to the allegations in the indictment, Coldicutt worked with other individuals from 2017 through 2019 to prepare and execute a pump-and-dump stock fraud scheme. Coldicutt thought the individuals with whom he was working were associated with a shady hedge fund. In reality, he was working with undercover FBI agents and sources gathering evidence against Coldicutt, the indictment said.
To carry out his role in the scheme, Coldicutt created a sham company and a business model – which supposedly focused on backyard fruit harvesting - and prepared and filed registration statements with the SEC for an initial public offering of the company’s stock. According to the indictment, the registration statements contained false and misleading information about the company, its business plans, and the people who owned and controlled the company.
“Corporate lawyers and other gatekeepers in the securities industry occupy a position of trust and confidence,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This investigation and indictment signal the United States’ commitment to protecting the integrity of the stock market, and the innocent investors who are victimized by penny stock fraud schemes.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team for their excellent work on this case.
“Attorney Coldicutt occupied a position of trust. He allegedly betrayed that trust when he chose to ignore the laws and ethical rules of conduct he swore to uphold by attempting to commit stock fraud,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's San Diego Division. “These types of pump-and-dump schemes hurt not only local investors, but investors across the United States. The FBI will continue to protect the integrity of the stock market and investors impacted by fraud schemes such as this.”
The United States acknowledges the assistance and cooperation of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22cr1881-JO
Andrew Coldicutt (42 years old) San Diego, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 15, U.S.C., Sec. 77q, 77x – Securities Fraud; Title 15, U.S.C., Sec. 77g, 77x – False Securities Registration Statements; Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1343 – Wire Fraud; Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 981(a)(1)(C) and Title 28, U.S.C., Sec. 2461(c) – Criminal Forfeiture
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a fine of not more than the greater of twice the amount of gain or loss associated with the offense or $250,000
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rochester Felon Indicted for Federal Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal grand jury returned an indictment against a Rochester man for possession of a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents on May 25, 2022, Marcus Anthony Jackson, also known as Homicide, 49, was found in possession of a Taurus G2C 9MM pistol. Because Jackson has multiple prior felony convictions in Olmsted, Hennepin, and Ramsey Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Jackson is charged with one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rochester Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Robber of St. Peters liquor store sentenced to 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Wednesday sentenced a man who robbed a liquor store in St. Peters, Missouri to 12 years in prison.
Bobby Andre, of Northwoods, robbed the Cool Spot Liquor store in St. Peters of about $143 on July 31, 2018 at gunpoint, using a blue cloth rag to hide his face. Andre dropped the rag before leaving the store.
DNA from the rag matched Andre’s DNA profile, which was in both Missouri and federal databases due to Andre’s prior criminal convictions.
Andre, now 44, of Northwoods, pleaded guilty in January to a robbery charge and a charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the St. Peters Police Department.
Red Lake Man Sentenced to 239 Months in Prison for RapeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Red Lake man was sentenced to 239 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for aggravated sexual assault, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2020, Paul John Sayers, 30, stopped his truck beside Victim A who was walking on the road. Sayers offered Victim A a ride but instead of taking Victim A to her destination, Sayers drove her to a camper located on a property near a Hemp shop where Sayers worked. When Victim A resisted Sayers’s sexual advances, he hit and strangled Victim A until she passed out. Sayers then raped Victim A. Victim A left the camper after the rape and began walking 20 miles back into town. As part of his guilty plea, Sayers also admitted to unlawful sexual contact with another person.
Sayers pleaded guilty on April 20, 2022, to one count of aggravated sexual assault. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Polachek prosecuted the case.
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Rankin County Woman Found Guilty of Conspiring to Falsify Business and Income RecordsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Pearl woman was found guilty by a federal jury on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, of conspiring to falsify business and income records with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to court documents, in December of 2017, Esther Bennett, 49, and co-defendant, Kristy Dier, were intercepted on communications discussing ways to legitimize drug proceeds seized by law enforcement from Kristy Dier. Bennett constructed a false ledger, claiming the seized money was from hair care services that were never provided. After Bennett prepared the ledger, she provided it to Dier, who in turn filed the ledger, along with a Petition to Contest Forfeiture, with the Hinds County Clerk’s office in an attempt to recover the funds.
Bennett will be sentenced on November 29, 2022. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Drama Queen,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the central Mississippi area. “Drama Queen” 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.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, and the Richland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha Middleton and Glenda Haynes.
Plant City Man Pleads Guilty to Mexican Methamphetamine Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ubertino Zavala-Perez (58, Plant City) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Zavala-Perez faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, Zavala-Perez conspired with individuals in Mexico and others to distribute and import methamphetamine from Mexico. On March 30, 2022, Zavala-Perez sold half a kilogram of methamphetamine imported from Mexico to a confidential informant for $3,750. Two days later, Zavala-Perez agreed to sell one kilogram of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. After his arrest, Zavala-Perez admitted to receiving methamphetamine from coconspirators in Mexico and elsewhere in the United States, and further admitted to storing the drugs in a storage unit and at his residence in Plant City.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plant City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
Oswego County Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Tyler Hull, age 39, of Fulton, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 33 months in federal prison for conspiring to unlawfully distribute and possess with the intent to distribute eutylone, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Hull admitted that from November of 2020, through December 22, 2020, he participated in a conspiracy to distribute eutylone to others throughout Oswego County. Eutylone is a synthetic cathinone and has pharmacological effects on the central nervous system similar to other schedule I or II substances such as methylone, pentylone, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, which will start after Hull is released from prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Oswego County Drug Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of HSI, members of the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators from the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, the SUNY Oswego Police Department, and Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian LaRochelle.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Lon Cassabon, 52 years old, of Perrysburg, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady on his plea of guilty to the distribution of material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Cassabon was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, a Wisconsin investigation of online child exploitation activity on a social media application led to communication with Cassabon in January 2020. At the time, Cassabon was living in Waterloo, Indiana. The investigation revealed that Cassabon was actually an administrator of several groups on this application dedicated to the trading of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and that he was actively distributing sexually explicit images of minors within these groups – which Cassabon later admitted.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Indiana State Police, and the Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Garfield Heights, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to violations 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.
Kareem Rock, age 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Rock 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 on February 6, 2021, Pennsylvania State Police troopers stopped Rock and Kimari in a vehicle and seized approximately 590 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators then obtained a search warrant for a hotel room rented by Rock and a co-defendant and seized an additional 200 grams of methamphetamine, 43 grams of fentanyl, and a firearm. Through a joint investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police, investigators determined that Rock supplied two individuals residing in Penfield, Pennsylvania, with methamphetamine on multiple occasions between July of 2020 and February of 2021.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Rock on Jan. 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 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.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that the defendant remain detained.
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.
Niagara Falls Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 FraudRead 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 Leo Benevento, 57, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, who is handling the case, stated that Benevento fraudulently obtained two loans from the Small Business Association under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, which was designed to provide low-interest loans to qualifying small businesses to help them meet financial obligations and operating expenses in the event of a disaster. Benevento submitted two false applications for loans related to his businesses, “WNY 24 7 Realty” and “Benevento Realty,” grossly inflating annual revenue and grossly underreporting annual expenses for the businesses. As a result of the falsified applications, the SBA approved and funded loans totaling $117,300 under the EIDL Program. Benevento has reimbursed the SBA for the fraudulently obtained loans.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2022, before Judge Arcara.
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Mohave Valley Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Offenses Against MinorsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On August 24, 2022, Kyle Matthew Thompson, 47, of Mohave Valley, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 30 years in prison. On February 24, 2022, a jury found Thompson guilty on two counts of Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with two 15-year-old girls, and two counts of Commission of Sex Offense by Registered Sex Offender.
Thompson, a registered sex offender, had a prior 2013 conviction for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor from Mohave County Superior Court. In November 2016, shortly after his release from state prison, Thompson posed as a Hollywood movie producer and used his social media account to contact the two 15-year-old victims, Victim 1 and Victim 2. On December 26, 2016, Thompson departed on a cross-country trip to meet the minor victims. Thompson engaged in sexual intercourse with Victim 1 the morning after his arrival, and then socialized with the victims, their friends, and their unsuspecting parents. He also repeatedly requested sex acts with Victim 2. Before and during his travel, Thompson engaged in sexually explicit calls and messages with both victims. Thompson impersonated a famous actor in an effort to entice Victim 2 and encourage Victim 2 to engage in sex acts with him. Thompson photoshopped himself into celebrity photos and shared them to his social media account to further bolster his fame-adjacent persona.
“Social media makes children particularly vulnerable to sexual predators,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This sentence should send a powerful message to anyone who travels with the intent to abuse young people.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Phoenix and Birmingham), with the assistance of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service (Birmingham, Alabama) and the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle L. Helart and Alanna R. Kennedy, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-08162-PHX-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-151_Thompson# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Miami Men to be Sentenced for Weapons SmugglingRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Compressed air tanks most commonly are used for filling tires, but Jorge Chica-Giler, 28, found a different use for them—smuggling weapons from Miami to Ecuador. He pled guilty August 29 in Fort Pierce U.S. District Court.
During the hearing before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez, Chica-Giler admitted he conspired to deal in, and smuggle, firearms out of the United States by directing co-conspirators to purchase firearms on his behalf, and by directing co-defendants Rolando Alexei Pupo-Abrahantes and Nicolas Ayala to hide them inside compressed air tanks for shipment to a co-conspirator in Ecuador. Chica-Giler admitted to making eight such shipments, totaling at least 35 firearms, to include several assault-rifles.
They concealed the weapons by taking two 11-gallon tanks, cutting an end off each one, and placing the shrink-wrapped firearms inside. Pupo-Abrahantes then welded the two tanks together to form one 22-gallon tank and concealed the modification by painting the tanks with black spray paint.
Surveillance footage from August 2021 placed Chica-Giler at a Harbor Freight store in Miami. This footage is consistent with the time he purchased other supplies needed for the transport, to include the air tanks, one masonry cutting wheel, and one welding blanket.
Soon after, law enforcement witnessed Chica-Giler and a co-conspirator drop two packages off at a freight forwarding service in Miami. Agents seized and x-rayed the packages pursuant to border search authority, which revealed hidden firearms.
Chica-Giler pled guilty to one count of conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; one count of dealing in firearms without a license, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 922(a)(1)(A); one count of smuggling firearms from the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 554; one count of delivery of a firearm to a common carrier without written notification, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(e); and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(B).
Chica-Giler’s sentencing is scheduled for November 7 at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Martinez. He faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. The judge will consider U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors prior to issuing any sentence.
Co-defendants Pupo-Abrahantes and Ayala pled guilty for their role in the weapons transport.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office; and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Fort Pierce and ATF Fort Pierce investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Hudock and Justin Hoover are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14035.
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Metro-Atlanta Methamphetamine Supplier Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution in Peach CountyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A metro-Atlanta resident who admitted to distributing methamphetamine in Middle Georgia was sentenced to prison today for his crime.
Victor Penaloza Sanchez, 27, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 150 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release to run consecutively to a sentence imposed in Cobb County, Georgia, Superior Court Case No. 14-9-1384-52 today after he previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine on March 15. Co-defendant Christian Jesus Pineda, 28, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 38 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 7 after he previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 21. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III handed down the sentences. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat offenders who brazenly disregard the law by choosing to distribute large amounts of the most deadly and addictive illegal substances into our communities face accountability for their crimes at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office is working with law enforcement to identify and bring to justice those individuals who continually commit crimes that harm the overall safety of our neighborhoods.”
“Methamphetamine continues to ravage many communities in our nation,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “Because of the positive results yielded in this case, the sentencing of this repeat offender will put other methamphetamine traffickers on notice that DEA and its law enforcement partners will not tolerate the distribution of this insidious drug.”
According to court documents, a confidential informant (CI) told law enforcement that Sanchez was selling large quantities of methamphetamine. The informant and Sanchez, via multiple text messages and phone calls, agreed to the CI purchasing approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine from Sanchez and that a courier would meet the CI at a gas station in Byron, Georgia, on April 28, 2021, to conduct the transaction. Agents with DEA, Peach County Sheriff’s Office, Byron Police Department and K-9, working with the CI, observed a vehicle driven by Pineda pull into the gas station at the appointed time. The CI approached Pineda, who showed him a clear bag containing a half kilogram of methamphetamine. Sanchez has a previous state conviction for distribution of methamphetamine in Cobb County, Georgia, and was on parole at the time of this incident.
The case was investigated by DEA and the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Byron Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes prosecuted the case.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on August 30, 2022, to more than eleven years in federal prison. Jonathan Roy Wright, age 43, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a April 14, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, between October 2020 and October 2021, Wright distributed at least 1,800 grams of ice methamphetamine. Wright also has a serious and long criminal history, having been convicted of several assault-related offenses and eleven prior drug-related offenses.
Wright was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wright was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wright 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 Hake and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards, and it was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-00007-LTS.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Manchester Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MATTHEW GASTRINGER, 35, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 28 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl pills.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Phillip Garcia, also known as “Flip,” who was distributing cocaine, as well as fentanyl disguised as oxycodone pills, in the Hartford area through a network of associates. In July 2020, investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Garcia and Gastringer. The investigation further revealed that Garcia supplied Gastringer with fentanyl pills that he sold at profit to customers, and also consumed himself.
Gastringer was arrested on May 12, 2021. On April 28, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl. He has been detained since December 3, 2021, when his bond was revoked.
Garcia pleaded guilty to narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses and awaits sentencing.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Brian Leaming, through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Man and Woman Charged with Gun and Drug Charges, and Hobbs Act RobberyRead 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 Alisha Klinger, 41, Mayville, NY, and Jacob Snow, 36, of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, Hobbs Act Conspiracy, Hobbs Act Robbery, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence and in furtherance of drug trafficking. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 17 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between November 2020, and April 2022, Klinger and Snow conspired with others to sell fentanyl. The indictment also accuses Klinger and Snow of stealing drugs and cash from individuals engaged in illegal drug trafficking and possessing and brandishing firearms while doing so.
The defendants were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and are detained.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The indictment is a result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
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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Maine Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Sean O’Hare, age 54, of South Portland, Maine, pled guilty today to committing wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud his tax preparation clients. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
O’Hare, a former tax preparer and accountant, admitted that he defrauded his clients trusted him to prepare their tax filings and pay their taxes. From September 2015 through September 2016, O’Hare filed quarterly tax returns with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance on behalf of three companies; these returns understated the amount of taxes owed by the companies. O’Hare collected the full amount of taxes owed from the companies and stole the difference between the amount in taxes remitted to New York State and the amount he received from the companies. O’Hare admitted to fraudulently obtaining $131,758, which he has agreed to repay as restitution.
O’Hare’s wire fraud conviction carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. O’Hare is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by USPIS, with assistance from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An MS-13 gang member was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for a drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Angie Marlyn Valencia, 28, was indicted in November 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. She was sentenced Wednesday to 65 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who also ordered her to forfeit two firearms.
At her sentencing hearing, Judge Starr ruled that the defendant belonged to MS-13, a notoriously violent transnational street gang with the creed, “kill, rob, rape, control.”
In plea papers, Ms. Valencia admitted that she and a co-conspirator, boyfriend Williams Jose Fuentes-Argueta, dealt heroin out of an apartment on Royal Lane in Dallas. On Sept. 16, 2021, while Ms. Valenca acted as lookout, Mr. Fuentes-Argueta sold more than 70 grams of heroin to an undercover Texas DPS officer for $2,700 cash. About two weeks later, the pair teamed up again to sell another 76 grams of heroin to two undercover officers.
Mr. Fuentes-Argueta pleaded guilty in June 2022 to the same charge as Ms. Valencia; he is slated to be sentenced on Oct. 26.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Carrolton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal is prosecuting the case.
Lordsburg man sentenced to 45 years in prison for production and possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Gilbert Gallegos was sentenced on Aug. 30 to 45 years in prison. Gallegos, 46, of Lordsburg, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2021, to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court records, Gallegos coerced an 11-year-old victim to engage in sexual acts, which Gallegos recorded on his cellphone. On May 4, 2020, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), executing a federal search warrant, recovered the videos from Gallegos’ phone, as well as another pornographic video involving two minor victims.
Upon his release from prison, Gallegos will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
HSI investigated this case with assistance from the Lordsburg Police Department and Las Cruces Police Department as part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Marisa A. Ong is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The ICAC Task Force Program is a nation-wide network of task forces including over 90 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in New Mexico dedicated to investigating, prosecuting and developing effective responses to Internet crimes against children.
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Large Scale Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to over 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Manuel Lopez Avitia, 45, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 15 years and one month in prison, and five years of supervised release, by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for numerous narcotics offenses.
In March 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and aiding and abetting. The charges stemmed from the defendant’s role as the leader of a nationwide fentanyl trafficking organization, which distributed approximately 27 kilograms of fentanyl in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from at least one known stash house in Whitehall Township, PA, and other locations across the country, from May 2017 to March 2019.
“Drug addiction and the distribution operations that enable it are at epidemic levels in Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading and other cities and towns across our District, so we are aggressively prosecuting those responsible for the surge,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Lopez-Avitia and others associated with this organization pumped large quantities of deadly fentanyl into neighborhoods across the country, putting many people’s lives at risk. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case for their hard work and dedication.”
“Lopez-Avitia was responsible for trafficking 27 kilograms of fentanyl across our region and the country over a two-year period where illicit fentanyl ravaged our communities,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Illicit fentanyl continues to plague our streets today; Lopez-Avitia rightly deserves this lengthy federal prison sentence for his drug-trafficking activities.”
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.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bensalem Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber.
Kentucky Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Meth Trafficking in Jasper CountyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing more than two kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in a rental vehicle after he was stopped on Interstate 44 in Jasper County, Mo.
Quennel A. Young, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 14, 2022, Young was found guilty of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute following a one-day bench trial that was held on Feb. 9, 2022.
Young was arrested on July 26, 2020, when he was pulled over by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on Interstate 44 in Jasper County after the trooper observed Young commit multiple traffic violations.
The trooper searched Young’s vehicle. When the trooper searched the trunk, he saw the trunk lid liner was not secured tight against the trunk lid sheet metal. He pulled back the corner of the formed liner and found two duct-taped bundles that contained approximately 2.2 pounds of methamphetamine. In a later search of the vehicle, officers found three additional duct-taped bundles of methamphetamine hidden under the center console gear shift cover. All five bundles of methamphetamine weighed a total of approximately 5.59 pounds (2.539 kilograms).
According to court documents, Young has a prior felony conviction for second-degree manslaughter after he and three others attacked the victim, causing the victim to suffer severe head injuries. The victim later succumbed to his injuries and died. Young also has a prior felony conviction for three counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, and a felony conviction for attempted possession of a forged instrument.
Young also has two prior misdemeanor convictions for assault in which he struck a woman in the face. In one of the assaults, Young sent the victim a text message threatening to kill her before appearing at the victim’s home and striking her in the face with such force that the victim required stiches to her lip and a root canal on two teeth as they were knocked back.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Chalifoux. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Kansas Woman Indicted for Coercing Minor to Produce Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHTA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a woman with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Brandi Snyder, 34, of Americus is accused of persuading and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction, and she’s accused of allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Raymond Walker,51, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession with intention to distribute -methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kalamazoo County Bank Robber Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Matthew Allen Main, 35, of Parchment, Michigan, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison, United States Attorney Mark Totten announced today. Main pleaded guilty to robbing the JPMorgan Chase Bank in Kalamazoo in October 2021 and threatening to pull a gun on the teller if she didn’t give him $50,000. Main also admitted to robbing Community Promise Federal Credit Union in Kalamazoo two days later by threatening to set off bombs around the building if two bank tellers didn’t give him $50,000. Main obtained approximately $9,945.33 from the two robberies.
In imposing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering remarked on the violent nature of the threats to the tellers. In addition to the prison term, Judge Beckering ordered Main to pay $9,945.33 in restitution and a fine of $500, and to serve three years on supervised release following his prison term.
“These two Kalamazoo bank robberies and threats of violence against the bank employees are unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, we were able to locate Mr. Main, vindicate the public interest, and deter these sorts of violent robberies in the future.”
“Bank robberies are crimes of violence that traumatize the victims, and the FBI is dedicated to seeking justice for those victims,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This case is a warning to others that if you commit a bank robbery or any other violent crime in Michigan, you will face serious consequences for your unlawful actions. We are grateful for the close working relationship we have with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and are thankful for their partnership during this investigation.”
The case was investigated by the FBI – Kalamazoo Resident Agency and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay M. West handled the prosecution.
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KC Man Involved in Two Shootings Sentenced for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man involved in two separate shootings on the same day has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing firearms.
Deion D. Alford, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs on Tuesday, Aug. 30, to six years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
On March 7, 2022, Alford pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. By pleading guilty, Alford admitted he was in possession of a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun and a Glock .40-caliber handgun on February 3, 2021. Alford was also involved in two shootings, one of which resulted in injury to a victim.
On the afternoon of January 28, 2021, Kansas City, Mo. police officers responded to a shots-fired call in the area of East 40th Street and South Benton Avenue. Officers contacted a victim, who was in the driver’s seat of a white pickup and had been shot in his left leg. A nearby residence had also been struck by errant gunfire. Officers recovered six nine-millimeter shell casings near the scene.
Detectives identified Alford as a suspect in the shooting. The owner of the red SUV told detectives that Alford had been driving the SUV at the time of the shooting. The owner also told investigators that Alford had been shot the previous year, and when Alford saw the victim’s car, had stated that was the person who shot him. A shell casing recovered from the red SUV matched the shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting.
Alford was also involved in another shooting later that same day, in the area of East 31st Street and Benton Boulevard. Kansas City, Mo. police officers heard gunshots and received reports that individuals in a red vehicle (later determined to be the same red SUV from the earlier shooting) were firing shots. Officers located a red SUV with multiple bullet holes in its windshield, abandoned in the middle of a nearby street. Witnesses told officers that two individuals had fled the vehicle on foot. Officers found one of the suspects, as well as a Glock handgun nearby. The Glock was later linked to 9 mm shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting, as well as 9 mm shell casings found in the back seat of the red SUV. During her interview, the owner of the red SUV told detectives that Alford had borrowed her SUV prior to the second shooting.
Alford was arrested a week later, at his grandmother’s house. When officers searched the residence they found a backpack that contained the loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun and the loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun.
According to court documents, Alford was affiliated with the Click Clack/Foot Soldier gang.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearms or ammunition. In December 2017, Alford was convicted in Iowa state court of first-degree theft and felony eluding, related to his distribution of stolen cars. Two months later, in February 2018, while on probation in connection with the Iowa case, Alford was arrested in Jackson County, Mo., for possessing a stolen gun, resulting in a felony conviction for receiving stolen property. Evidence in that case indicates Alford had also been firing the gun. Alford also has a number of misdemeanor convictions for charges ranging from fleeing police, obstructing/resisting arrest, providing false information, and unlawful use of a weapon. Alford’s convictions involve multiple instances of flight from law enforcement, including several high-speed pursuits, as well as brandishing and firing guns and other violent conduct.
According to court documents, Alford has been involved in multiple physical altercations with other inmates while in custody pending sentencing in this case.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Justice Department Will Return Approximately $686,000 in Forfeited Corruption Proceeds to the Republic of PeruRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY - The U.S. Department of Justice is sharing with the Republic of Peru approximately $686,000 in forfeited criminal proceeds linked to the corruption and bribery of former Peruvian President Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (Toledo) by Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), a Brazil-based global construction conglomerate.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Kenneth A. Polite Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, made the announcement.
“Civil forfeiture serves a critical role in depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains, regardless of their status, and despite their efforts to conceal the proceeds of their offenses committed abroad,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and the department will continue to work with their law enforcement partners around the world to recover and return illicit payments that corrupt overseas officials attempt to hide in the United States.”
“This case is an important example of the international cooperation necessary to address corruption abroad where illicit proceeds are brought to the United States,” stated Assistant Attorney General Polite. “The department is committed to doing its part to recover and repatriate such corruption proceeds where appropriate.”
In a civil forfeiture action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, United States v. $639,583.07, More Or Less, Formerly On Deposit In Bank Of America Account Number XXXXXXXX1655, With A Beneficiary Identified As The Havenell Trust, And All Funds Traceable Thereto, No. CV 19-5652, the United States alleged that Toledo, while holding public office as President of Peru, solicited millions in bribe payments from Odebrecht in connection with government contracts awarded for construction of the Peru-Brazil Southern Interoceanic Highway (“Southern Interoceanic Highway”), a Peruvian government infrastructure project. Odebrecht subsequently made bribery payments to Toledo through accounts maintained by Toledo’s co-conspirators. Ultimately, approximately $1.2 million of the bribery payments were used by Toledo and his family to purchase real estate in Maryland in 2007 through a scheme designed to hide Toledo’s ownership of the funds and their connection to Odebrecht. The forfeited assets represent the proceeds from the sale of the Maryland real estate, which were further laundered through a trust and bank account controlled by Toledo.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s tireless work in this case led to the assets forfeited in the United States being returned to the Republic of Peru. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Mantell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Barbara Levy of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section handled the civil forfeiture cases. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance with the cases.
In support of the U.S. forfeiture actions, the Peruvian government provided extensive and wide-ranging assistance. Most notably, the documentary evidence provided by the Peruvian government included evidence necessary to seize assets located in the United States and substantially contributed to the timely success of the U.S. forfeiture actions.
Justice Department Will Return Approximately $686,000 in Forfeited Corruption Proceeds to the Republic of PeruRead the Press Release
View the Spanish translation of the press release here.
The Department of Justice is sharing approximately $686,000 in forfeited criminal proceeds to the Republic of Peru linked to the corruption and bribery of former Peruvian President Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (Toledo) by Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), a Brazil-based global construction conglomerate.
“This case is an important example of the international cooperation necessary to address corruption abroad where illicit proceeds are brought to the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department is committed to doing its part to recover and repatriate such corruption proceeds where appropriate.”
In the civil forfeiture matter filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, United States v. $639,583.07, More Or Less, Formerly On Deposit In Bank Of America Account Number XXXXXXXX1655, With A Beneficiary Identified As The Havenell Trust, And All Funds Traceable Thereto, No. CV 19-5652, and a related case, the United States alleged that Toledo, who was the president of Peru from approximately 2001 to 2006, solicited millions in bribery payments from Odebrecht while he was in public office in connection with government contracts awarded for construction of the Peru-Brazil Southern Interoceanic Highway (Southern Interoceanic Highway), a Peruvian government infrastructure project. Odebrecht subsequently made bribery payments to Toledo through accounts maintained by Toledo’s co-conspirators. Ultimately, approximately $1.2 million of the bribery payments were used by Toledo and his family to purchase real estate in Maryland in 2007 through a scheme designed to hide Toledo’s ownership of the funds and their connection to Odebrecht. The forfeited assets represent the proceeds from the sale of the Maryland real estate, which were further laundered through a trust and bank account controlled by Toledo.
The FBI investigated the cases leading to the U.S. forfeiture of the assets being returned to the Republic of Peru and served as the seizing agency. Trial Attorney Barbara Levy of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York’s Civil Division handled the civil forfeiture cases. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance with the cases.
In support of the U.S. forfeiture actions, the Peruvian government provided extensive and wide-ranging assistance. Most notably, the documentary evidence provided by the Peruvian government provided the evidence necessary to seize assets located in the United States and substantially contributed to the timely success of the U.S. forfeiture actions.
“Civil forfeiture serves a critical role in depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains, regardless of their status, and despite their efforts to conceal the proceeds of their offenses committed abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “This office and the department will continue to work with their law enforcement partners around the world to recover and return illicit payments that corrupt overseas officials attempt to hide in the United States.”
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption through criminal and civil forfeiture and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office. In 2015, the FBI formed International Corruption Squads across the country to address national and international implications of foreign corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to kleptocracy@usdoj.gov (link sends email) or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Jury Takes 7 Minutes to Convict Amarillo Drug DealerRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted an Amarillo man of drug crimes after just seven minutes of deliberation on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Gilbert Joseph Carrasco, 44, was indicted in June 2021. After two days of trial, on Aug. 31, 2022, a jury convicted him of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to evidence presented in court, undercover agents arranged to purchase methamphetamine from 25-year-old Catrina Palmer on April 28, 2020. Mr. Carasco drove Ms. Palmer to the undercover buy. Agents located a trap in the dashboard of his truck that contained methamphetamine. Investigation later revealed that Mr. Carrasco was Ms. Palmer’s methamphetamine supplier.
In an interview, Mr. Carrasco admitted to receiving and distributing methamphetamine. He also admitted to being a convicted felon and knowingly possession a .22 bolt action rifle he said he obtained on the “streets.”
Ms. Palmer pled guilty in April 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Mr. Carrasco now faces up to 50 years in federal prison – 20 years per count on counts one and two and 10 years on count three. His sentencing has been set for Dec. 20, 2022 in Amarillo.
The Amarillo Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Tusing and Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk presided over the trial.
Jury Convicts St. Joseph Man of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph man was convicted by a federal trial jury today of illegally possessing a firearm.
Earl B. Penn, 30, was found guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Penn was in possession of a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol on June 22, 2020.
A St. Joseph Police Department detective and a patrol officer contacted Penn, who had an outstanding warrant for violations of his federal supervised release, on June 22, 2020. Penn struggled and resisted being arrested. Penn struck the officer in the face with the back of his head multiple times and managed to pull the OC spray from the officer’s vest. The detective had to physically remove the OC spray from Penn’s hand in order to prevent him from discharging it.
After Penn was restrained, the detective saw the loaded handgun in Penn’s sweatshirt pouch.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for 45 minutes before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, Aug. 29.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Penn has prior felony convictions for residential burglary, arson, and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and cocaine. Those convictions for two violent felonies and a serious drug offense subject Penn to be sentenced as an armed career criminal.
Under federal statutes, Penn is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon E. Gibson, who is a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Johnston Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Johnston man who admitted to possessing more than 2,000 videos and images of child pornography has been sentenced to three years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Jon Knowles, 49, admitted to a federal judge in May that he employed a computer software program to download encrypted “pieces” of files used to assemble digital files. In June and August of 2021, Knowles used the software program to download and assemble at least three sexually explicit video files depicting prepubescent females.
On November 17, 2021, FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search of Knowles’ residence and seized several electronic devices. A forensic audit of the devices resulted in the discovery of 2,075 videos and 342 images of child pornography.
Knowles pleaded guilty on May 9, 2022, to a charge of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to thirty-six months in federal prison to be followed by ten years of federal supervised release and ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment as required by the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act in child sexual exploitation cases where the Court makes a finding that the defendant is not indigent.
The matter, investigated by the FBI, was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
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Jefferson County man sentenced to 7 years in prison on child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a Jefferson County man who accessed child pornography for years to seven years in prison and ordered him to pay $3,000 to a victim.
At least as far back as 2015, Jonathan R. Brown, 34, of Jefferson County near Festus, was using the dark web to download and view child pornography. In October of 2018 and January of 2019, Brown had child pornography on computers that were accessible via peer-to-peer file sharing programs. Investigators later seized electronics that contained child pornography.
Brown pleaded guilty in March to one count of receipt of child pornography.
The case stemmed from an FBI investigation into a dark website focused on the production, advertisement and distribution of egregious child exploitation material. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Charles County Police Department also investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jackson County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Multiple Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Jackson County man was sentenced to a total of 180 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Travis Senseney, 39, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to information presented to the Court, in January of 2021, law enforcement officers began investigating Senseney. As part of the investigation, officers obtained and executed search warrants on Senseney’s home in January and August of 2021. During their January search, officers located narcotics and firearms. In their subsequent August search, officers again discovered narcotics and another firearm. In an interview on August 23, 2021, Senseney admitted that he obtained the newly acquired firearm to protect himself while dealing narcotics. He also admitted that he was not allowed to possess a firearm due to his prior felony convictions. Senseney was previously convicted of felony burglary and grand larceny.
The FBI and South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Annette Williams prosecuted the case.
International Overdose Awareness Day Highlights Need to Stop the Flow of Fentanyl into MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: On International Overdose Awareness Day, an annual commemoration to raise awareness of overdose prevention and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee warned of the serious fentanyl crisis and advocated for a coordinated effort to help those experiencing substance dependence while stopping the flow of drugs into Maine.
“Too many lives are being lost to fentanyl. Many, if not most, don’t even know they are taking it until it is too late,” McElwee said. “Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine – so potent that even an amount as small as two grains of salt can be deadly – yet dealers are mixing it into counterfeit pills to sell to unsuspecting buyers. We’ve even seen reports of a dangerous new trend of candy-colored or ‘rainbow fentanyl’ which could be a sign that traffickers are targeting even younger users.”
According to Mainedrugdata.org, through June 2022, there were nearly 5,000 overdoses in Maine, an increase of 18% over the same period last year. 329 Mainers died, and fentanyl – alone or used in combination with other drugs – is suspected to have a played a role in 77% of those deaths.
“Through the first half of this year, every single Maine county, from the largest to the smallest, had seen at least four overdose deaths,” McElwee said, citing data from the Maine Drug Data Hub. “One county, Franklin, had already surpassed the total number of deaths in 2021, and several other counties and the state overall are on pace to do the same. This is not just an issue for the state’s more urban areas. This is an issue from Aroostook County to York County.”
Stemming the tide of drugs flowing into the state by out-of-state traffickers is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Much of the work my office does is prosecuting those responsible for bringing illicit drugs, including fentanyl, into Maine from other states,” she said. “These prosecutions seek to accomplish three goals: stem the illegal distribution of drugs in Maine, send a message to traffickers that they will face serious repercussions, and provide some justice to Maine families impacted by drug dependence or the loss of a loved one to an overdose.”
But McElwee emphasized that law enforcement is just one part of the solution.
“We all play a role in raising awareness that substance use disorder is a disease that requires treatment, resources and coordinated attention,” McElwee said. “While punishing those who push these drugs is important, so is reducing stigma, making treatment accessible and implementing harm reduction strategies for those impacted by them.”
McElwee urged those struggling with a substance use disorder and their family members to talk to a doctor or pharmacist about naloxone (“Narcan”) which can reverse an opioid overdose when administered to someone experiencing an overdose. Signs of an overdose include unconsciousness, very small pupils, slow or shallow breathing, vomiting, an inability to speak, faint heartbeat, limp arms and legs, pale skin, and/or purple lips and fingernails.
“Naloxone is easy to administer and may reverse an opioid overdose until medical personnel can arrive,” McElwee said. “If you have a loved one who uses opioids, you should have naloxone handy. Ask your loved one to carry it as well and to let friends know where it is since someone experiencing an overdose is incapable of administering it themselves.”
- Find substance use disorder resources in Maine: https://knowyouroptions.me/
- Find naloxone in Maine: https://mainedrugdata.org/find-naloxone-in-maine/
- To report suspected drug trafficking in Maine: If you have knowledge of drug trafficking in Maine, contact your local police department or sheriff’s office by dialing 911 or submit a tip to the New England Division of the DEA online at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip. To report criminals posing as DEA Special Agents, illegal sales/distribution of drugs, suspicious online pharmacies and other drug-distribution-related crimes call 877-RxAbuse (877-792-2873)
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Human Smuggling Coordinators Sentenced to 45 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Ian Esteban Serrano, 27, and Marco Antonio Romero, 22, both from Nogales, Arizona, were each sentenced by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 45 months in federal prison. A sentence of 37 months was imposed for their role in smuggling undocumented noncitizens into the United States, and a consecutive sentence of eight months was imposed for Serrano’s violation of supervised release from a previous conviction for the same offense in 2016 and Romero’s violation of supervised release from a previous conviction for the same offense in 2019.
Romero pleaded guilty on June 2, 2022, and Serrano pleaded guilty on June 9, 2022, both pleading to one count of Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit. Together, Serrano and Romero managed and supervised the human smuggling organization. The co-conspirators coordinated smuggling operations by recruiting drivers and sending them to various locations to pick up or drop off undocumented individuals in the Nogales and Rio Rico communities. Serrano has two prior convictions for the same offense and Romero has one prior conviction for the same offense.
This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime.
The United States Border Patrol, Nogales Station, and Homeland Security Investigations in Nogales, Arizona conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 21-00869-TUC-RCC-4
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-150_Romero-Serrano# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Hogansburg Man Pleads Guilty to Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Brian Lazore, age 45, of Hogansburg, New York, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and three counts of alien smuggling.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Acting Chief Patrol Agent Keith Hoops, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Lazore admitted to smuggling six citizens of India from Cornwall, Ontario, into the United States using the St. Lawrence and St. Regis Rivers. During the smuggling event on April 28, 2022, Lazore’s boat sank in the St. Regis River, and Lazore and the Indian citizens were ultimately picked up by the St. Regis Mohawk Rescue Vessel. Lazore admitted to smuggling the aliens for his own financial gain.
Lazore faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on January 5, 2023 by United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDRE HUDSON, 43, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm while on federal supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 8, 2021, a Connecticut State Police trooper stopped a vehicle that Hudson was driving at a high rate of speed and found Hudson in possession of a loaded Kel-Tec, Model P-11 9mm pistol and a distribution quantity of marijuana. He was arrested at that time.
Hudson’s criminal history includes a 2007 federal conviction in Connecticut for distributing crack cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment, and a 2019 federal conviction in Vermont for distributing crack and heroin, for which he was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment and an additional 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release in the Connecticut case.
In June 2020, Hudson was granted compassionate release from prison due to the coronavirus pandemic. He was on supervised release at the time of his arrest in September 2021.
On April 28, 2022, Hudson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and he admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release.
Judge Meyer sentenced Hudson to 100 months of imprisonment for the firearm offense and a consecutive 20 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
This prosecution 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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.
Hamlin Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Woloschuk, 42, of Hamlin, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, after having previously been convicted of a child pornography offense, before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in October 2020, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from a social media platform that an individual had distributed child pornography over the platform. After determining that the individual was located in New York State, NCMEC turned the information over to the New York State Police, who then identified the individual as registered sex offender, Michael P. Woloschuk of Hamlin, NY. On October 26, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at Woloschuk’s home, during which they seized several digital devices, including a thumb drive and laptop. A forensic analysis recovered several videos and images of child pornography, some of which depicted violence against children. In addition, Woloschuk’s sex offender registration information was located on the thumb drive.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian J. Ratajczak and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 30, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Global Healthcare Company to Pay $6.3 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A global healthcare company has agreed to pay $6.3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by selling items to the United States that were manufactured in non-designated countries in violation of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
The settlement resolves allegations that Novo Nordisk Inc. violated the Trade Agreements Act, which restricts the procurement of goods under certain government contracts to purchases from specific designated countries, by submitting false claims for payment for medical devices that were manufactured in non-designated countries. The settlement resolves claims that from July 2012 through November 2020, Novo Nordisk sold to United States government agencies its NovoFine 30G 8 mm needles, and that from May 2016 through November 2020, Novo Nordisk sold to United States government agencies its NovoFine 32G 6 mm needles, all of which were manufactured in non-designated countries.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri; special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Scott J. Lampert; the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; and special agents of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division Philadelphia Fraud Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Larry S. Moreland, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark C. Orlowski of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Georgia woman sentenced to federal prison in prescription drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Glynn County woman has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to her role in a conspiracy to use fraudulent prescriptions to obtain thousands of pills, including opioids, for street distribution.
Teresa Hickman, 49, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 38 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, a Controlled Substance, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Hickman to serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Americans continue to die in record numbers from drug overdoses, and drug traffickers like Teresa Hickman pour gasoline on this raging epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners continue to do outstanding work in identifying and shutting down those who profit from such misery.”
As described in court documents and testimony, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Hickman in April 2020 after receiving reports that she was fraudulently obtaining large numbers of prescriptions from a pharmacy in Jacksonville, Fla., using the real names and DEA registration numbers of doctors who were unaware of the practice.
Agents investigating the case identified more than 300 fraudulent prescriptions filled through the conspiracy, many of them for highly addictive opioids. The drugs were then sold to drug users.
“Although these pills came from pharmacies, the prescriptions were fake,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Teresa Hickman had no business obtaining and distributing these highly addictive drugs.”
“The Glynn County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the coordinated efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration in fighting the opioid epidemic that is destroying our community,” said Glynn County Sheriff Neal Jump. “Our office will continue to work with our partner agencies to fight this ongoing battle.”
The case was investigated by the Savannah Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Brunswick Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.
Fraudster Ordered to Pay over $138,000 in Restitution Following Conviction for Six-Year Wire Fraud Scheme Targeting Delaware Healthcare ProviderRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced that a Port Deposit, Maryland woman was sentenced today to 24 months of probation, to include 6 months of home confinement; to repay victims $138,000 in restitution; and to complete 250 hours of community service. The sentence followed a jury verdict convicting defendant of a six-year scheme to defraud her employer, All About Women, an obstetrics and gynecology practice serving Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. U.S. Federal Circuit Judge Leonard P. Stark pronounced sentence.
Kimberly Sponaugle, 44, was convicted in December 2021, following a jury trial, of one count of wire fraud. The jury determined that she had developed and executed a scheme to steal from her employer, a prominent Delaware medical practice, from January 2012 through March 2018. Over those years, Sponaugle used her company credit card to make personal purchases and paid off those purchases with her employer’s bank account.
During the time Ms. Sponaugle stole from them, All About Women was a partnership, owned by doctors who practiced there. The owners of All About Women dedicated their careers to providing high-quality reproductive healthcare to 40,000 women. The defendant’s fraud scheme caused substantial disruption for its 65 employees and thousands of women across four states. It also forced the partners of All About Women to relinquish their dream of small business ownership in favor of a new practice management model. Despite this hardship, the doctors continue to provide critical obstetrical and gynecological care to their patients.
U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss commented, “Kim Sponaugle was entrusted with the responsibility to protect the financial health of All About Women and its partners. She used her position to steal from practitioners dedicated to providing reproductive healthcare to thousands of women in Delaware and the surrounding states. While we are pleased the victims will receive some restitution for this crime, at this time when access to these services is paramount, the probationary sentence imposed sends precisely the wrong message. No matter the sentence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who steal from healthcare providers who offer vital services to the citizens of Delaware.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Hudson and Ruth Mandelbaum.
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. 19-cr-23-LPS.
Four Georgia Men Sentenced in Bank Fraud Conspiracy That Exploited Providence Area HomelessRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Four Georgia men who admitted to a federal judge in Rhode Island that they participated in a scheme that exploited Providence-area homeless and transient individuals by recruiting them to cash hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of counterfeit business checks at banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine, have been sentenced to federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Cortavious Benford, 27, and Michael Williams, 27, of Atlanta; Austin Weaver, 27 of Decatur; and Jalen Ronald Stanford 28, of East Point, admitted that they created counterfeit checks, generally in the amount of $2,000 or more, made payable to homeless individuals who agreed to be driven to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine to cash them. These individuals were often paid approximately $100 for each check that they successfully cashed.
A United States Secret Service investigation determined that between October 2018 and February 2021, approximately $677,687 worth of counterfeit checks were presented to banks throughout the four states by members of the conspiracy, causing actual losses to financial institutions of nearly $481,000. Several homeless individuals were arrested as they attempted to cash counterfeit checks.
On February 5, 2021, Williams and Benford recruited and drove a homeless person to a Providence bank to cash a check, threatening to injure the man if he failed to provide them with all the proceeds. From inside the bank, the man pointed to a vehicle that was parked outside of the bank as containing individuals who recruited him and provided him with the counterfeit check. Providence Police located the vehicle a short distance away and arrested Williams and Benford. They were found to be in possession of $12,000 in cash.
A court-authorized search of a Providence residence that law enforcement determined the four men used when in Rhode Island resulted in the seizure of a computer which had a program used to design and print checks; a printer; blank check stock; and an envelope containing numerous stolen checks and approximately $5,000 in cash.
Weaver and Stanford were arrested on later dates.
The four men were convicted in federal court in Rhode Island on a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Cortavious Benford was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 24 months in federal prison; Austin Weaver was sentenced on July 15, to 30 months of incarceration; Jalen Ronald Stanford was sentenced in June to 24 months in prison; and Michael Williams was sentenced in February to 41 months imprisonment. Each of the defendants has been ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $480.943.71 jointly and severally with each other.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Providence, RI, and Medway, MA, Police Departments for their assistance to the United States Secret Service in the investigation of this matter.
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Four Defendants Sentenced for Assaulting Fellow Inmate in 2020Read the Press Release
Four men have been sentenced in federal court after joining together to commit a coordinated assault on a fellow inmate in 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
On Feb. 21, 2020, codefendants Roy Brayboy, Chance Thomison, Adam Ramsey, and Mark Amos punched and kicked the victim in a jail cell while they and the victim were being held at the Craig County Jail. Officers responded and found the victim lying on the floor. During the attack, the victim suffered injuries to his brain, fractures to his nose and ribs, and swelling in the face.
The defendants all pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
Brayboy, 25, was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
Previously, Thomison, 24, was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Amos, 25, and Ramsey, 31, received 41-month prison sentences followed by three years of supervised release.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar prosecuted the case.
Founders, members, and associates of the Ghostface Gangsters gang convicted of RICO conspiracy, drug, and firearm offensesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Twenty-five defendants, including three of the seven founders of the Ghostface Gangsters Gang (“GFG”), have pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, attempted murder, maiming, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“On the street and from behind bars, Ghostface Gangsters have trafficked drugs and orchestrated and perpetrated horrific acts of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan. K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the tireless and coordinated efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, 25 gang members and associates charged in this case have pleaded guilty, including three of the men who created this dangerous criminal organization.”
“ATF will continue to dedicate federal resources in conjunction with those crucial law enforcement contributions of local agencies to the pursuit of eradicating and forestalling criminal gang activity,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Division, Beau Kolodka.
“The Cobb County Police Department is proud of the work of our investigators and civilian staff who work hand in hand with other local, state, and federal agencies in these types of cases. The perseverance and diligence required of such interagency cooperation is what is necessary to ensure such violent criminals are charged and prosecuted accordingly. We remain dedicated to protecting our citizens and bringing to justice those who would seek to do them harm. In this particular case, Cobb County Police investigators worked long hours and gathered an inordinate amount of evidence to help secure this indictment. We are especially proud of the sincere dedication of all involved. And we vow to continue to work in such a fashion on future cases as well,” said Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer.
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: GFG, a whites-only gang, was originally organized in or about 2000 in a Georgia county jail. Within GFG, the seven founding members are known as “pillars.” All GFG members trace their gang “bloodline” directly back to one of the pillars. GFG members and associates engaged in drug distribution and acts of violence involving murder, kidnapping, assault, and witness intimidation. GFG operated both within and outside the Georgia prison system.
Within the past year, three GFG pillars charged in the case have been convicted and will be, or have been, sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown as follows:
- On August 25, 2022, Jeffrey Alan Bourassa, a/k/a “JB,” “Babyface,” and “Kid,” 40, of Cobb County, Georgia, a GFG founding pillar, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25, 2022.
- On July 22, 2021, David Gene Powell, a/k/a “Davo,” 45, of Cobb County, Georgia, a GFG pillar, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering. On February 23, 2022, Powell was sentenced to four years, one month of imprisonment.
- On June 9, 2021, Joseph M. Propps, Jr., a/k/a “JP,” 44, of Smyrna, Georgia, a GFG pillar, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. On October 5, 2021, Propps was sentenced to 10 years, one month of imprisonment.
Earlier during the case:
- On September 22, 2021, Victor Manuel DeJesus, a/k/a/ “VG Vic,” 40, of Gwinnett County, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering and using a firearm during a crime of violence. The latter charge arose from a 2016 incident during which DeJesus violently carjacked a woman at gunpoint and threatened to kill her. He took the car and picked up co-defendant Christopher Marlow, a/k/a “Loco,” 43, of Marietta, Georgia. Together, they fled from a Cobb County deputy sheriff. DeJesus shot at the deputy from inside the car and discarded the gun through a window. DeJesus was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment in connection with the shooting and his role in the RICO Conspiracy. Marlow was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for attempted murder and aiding and abetting DeJesus’s discharge of a firearm.
- On August 24, 2021, Richard Brian Sosebee, a/k/a “Dirty,” 47, of Hall County, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The latter charge arose from a 2016 incident during which Sosebee shot a victim in the eye during a drug deal gone bad, causing the victim permanent injury. He was sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment on December 7, 2021.
- On July 22, 2021, Jennifer Barteski, 37, of Conyers, Georgia, a GFG associate, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that crime. She was sentenced on November 18, 2021, to seven years in prison.
- Between February 19, 2019 and April 26, 2021, Cody Ryan Todd, 32, of Carroll County, Georgia, Timothy Wilkins, a/k/a “Dino,” 36, of Woodstock, Georgia, Jonathan Stubbs, 33, of Hamilton County, Tennessee, William J. Goodman, 28, of Paulding County, Georgia, Brie Dewitt, 45, of Woodstock, Georgia, Toby James Ogletree, 47, of Spalding County, Georgia, and Kevin Scott Sosebee, a/k/a “Sosa,” 31, of Cobb County, Georgia, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy. Ogletree also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sosebee, who was sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment, also pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm in connection with a 2017 incident during which he shot four times at a Cobb County police officer. The officer was pursuing Sosebee from inside a police vehicle, swerved to avoid the bullets, and avoided injury.
- Between August 10, 2018 and March 5, 2020, GFG members Mark Avon Lefevre, a/k/a “Ghost,” 37, of Cobb County, Georgia, Christopher Lasher, a/k/a “Retta,” 39, of Marietta, Georgia, Christopher Steven Jones, a/k/a “Red,” 39, of Canton, Georgia, Samantha Miller, 31, of Cobb County, Georgia, Genevieve Waits, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, Kayli Brewer, 31, of Cobb County, Georgia, Brittany Nicole Jones, 35, of Rockdale County, Georgia, and Hailey Sizemore, 32, of Douglas County, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and Xanax.
- On December 5, 2019, Christopher Jarman Davis, 32, of Walker County, Georgia pleaded guilty to maiming another GFG member. While co-defendant Jonathan Stubbs held the other gang member at gunpoint, Davis used an axe to slice a GFG tattoo off that other gang member’s chest as a punishment for violating gang rules.
- On October 4, 2018, Randall Arthur Lee Chumley, 40, of Jasper, Georgia pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced on December 10, 2020, to 160 months of imprisonment.
- On April 20, 2018, Kelly Ray Shiflett, 34, of Rome, Georgia pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cobb County Police Department, along with assistance from the Georgia Department of Corrections and the following law enforcement agencies: Marietta Cobb Smyrna (MCS) Organized Crime Task Force and Narcotics Unit, Cobb Anti-Gang Enforcement (CAGE) Unit, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Marietta Police Department, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Ball Ground Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglasville Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, Floyd County Police Department, Rome/Floyd Metro Task Force, Carrollton Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County (Alabama) Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Newton County Sheriff’s Office, Covington Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Murray County Sheriff’s Office, and the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Erin N. Spritzer of the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Kristen S. Taylor of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case, which was investigated and initiated by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Hoffer and Jolee Porter.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former police officer fined $10,000 for assault on customer of St. Louis County DMVRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthews T. Schelp on Wednesday fined a former Northwoods, Missouri police officer $10,000 for assaulting a patron of a driver license office in Florissant.
Michael L. Bennett, 64, will also be on supervised release for one year.
On April 15, 2021, with his badge in his hand, Bennett struck the victim repeatedly, even after he’d knocked her to the ground, he admitted in a guilty plea.
Bennett, who was off-duty and in plainclothes, intervened in an altercation between a patron, identified in court documents as “S.T.,” and an employee of the license office. Bennett identified himself as a police officer and began to give S.T. commands. After Bennett and S.T. got in a verbal altercation, Bennett grabbed S.T. by the throat, released her and then struck her in the face with a closed fist. As she staggered backwards, he struck her multiple times.
Bennett then shouted at S.T. to leave. When she turned her back and attempted to walk away, he struck her in the back of the head with a closed fist, knocking her to the ground.
He struck her with an open hand while she was on the ground. When she reached up to try and get off the ground, Bennett slapped her hand and punched her in the face again. He later punched her in the face once more.
Bennett pleaded guilty in May to a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights under color of law and admitted that he had deprived the victim of the right to be free from unreasonable force.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Former West Virginia Police Officer and Firefighter Sentenced for Sexual Assault of a MinorRead the Press Release
Christopher Osborne, 26, a former firefighter and police officer, was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to 14 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and registration as a sex offender under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Osborne previously pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of a minor victim by forcibly raping her in a bunk room at the Danville Fire Department in Danville, West Virginia.
According to court documents, Osborne previously admitted that on or about Jan. 19, 2021, while he was an officer with the Marmet Police Department in Marmet, West Virginia, and a firefighter with both the Charleston Fire Department in Charleston, West Virginia, and the Danville Volunteer Fire Department, he used his position, authority, and status as a firefighter to forcibly sexually assault the victim. Specifically, Osborne admitted that the victim told him that she did not want to have sex, but he held her down and sexually assaulted her anyway, causing her pain and injury.
“This result is a testament to the courage of the victim who came forward to tell her story,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to seek justice for such victims, and to hold accountable perpetrators who abuse their authority to target the vulnerable.”
“The significant sentence imposed illustrates our strong commitment to prosecuting individuals who use their official authority to commit violent sexual assaults against minors,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia. “Osborne’s unlawful conduct constitutes a clear deprivation of the minor’s civil rights. I commend the minor victim for the courage and strength she has demonstrated throughout this case. I thank the FBI, the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office for their outstanding efforts.”
“Mr. Osborne’s actions were inexcusable and appalling,” said Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Division. “The FBI will not stand by when people in positions of trust violate their oath and victimize innocent young children. Mr. Osborne abused his power and today’s sentence sends the message that we will continue to work to hold accountable public servants who fail the citizens of their community.”
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Division and its Charleston resident agency investigated this case with the support of the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal. Trial Attorney Kathryn E. Gilbert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S Attorneys Jennifer Herrald and Julie White for the Southern District of West Virginia prosecuted the case.
Former Mexican Pharmacy Employee Sentenced to More Than 7 Years for Selling Fentanyl Pills That Killed Monterey VictimRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Francisco Javier Schraidt Rodriguez was sentenced Monday to 90 months (7½ years) in federal prison for distributing fentanyl-laced pills that killed a resident of Monterey County, California, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Edward J. Davila.
Schraidt Rodriguez, 63, formerly of Mexicali, Mexico, was charged in a superseding information filed on March 25, 2022, with the distribution of fentanyl and with a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and alprazolam. He entered a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to both charges on April 11, 2022.
In his plea agreement, Schraidt Rodriguez admitted that from June 2018 through November 2019 he conspired with others to sell and did sell counterfeit pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl. The fentanyl-laced pills were colored light blue and imprinted with “M” on one side and “30” on the other. These pills are commonly referred to as “M30s.” Schraidt Rodriguez also conspired to sell and did sell bottles of alprazolam (U.S. brand name: Xanax) packaged as “Farmapram.”
Schraidt Rodriguez described in the plea agreement that during the conspiracy, he lived in Mexico and worked at a pharmacy in Mexicali, Mexico. His co-conspirator was located in Monterey County, California. On multiple occasions his co-conspirator ordered bottles of alprazolam and M30 pills containing fentanyl from Schraidt Rodriguez. Upon receiving an order, Schraidt Rodriguez transported the drugs from Mexicali, Mexico, across the United States border to Calexico, California. He then shipped the drugs by mail to his co-conspirator’s address in Monterey County. Schraidt Rodriguez described that he mailed the M30s in batches of approximately 100 pills at a time. He often “fronted” the pills, accepting payment at a later date after the co-conspirator had resold the drugs to others.
Schraidt Rodriguez acknowledged in his plea agreement that when he sold the M30 pills to his co-conspirator, he knew the M30s contained fentanyl. His co-conspirator also knew this, as the co-conspirator asked him if the M30s contained fentanyl and Schraidt Rodriguez advised that they did.
Schraidt Rodriguez admitted the M30 pills he sold killed a victim who overdosed on his pills. He described in his plea agreement that between August 2019 and September 5, 2019, he sold M30 pills containing fentanyl to his Monterey County co-conspirator. He acknowledged that some of those M30s were then sold to the Monterey County victim. Schraidt Rodriguez admitted that the victim ingested some portion of one or more of the M30 pills laced with fentanyl, which caused an overdose in the victim. The victim was found unconscious in the victim’s home. He died as a result of the overdose. The victim left behind a spouse and a young son.
In addition to the 90 month federal prison term, United States District Judge Edward J. Davila ordered Schraidt Rodriguez to serve three years of supervision following release from federal prison. Schraidt Rodriguez was remanded into custody at the sentencing hearing to begin serving his sentence immediately.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Liu and Casey Boome, with the assistance of Mark DiCenzo, Linda Love, and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA, with assistance from the Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Pacific Grove Police Department; the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office; and the Monterey Police Department.
One Pill Can Kill: Beware of pills bought on the street. Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a highly potent opiate that can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that purport to mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs and can typically be obtained at a lower cost than the genuine drugs. However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl creates huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills and can easily have lethal consequences. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are commonly shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies. For example, counterfeit pills known as M30s mimic Oxycodone but routinely contain fentanyl. These tablets are round and often light blue in color, though they come in many other colors, and have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill.
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.